Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
The title of Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was granted by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to her third son, Prince Arthur, on 24 May 1874.[1] At the same time, he was also granted the subsidiary title of Earl of Sussex.
| Dukedom of Connaught and Strathearn | |
|---|---|
 Arms of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, version 1874–1917 | |
| Creation date | 24 May 1874 |
| Creation | First |
| Monarch | Queen Victoria |
| Peerage | Peerage of the United Kingdom |
| First holder | Prince Arthur |
| Last holder | Alastair Windsor |
| Remainder to | the 1st Duke's heirs male of the body lawfully begotten |
| Subsidiary titles | Earl of Sussex |
| Status | Extinct |
| Extinction date | 26 April 1943 |
History
By tradition, members of the sovereign's family received titles associated with England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, the four Home Nations that made up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The Dukedom of Connaught and Strathearn was named after one of the four provinces of Ireland, now known by its modern Irish language-based spelling of Connacht. It was seen as the title that, if available, would henceforth be awarded to the British monarch's third son. The first son is the Duke of Cornwall (in England) and Duke of Rothesay (in Scotland), and would be made Prince of Wales at some point, while the second son would often become Duke of York, if the title was available.
Since the exit of the Irish Free State from the United Kingdom in 1922, titles related to locations in the Free State (and later the Republic of Ireland) have not been awarded (though Prince Edward, Prince of Wales—in 1936 briefly King Edward VIII—was made a Knight of the Order of St Patrick). However, territorial titles relating to Northern Ireland have continued to be awarded.
After Prince Arthur's death in 1942, the title was inherited by his grandson, Alastair. In the absence of any male heirs, the dukedom became extinct when Alastair died, 15 months after his grandfather.
A Canadian military regiment, The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own), is a Canadian armoured regiment in the 1st Duke's name. A British Indian Army cavalry regiment, the 6th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers (Watson's Horse), was also named for the 1st Duke.
Dukes of Connaught and Strathearn (1874)
| # | Name | Portrait | Birth | Death | Spouse | Term as Duke | Other titles | Coat of Arms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Prince Arthur |  | 1 May 1850 Buckingham Palace, London son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | 16 January 1942 at Bagshot Park, aged 91 | Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia (married 13 March 1879) 3 children | 1874–1942 | Earl of Sussex (1874) |  |
| 2 | Alastair Windsor |  | 9 August 1914 Mayfair, London son of Prince Arthur of Connaught and Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife | 26 April 1943 in Ottawa, aged 28 | Never married | 1942–1943 | Earl of Sussex (1874) |  |
Family tree
| Queen Victoria (1819–r.1837–1901) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DUKE OF CONNAUGHT & STRATHEARN, 1874 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| King Edward VII (1841–r.1901–1910) | Prince Arthur, 1st Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (1850–1942) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| King George V (1865–r.1910–1936) | Louise, Princess Royal (1867–1931) m. 1st Duke of Fife | Princess Margaret (1882–1920) m. Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden | Princess Patricia (1886–1974) m. Adm. Sir Alexander Ramsay | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| King Edward VIII (1894–1972, r.1936) | King George VI (1895–r.1936–1952) | Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife (1891–1959) | Prince Arthur of Connaught (1883–1938) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Queen Elizabeth II (1926–r.1952–) | Prince Alastair Arthur, 2nd Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (1914–1943) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Possible future creations
The Dukedom is currently vacant. While there were some speculations that it was one of the options available for Prince Harry upon his wedding with Meghan Markle, press reports have also noted that Connaught is now part of the Republic of Ireland, as well as the supposed manner in which the last Duke of Connaught and Strathearn died, thus making it unsuitable.[2][3]
Strathearn is a subsidiary Earldom in the Dukedom of Cambridge.
See also
- Earl of Connaught (subsidiary title of the Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh)
- Connaught Place, New Delhi, the commercial centre of India's capital.
- Connaught Place, London, on the south end of Edgware Road, very close to the Marble Arch and Hyde Park.
- Taman Connaught, Kuala Lumpur
- Connaught Place (Hong Kong)
- Connaught, Ontario
- Connaught Road, Hong Kong
- Connaught Square, London
- The Connaught (hotel), London
- O'Conor Don, the ancient Gaelic Royal Family of Connacht
References
- "No. 24098". The London Gazette. 26 May 1874. p. 2779.
- Scotti, Monique (19 May 2018). "A look at Harry and Meghan's new titles: Duke and Duchess of Sussex". Global News. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
Connaught isn’t much better. With its close ties to the Republic of Ireland, it wouldn’t have made the best choice. The last holder, Alastair, Duke of Connaught, died in 1943 while stationed in Canada with the British army, which seems like it might be a good fit considering Harry’s ties to the military. But Alastair froze to death after falling out a window while drunk.
- Davies, Caroline (19 May 2018). "Harry and Meghan to be Duke and Duchess of Sussex". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
Other available dukedoms had limitations. Connaught is now in the Irish Republic...
External links
- Memorial Site for the Duke of Connaught, Governor General of Canada
- www.Duke100th.com Duke of Connaught Public School, Toronto, Ontario, Canada - 100th Anniversary