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He should be referred to as Alexander or Prince Alexander before 1917, and Athlone or Lord Athlone afterwards. Grand Cross of a junior order comes before companion of a senior one
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{{Teck-Cambridge Family}}
{{Teck-Cambridge Family}}
Major-General '''Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone''' {{Post-nominals|post-noms=[[Order of the Garter|KG]] [[Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council|PC]] [[Order of the Bath|GCB]] [[Order of St Michael and St George|GMMG]] [[Royal Victorian Order|GCVO]] [[Distinguished Service Order|DSO]] [[Personal Aide-de-Camp|ADC(P)]] [[Royal Society|FRS]]}} (born Prince Alexander of Teck; 14 April 1874{{ndash}} 16 January 1957), was a member of the [[British Royal Family]],{{POV-statement|date=August 2009}} as well as a [[United Kingdom|British]] military commander and [[Major-General (United Kingdom)|major-general]] who, between 1924 and 1930, served as the [[Governor-General of the Union of South Africa]], and between 1940 and 1946, as the [[Governor General of Canada]]. Cambridge was born in [[London]], to the Duke and Duchess of Teck, and was educated at [[Eton College]] before moving on to [[Royal Military Academy Sandhurst|Sandhurst]] for training as an officer. He rose in rank through his service in African campaigns and the [[World War I|First World War]], receiving numerous honours and decorations, including elevation to the [[peerage]] as the Earl of Athlone, after he relinquished his German title of Prince of [[Teck]] in the [[Kingdom of Württemberg]]. Between his two viceregal tenures, Cambridge served as Chancellor of the [[University of London]], and after his period as Governor General of Canada, he sat on the organising committee for the coronation of [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]]. He died at [[Kensington Palace]] in 1957, and was interred in the [[Royal Burial Ground]] at [[Frogmore]].
Major-General '''Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone''' {{Post-nominals|post-noms=[[Order of the Garter|KG]] [[Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council|PC]] [[Order of the Bath|GCB]] [[Order of St Michael and St George|GMMG]] [[Royal Victorian Order|GCVO]] [[Distinguished Service Order|DSO]] [[Personal Aide-de-Camp|ADC(P)]] [[Royal Society|FRS]]}} (born Prince Alexander of Teck; 14 April 1874{{ndash}} 16 January 1957), was a member of the [[British Royal Family]],{{POV-statement|date=August 2009}} as well as a [[United Kingdom|British]] military commander and [[Major-General (United Kingdom)|major-general]] who, between 1924 and 1930, served as the [[Governor-General of the Union of South Africa]], and between 1940 and 1946, as the [[Governor General of Canada]]. Alexander was born in [[London]], to the Duke and Duchess of Teck, and was educated at [[Eton College]] before moving on to [[Royal Military Academy Sandhurst|Sandhurst]] for training as an officer. He rose in rank through his service in African campaigns and the [[World War I|First World War]], receiving numerous honours and decorations, including elevation to the [[peerage]] as the Earl of Athlone, after he relinquished his German title of Prince of [[Teck]] in the [[Kingdom of Württemberg]]. Between his two viceregal tenures, Athlone served as Chancellor of the [[University of London]], and after his period as Governor General of Canada, he sat on the organising committee for the coronation of [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]]. He died at [[Kensington Palace]] in 1957, and was interred in the [[Royal Burial Ground]] at [[Frogmore]].


==Early life, education, and military career==
==Early life, education, and military career==
[[File:Prince Alexander of Teck.jpg|thumb|left|Cambridge as Prince Alexander of Teck, 28 June 1910, wearing the insignia of the Royal Victorian Order, and the star and sash of the Order of the Rautenkrone of the German [[Kingdom of Saxony|Kingdom of Saxen]].]]
[[File:Prince Alexander of Teck.jpg|thumb|left|Athlone as Prince Alexander of Teck, 28 June 1910, wearing the insignia of the Royal Victorian Order, and the star and sash of the Order of the Rautenkrone of the German [[Kingdom of Saxony|Kingdom of Saxen]].]]
Cambridge was born at [[Kensington Palace]] on 14 April 1874,<ref name=Eilers>{{cite book| last=Eilers| first=Marlene A.| title=Queen Victoria's Descendants| publisher=Genealogical Publishing Co.| date=1987| location=Baltimore| page=215| isbn=978-0938311041}}</ref> the fourth child and third son of [[Francis, Duke of Teck|Prince Francis, Duke of Teck]], and [[Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge|Princess Mary, Duchess of Teck]]. As the son of a prince of [[Teck]], in [[Kingdom of Württemberg|Württemberg]], Cambridge was styled from birth as ''His Serene Highness'' and held the title ''Prince Alexander of Teck'',<ref name=Eilers /><ref name=CPXIII258>{{cite book| last=Cokayne| first=G. E.| coauthors=et. all| title=The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant| publisher=Alan Sutton Publishing| date=2000| location=Gloucester| volume=XIII| page=258| isbn=978-0904387827| ref=CITEREF_Cokayne_2000}}</ref> though he was known to his family and friends as ''Alge''.<ref name=UW>{{cite web| url=http://www.warwick.ac.uk/~lysic/1920s/athlonelord.htm| title=Earl of Athlone (1874-1957)| publisher=University of Warwick| accessdate=25 March 2009}}</ref> He came to be known as a meticulous individual, with a quick, but short-lived, temper, and an ability to be cautious and tactful.<ref name=UW />
Prince Alexander of Teck was born at [[Kensington Palace]] on 14 April 1874,<ref name=Eilers>{{cite book| last=Eilers| first=Marlene A.| title=Queen Victoria's Descendants| publisher=Genealogical Publishing Co.| date=1987| location=Baltimore| page=215| isbn=978-0938311041}}</ref> the fourth child and third son of [[Francis, Duke of Teck|Prince Francis, Duke of Teck]], and [[Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge|Princess Mary, Duchess of Teck]]. As the son of a prince of [[Teck]], in [[Kingdom of Württemberg|Württemberg]], Alexander was styled from birth as ''His Serene Highness'' and held the title ''Prince Alexander of Teck'',<ref name=Eilers /><ref name=CPXIII258>{{cite book| last=Cokayne| first=G. E.| coauthors=et. all| title=The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant| publisher=Alan Sutton Publishing| date=2000| location=Gloucester| volume=XIII| page=258| isbn=978-0904387827| ref=CITEREF_Cokayne_2000}}</ref> though he was known to his family and friends as ''Alge''.<ref name=UW>{{cite web| url=http://www.warwick.ac.uk/~lysic/1920s/athlonelord.htm| title=Earl of Athlone (1874-1957)| publisher=University of Warwick| accessdate=25 March 2009}}</ref> He came to be known as a meticulous individual, with a quick, but short-lived, temper, and an ability to be cautious and tactful.<ref name=UW />


When Cambridge was nine years old, his parents for two years fled the [[United Kingdom]] for [[Continental Europe]] to escape their high debts, but Cambridge remained at [[Eton College]], and, after graduation from there, moved on to the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]].<ref name=CPXIII258 /> In 1894, having completed his officer's training, Cambridge was commissioned as a [[Second Lieutenant#United Kingdom and Commonwealth|second lieutenant]] in the [[7th Queen's Own Hussars]],<ref name=CPXIII258 /><ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=26563| startpage=5929| date=23 October 1894| accessdate=19 February 2008}}</ref> and shortly after served in the [[Second Matabele War]]. Cambridge was [[Mentioned in Despatches|mentioned in despatches]] during the conflict, and after its cessation was appointed on 8 December 1898 by [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria]] to the [[Royal Victorian Order]], with the rank of Knight Commander.<ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=27032| startpage=8045| date=13 December 1898| accessdate=24 March 2009}}</ref> Later, for his actions in the [[Second Boer War]], Cambridge was awarded in April 1901 from [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|King Edward VII]] the [[Distinguished Service Order]].<ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=27306| startpage=2707| endpage=2710| date=19 April 1901| accessdate=19 February 2008}}</ref>
When Alexander was nine years old, his parents for two years fled the [[United Kingdom]] for [[Continental Europe]] to escape their high debts, but Alexander remained at [[Eton College]], and, after graduation from there, moved on to the [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]].<ref name=CPXIII258 /> In 1894, having completed his officer's training, Prince Alexander was commissioned as a [[Second Lieutenant#United Kingdom and Commonwealth|second lieutenant]] in the [[7th Queen's Own Hussars]],<ref name=CPXIII258 /><ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=26563| startpage=5929| date=23 October 1894| accessdate=19 February 2008}}</ref> and shortly after served in the [[Second Matabele War]]. Alexander was [[Mentioned in Despatches|mentioned in despatches]] during the conflict, and after its cessation was appointed on 8 December 1898 by [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria]] to the [[Royal Victorian Order]], with the rank of Knight Commander.<ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=27032| startpage=8045| date=13 December 1898| accessdate=24 March 2009}}</ref> Later, for his actions in the [[Second Boer War]], Prince Alexander was awarded in April 1901 from [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|King Edward VII]] the [[Distinguished Service Order]].<ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=27306| startpage=2707| endpage=2710| date=19 April 1901| accessdate=19 February 2008}}</ref>


The announcement came on 16 November 1903 that Cambridge had become [[Engagement|engaged]] to his second cousin once removed,<ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=27616| startpage=7013| date=16 November 1903| supp=yes| accessdate=30 March 2008}}</ref> [[Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone|Princess Alice of Albany]], the daughter of [[Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany]], and thus a granddaughter of [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria]], and niece of the then soon to be Governor General of Canada, [[Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn]]. The two were wed at [[St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle|St. George's Chapel]], in [[Windsor Castle]], on 10 February 1904,<ref name=Eilers /><ref name=CPXIII258 /> and six days following, in celebration of the wedding, Cambridge was elevated to the grade of a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.<ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=27647| startpage=1013| date=16 February 1904| accessdate=24 March 2009}}</ref> The couple thereafter had three children: [[Lady May Abel Smith|Princess May of Teck]], born 1906; [[Rupert Cambridge, Viscount Trematon|Prince Rupert of Teck]], born 1907; and Prince Maurice of Teck.<ref>{{Harvnb| Cokayne| 2000| p=259}}</ref> Maurice, however, lived only for less than six months, between 29 March and 14 September 1910, the same year Cambridge was selected as the chairman of [[Middlesex Hospital]].<ref name=UW />
The announcement came on 16 November 1903 that Alexander had become [[Engagement|engaged]] to his second cousin once removed,<ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=27616| startpage=7013| date=16 November 1903| supp=yes| accessdate=30 March 2008}}</ref> [[Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone|Princess Alice of Albany]], the daughter of [[Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany]], and thus a granddaughter of [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria]], and niece of the then soon to be Governor General of Canada, [[Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn]]. The two were wed at [[St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle|St. George's Chapel]], in [[Windsor Castle]], on 10 February 1904,<ref name=Eilers /><ref name=CPXIII258 /> and six days following, in celebration of the wedding, Alexander was elevated to the grade of a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.<ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=27647| startpage=1013| date=16 February 1904| accessdate=24 March 2009}}</ref> The couple thereafter had three children: [[Lady May Abel Smith|Princess May of Teck]], born 1906; [[Rupert Cambridge, Viscount Trematon|Prince Rupert of Teck]], born 1907; and Prince Maurice of Teck.<ref>{{Harvnb| Cokayne| 2000| p=259}}</ref> Maurice, however, lived only for less than six months, between 29 March and 14 September 1910, the same year Alexander was selected as the chairman of [[Middlesex Hospital]].<ref name=UW />


==World War I==
==World War I==
At the outbreak of [[World War I]], Cambridge, who had been promoted to major and was commanding the [[Life Guards (British Army)|2nd Life Guards]],<ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=28466| startpage=1238| endpage=1238| date=17 February 1911| accessdate=19 February 2008}}</ref> was nominated by [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|British Prime Minister]] [[H. H. Asquith|Herbert Asquith]] to serve as the [[Governor General of Canada]]. However, Cambridge was called up for active service with his regiment,<ref name=ODNB>{{cite web| first=Bede| last=Clifford| title=Cambridge, Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George, earl of Athlone (1874–1957)| work=[[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]]| publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]| date=2004| url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/32255| accessdate=31 March 2008| doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/32255}}</ref> taking him to battle in [[France]] and [[Flanders]]. By 1915, he was elevated to the rank of lieutenant colonel, to brigadier in 1917, and to honorary major-general in the final year of the war,{{Fact|date=February 2008}} at the same time he was serving as the head of the British Mission to the [[Belgium|Belgian]] Army.{{Fact|date=February 2008}} For his service on the battlefields, in June 1917 Cambridge was appointed by his brother in law, [[George V of the United Kingdom|King George V]], as a companion of the [[Order of St Michael and St George]].<ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=30111| startpage=5458| endpage=5459| date=1 June 1917| supp=yes| accessdate=31 March 2008}}</ref>
At the outbreak of [[World War I]], Prince Alexander, who had been promoted to major and was commanding the [[Life Guards (British Army)|2nd Life Guards]],<ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=28466| startpage=1238| endpage=1238| date=17 February 1911| accessdate=19 February 2008}}</ref> was nominated by [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|British Prime Minister]] [[H. H. Asquith|Herbert Asquith]] to serve as the [[Governor General of Canada]]. However, Alexander was called up for active service with his regiment,<ref name=ODNB>{{cite web| first=Bede| last=Clifford| title=Cambridge, Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George, earl of Athlone (1874–1957)| work=[[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]]| publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]| date=2004| url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/32255| accessdate=31 March 2008| doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/32255}}</ref> taking him to battle in [[France]] and [[Flanders]]. By 1915, he was elevated to the rank of lieutenant colonel, to brigadier in 1917, and to honorary major-general in the final year of the war,{{Fact|date=February 2008}} at the same time he was serving as the head of the British Mission to the [[Belgium|Belgian]] Army.{{Fact|date=February 2008}} For his service on the battlefields, in June 1917 Alexander was appointed by his brother in law, [[George V of the United Kingdom|King George V]], as a companion of the [[Order of St Michael and St George]].<ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=30111| startpage=5458| endpage=5459| date=1 June 1917| supp=yes| accessdate=31 March 2008}}</ref>


During the war, anti-German sentiment throughout the [[British Empire]] led the King to change the name of the [[royal house]] from the Germanic [[House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]] to the more English [[House of Windsor]], while simultaneously renouncing all Germanic titles for himself and all members of the Royal Family. Though only a member of the Royal Family by marriage, Cambridge, along with his brother, [[Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge|Prince Adolphus of Teck]], similarly relinquished through a royal warrant issued on 14 July 1917 all of his titles, styles, and German honours, choosing instead the name of ''Cambridge'', after his grandfather, Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge.<ref name=LondonGazette30374>{{LondonGazette| issue=30374| startpage=11592| endpage=11594| date=9 November 1917| accessdate=15 November 2007}}</ref> Alexander was then known simply as Sir Alexander Cambridge (being entitled to the honorific ''sir'' due to his position as a knight commander of the [[Royal Victorian Order]]), until, on 7 November 1917, the King created him as [[Earl of Athlone]] and Viscount Trematon.<ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=30374| date=9 November 1917| startpage=11594| accessdate=23 March 2009}}</ref> Cambridge's wife retained her royal style and title, while their surviving children became The Lady May Cambridge and Rupert Cambridge, Viscount Trematon. Rupert was to inherit the title of Earl of Athlone, but he died on 15 April 1928, ten days shy of his 21st birthday, meaning the third creation of the title became extinct with the death of Alexander Cambridge.
During the war, anti-German sentiment throughout the [[British Empire]] led the King to change the name of the [[royal house]] from the Germanic [[House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]] to the more English [[House of Windsor]], while simultaneously renouncing all Germanic titles for himself and all members of the Royal Family. Though only a member of the Royal Family by marriage, Alexander, along with his brother, [[Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge|Prince Adolphus, Duke of Teck]], similarly relinquished through a royal warrant issued on 14 July 1917 all of his titles, styles, and German honours, choosing instead the name of ''Cambridge'', after his grandfather, Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge.<ref name=LondonGazette30374>{{LondonGazette| issue=30374| startpage=11592| endpage=11594| date=9 November 1917| accessdate=15 November 2007}}</ref> Alexander was then known simply as Sir Alexander Cambridge (being entitled to the honorific ''sir'' due to his position as a knight commander of the [[Royal Victorian Order]]), until, on 7 November 1917, the King created him as [[Earl of Athlone]] and Viscount Trematon.<ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=30374| date=9 November 1917| startpage=11594| accessdate=23 March 2009}}</ref> Athlone's wife retained her royal style and title, while their surviving children became The Lady May Cambridge and Rupert Cambridge, Viscount Trematon. Rupert was to inherit the title of Earl of Athlone, but he died on 15 April 1928, ten days shy of his 21st birthday, meaning the third creation of the title became extinct with the death of the first earl.


Following the cessation of hostilities in Europe in 1918, Cambridge retired from the army and took up posts in the civilian world, continuing at Middlesex Hospital, and because of his experience there, he was appointed in 1921 to chair an investigative committee on the needs of doctors. Known as the ''Athlone Committee'', its work resulted in the creation of post-graduate schools for medical education and research,<ref name=UW /> such as the [[Royal Postgraduate Medical School]], at [[Hammersmith Hospital]], and the [[London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine]].
Following the cessation of hostilities in Europe in 1918, Athlone retired from the army and took up posts in the civilian world, continuing at Middlesex Hospital, and because of his experience there, he was appointed in 1921 to chair an investigative committee on the needs of doctors. Known as the ''Athlone Committee'', its work resulted in the creation of post-graduate schools for medical education and research,<ref name=UW /> such as the [[Royal Postgraduate Medical School]], at [[Hammersmith Hospital]], and the [[London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine]].


==Governor-generalship of the Union of South Africa==
==Governor-generalship of the Union of South Africa==
In 1923, Cambridge was appointed by the King as both a major-general (despite his retirement from the army) and the [[Governor-General of the Union of South Africa]],<ref name=UW /> replacing Cambridge's cousin, [[Prince Arthur of Connaught]]. He arrived in [[Pretoria]] in January 1924, and was immediately at work with his viceroyal duties, opening [[Parliament of South Africa|the newly finished parliament building]], just weeks before his [[Prime Minister of South Africa|prime minister]], [[Jan Smuts]], suddenly advised him to [[Legislative session#Prorogation|prorogue]] the legislature.<ref name=Time>{{cite journal| title=U.S.A. Crisis| journal=Time| volume=III| issue=16| publisher=Time Inc.| location=New York| date=21 April 1924| url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,929273,00.html| issn=0040-781X| accessdate=25 March 2009}}</ref>
In 1923, Athlone was appointed by the King as both a major-general (despite his retirement from the army) and the [[Governor-General of the Union of South Africa]],<ref name=UW /> replacing Athlone's cousin, [[Prince Arthur of Connaught]]. He arrived in [[Pretoria]] in January 1924, and was immediately at work with his viceroyal duties, opening [[Parliament of South Africa|the newly finished parliament building]], just weeks before his [[Prime Minister of South Africa|prime minister]], [[Jan Smuts]], suddenly advised him to [[Legislative session#Prorogation|prorogue]] the legislature.<ref name=Time>{{cite journal| title=U.S.A. Crisis| journal=Time| volume=III| issue=16| publisher=Time Inc.| location=New York| date=21 April 1924| url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,929273,00.html| issn=0040-781X| accessdate=25 March 2009}}</ref>


In the [[South African general election, 1924|the ensuing election]]{{ndash}} the running of which forced Cambridge to cancel the planned tour of [[Edward VIII of the United Kingdom|Prince Edward, Prince of Wales]]<ref name=Time />{{ndash}} the [[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]] won a majority of seats in the [[National Assembly of South Africa|National Assembly]], meaning Cambridge appointed the party's leader, [[J. B. M. Hertzog|James Hertzog]], as his new prime minister. At the time, [[Afrikaner nationalism]] was increasing in the [[Dominion]], and Hertzog was a [[Republicanism|republican]] who promoted the secession of South Africa from the [[British Empire]]. As such, he proposed the country adopt its own flag over the [[Union Flag]]. Cambridge, however, proved sympathetic and tactful, and resolved the issue by advancing a flag that was unique to South Africa, but which still contained the Union Flag within it, despite opposition from numerous [[Afrikaner]]s. He also gained popularity with South Africaners of all races through his frequent tours of the country,<ref name=UW /> performing a number of ceremonial duties, including opening [[Pioneer Park (Johannesburg)|Pioneer Park]], in [[Johannesburg]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.jhbcityparks.com/find-a-park/wemmer-pan/pioneer-park.html| title=Wemmer Pan/Pioneer Park| publisher=Johannesburg City Parks| accessdate=19 September 2008}}</ref>
In the [[South African general election, 1924|the ensuing election]]{{ndash}} the running of which forced Athlone to cancel the planned tour of [[Edward VIII of the United Kingdom|Prince Edward, Prince of Wales]]<ref name=Time />{{ndash}} the [[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]] won a majority of seats in the [[National Assembly of South Africa|National Assembly]], meaning Athlone appointed the party's leader, [[J. B. M. Hertzog|James Hertzog]], as his new prime minister. At the time, [[Afrikaner nationalism]] was increasing in the [[Dominion]], and Hertzog was a [[Republicanism|republican]] who promoted the secession of South Africa from the [[British Empire]]. As such, he proposed the country adopt its own flag over the [[Union Flag]]. Athlone, however, proved sympathetic and tactful, and resolved the issue by advancing a flag that was unique to South Africa, but which still contained the Union Flag within it, despite opposition from numerous [[Afrikaner]]s. He also gained popularity with South Africans of all races through his frequent tours of the country,<ref name=UW /> performing a number of ceremonial duties, including opening [[Pioneer Park (Johannesburg)|Pioneer Park]], in [[Johannesburg]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.jhbcityparks.com/find-a-park/wemmer-pan/pioneer-park.html| title=Wemmer Pan/Pioneer Park| publisher=Johannesburg City Parks| accessdate=19 September 2008}}</ref>


For his service to the Crown in South Africa, Cambridge was appointed by George V as a knight companion of the [[Order of the Garter]], on 17 April 1928.<ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=33376| date=17 April 1928| startpage=2737| accessdate=22 March 2009}}</ref> Cambridge was also, upon his return to the UK, appointed on 4 August 1931 as the [[Constables and Governors of Windsor Castle|Governor and Constable of Windsor Castle]].<ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=33741| startpage=5110| date=4 August 1931| accessdate=24 March 2009}}</ref> The following year, he was also selected as the Chancellor of the [[University of London]], which post he held until 1955.<ref name=GGCam />
For his service to the Crown in South Africa, the Earl of Athlone was appointed by George V as a knight companion of the [[Order of the Garter]], on 17 April 1928.<ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=33376| date=17 April 1928| startpage=2737| accessdate=22 March 2009}}</ref> Athlone was also, upon his return to the UK, appointed on 4 August 1931 as the [[Constables and Governors of Windsor Castle|Governor and Constable of Windsor Castle]].<ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=33741| startpage=5110| date=4 August 1931| accessdate=24 March 2009}}</ref> The following year, he was also selected as the Chancellor of the [[University of London]], which post he held until 1955.<ref name=GGCam />


==Governor generalship of Canada==
==Governor generalship of Canada==
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[[Image:Althorn-Alice-MK.jpg|thumb|right|Earl of Athlone and his wife, [[Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone|Princess Alice]], followed by Mackenzie King at the opening of parliament, 6 September 1945.]]
[[Image:Althorn-Alice-MK.jpg|thumb|right|Earl of Athlone and his wife, [[Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone|Princess Alice]], followed by Mackenzie King at the opening of parliament, 6 September 1945.]]


In [[Canada]], in the late 1930s, there had been calls from government circles and the media alike for the King to appoint a Canadian-born individual as the his governor general. However, with the rush to fill the post after the unexpected death of the incumbent viceroy, [[John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir|John Buchan, Baron Tweedsmuir]], and the country embroiled in the [[World War II|Second World War]], [[Prime Minister of Canada|Canadian Prime Minister]] [[William Lyon Mackenzie King]] advised [[George VI of the United Kingdom|King George VI]] that the time was not right for such a change in viceregal tradition. Instead, it was George's uncle, the Earl of Athlone, whose name Mackenzie King put forward, and, after the Earl accepted, it was announced from the [[Office of the Prime Minister (Canada)|Prime Minister's office]] on 2 June 1940 that the King had, by commission under the [[royal sign-manual]] and [[Seal (device)#Signet rings|signet]], approved the recommendation of his prime minister, Mackenzie King, to appoint Cambridge as his representative.<ref name=GGCam /> Cambridge{{ndash}} with a party that included his wife, Princess Alice, and his [[Aide-de-Camp|aide-de-camp]], Canadian militiaman [[Alastair Windsor, 2nd Duke of Connaught and Strathearn|Alastair Windsor, Duke of Connaught]]{{#tag:ref|The Duke of Connaught (originally Prince Alastair of Connaught) was the grandson of previous governor general of Canada, [[Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn]], and died at [[Rideau Hall]].|group=N|name=Capt}}<ref>{{cite book| last=Hubbard| first=R.H.| title=Rideau Hall| publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press| date=1977| location=Montreal and London| isbn=978-0773503106}}</ref>{{ndash}} thus voyaged to Canada to take up his position, sailing on the {{RMS|Queen Mary}} in a submarine evading zig-zag pattern across the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to [[City of Halifax|Halifax]], [[Nova Scotia]]. After travelling on to [[Ottawa]] by train, Cambridge was subsequently sworn-in during a ceremony in the [[Senate of Canada|Senate chamber]] on 21 June 1940.
In [[Canada]], in the late 1930s, there had been calls from government circles and the media alike for the King to appoint a Canadian-born individual as the his governor general. However, with the rush to fill the post after the unexpected death of the incumbent viceroy, [[John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir|John Buchan, Baron Tweedsmuir]], and the country embroiled in the [[World War II|Second World War]], [[Prime Minister of Canada|Canadian Prime Minister]] [[William Lyon Mackenzie King]] advised [[George VI of the United Kingdom|King George VI]] that the time was not right for such a change in viceregal tradition. Instead, it was George's uncle, the Earl of Athlone, whose name Mackenzie King put forward, and, after the Earl accepted, it was announced from the [[Office of the Prime Minister (Canada)|Prime Minister's office]] on 2 June 1940 that the King had, by commission under the [[royal sign-manual]] and [[Seal (device)#Signet rings|signet]], approved the recommendation of his prime minister, Mackenzie King, to appoint Athlone as his representative.<ref name=GGCam /> Athlone{{ndash}} with a party that included his wife, Princess Alice, and his [[Aide-de-Camp|aide-de-camp]], Canadian militiaman [[Alastair Windsor, 2nd Duke of Connaught and Strathearn|Alastair Windsor, Earl of Macduff]]{{#tag:ref|Lord Macduff (originally Prince Alastair of Connaught), who would succeed to the title of Duke of Connaught, was the grandson of the previous governor general of Canada, [[Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn]], and the son of former South African governor general [[Prince Arthur of Connaught]], died at [[Rideau Hall]].|group=N|name=Capt}}<ref>{{cite book| last=Hubbard| first=R.H.| title=Rideau Hall| publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press| date=1977| location=Montreal and London| isbn=978-0773503106}}</ref>{{ndash}} thus voyaged to Canada to take up his position, sailing on the {{RMS|Queen Mary}} in a submarine evading zig-zag pattern across the [[Atlantic Ocean]] to [[City of Halifax|Halifax]], [[Nova Scotia]]. After travelling on to [[Ottawa]] by train, Athlone was subsequently sworn-in during a ceremony in the [[Senate of Canada|Senate chamber]] on 21 June 1940.


The Earl immediately made himself active in the support of the war effort, travelling across the country, and focusing much of his attention on the troops, either those training at military facilities or those injured and in hospital. Viewing his position as governor general as a link between Canadians and their monarch, Cambridge also communicated in speeches that the King stood with them in their fight against [[Adolf Hitler]] and the [[Nazi Party|Nazi regime]].<ref name=GGCam /> The war was brought close to home for the Cambridges also because many of those belonging to displaced European royal families sought refuge in Canada, and resided at or near the royal and viceroyal residence, [[Rideau Hall]]. Among the royal guests were [[Olav V of Norway|Crown Prince Olav]] and [[Märtha of Sweden|Crown Princess Märtha]] of [[Norway]], [[Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg|Grand Duchess Charlotte]] and [[Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma|Prince Felix]] of [[Luxembourg]], [[Peter II of Yugoslavia|King Peter]] of [[Yugoslavia]], [[George II of Greece|King George]] of [[Greece]], Empress [[Zita of Bourbon-Parma]] ([[Austria]]) and her daughters, as well as [[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Queen Wilhelmina]] and her daughters, Princesses [[Juliana of the Netherlands|Juliana]], [[Beatrix of the Netherlands|Beatrix]], and [[Princess Margriet of the Netherlands|Margriet]].<ref name=Hubbard>{{cite book| last=Hubbard| first=R.H.| title=Rideau Hall| publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press| date=1977| location=Montreal and London| page=201| isbn=978-0773503106| ref=CITEREF_Hubbard_1977}}</ref> Further, in December 1941, British Prime Minister [[Winston Churchill]] arrived at the hall, where he presided over [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|British Cabinet]] meetings via telephone from his bed.<ref>{{Harvnb| Hubbard| 1977| p=202}}</ref>
The Earl immediately made himself active in the support of the war effort, travelling across the country, and focusing much of his attention on the troops, either those training at military facilities or those injured and in hospital. Viewing his position as governor general as a link between Canadians and their monarch, Athlone also communicated in speeches that the King stood with them in their fight against [[Adolf Hitler]] and the [[Nazi Party|Nazi regime]].<ref name=GGCam /> The war was brought close to home for the Athlones also because many of those belonging to displaced European royal families sought refuge in Canada, and resided at or near the royal and viceroyal residence, [[Rideau Hall]]. Among the royal guests were [[Olav V of Norway|Crown Prince Olav]] and [[Märtha of Sweden|Crown Princess Märtha]] of [[Norway]], [[Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg|Grand Duchess Charlotte]] and [[Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma|Prince Felix]] of [[Luxembourg]], [[Peter II of Yugoslavia|King Peter]] of [[Yugoslavia]], [[George II of Greece|King George]] of [[Greece]], Empress [[Zita of Bourbon-Parma]] ([[Austria]]) and her daughters, as well as [[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Queen Wilhelmina]] and her daughters, Princesses [[Juliana of the Netherlands|Juliana]], [[Beatrix of the Netherlands|Beatrix]], and [[Princess Margriet of the Netherlands|Margriet]].<ref name=Hubbard>{{cite book| last=Hubbard| first=R.H.| title=Rideau Hall| publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press| date=1977| location=Montreal and London| page=201| isbn=978-0773503106| ref=CITEREF_Hubbard_1977}}</ref> Further, in December 1941, British Prime Minister [[Winston Churchill]] arrived at the hall, where he presided over [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|British Cabinet]] meetings via telephone from his bed.<ref>{{Harvnb| Hubbard| 1977| p=202}}</ref>


It was Cambridge's duty to play host at [[Quebec City]] to his prime minister, still Mackenzie King, as well as Churchill and [[President of the United States|United States President]] [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], who all gathered to take part in what would become known as the Quebec Conferences, with [[Quebec Conference, 1943|the first]] taking place between 17 and 24 August 1943 at the viceregal residence in ''[[Citadelle of Quebec|La Citadelle]]'', and [[Second Quebec Conference|the second]] occurring from 12 to 16 September 1944 at the [[Château Frontenac]]. It was at these meetings that the four men discussed the Allied strategies that would eventually lead to victory over Nazi Germany and [[Japan]]. When Germany fell on 8 May 1945 and Japan on 15 August of the same year, Cambridge led the national celebrations held on [[Parliament Hill]] and elsewhere. He thereafter spoke in speeches about Canada's future being marked not by war but by a strong role in reconstruction and reconciliation.<ref name=GGCam />
It was Athlone's duty to play host at [[Quebec City]] to his prime minister, still Mackenzie King, as well as Churchill and [[President of the United States|United States President]] [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], who all gathered to take part in what would become known as the Quebec Conferences, with [[Quebec Conference, 1943|the first]] taking place between 17 and 24 August 1943 at the viceregal residence in ''[[Citadelle of Quebec|La Citadelle]]'', and [[Second Quebec Conference|the second]] occurring from 12 to 16 September 1944 at the [[Château Frontenac]]. It was at these meetings that the four men discussed the Allied strategies that would eventually lead to victory over Nazi Germany and [[Japan]]. When Germany fell on 8 May 1945 and Japan on 15 August of the same year, Athlone led the national celebrations held on [[Parliament Hill]] and elsewhere. He thereafter spoke in speeches about Canada's future being marked not by war but by a strong role in reconstruction and reconciliation.<ref name=GGCam />


During his time as the Canadian viceroy, Cambridge also lent his status to various charitable and other social events, and mounted a number of activities of his own, such as tobogganing parties and skating lessons on the grounds of Rideau Hall, as well as skiing in [[Gatineau Park]]. When he departed Canada at the end of his time as the King's representative, Cambridge left as a legacy the Athlone-Vanier Engineering Fellowship, awarded by the [[Engineering Institute of Canada Fellows|Engineering Institute of Canada]].<ref name=GGCam />
During his time as the Canadian viceroy, Athlone also lent his status to various charitable and other social events, and mounted a number of activities of his own, such as tobogganing parties and skating lessons on the grounds of Rideau Hall, as well as skiing in [[Gatineau Park]]. When he departed Canada at the end of his time as the King's representative, Athlone left as a legacy the Athlone-Vanier Engineering Fellowship, awarded by the [[Engineering Institute of Canada Fellows|Engineering Institute of Canada]].<ref name=GGCam />


==Post-viceregal life==
==Post-viceregal life==
After Cambridge's replacement as governor general was appointed on 21 March 1946, the Earl returned to the United Kingdom to retirement, taking up residence at [[Kensington Palace]], and resigning as colonel of the 7th Queen's Own Hussars on 1 September of that year.<ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=37706| date=27 August 1946| startpage=4347| accessdate=25 March 2009}}</ref> He did not completely remove himself from public activity, however, and was, along with his Canadian viceregal successor, [[Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis|Lord Alexander of Tunis]], appointed to the committee charged with organising the [[coronation]] in 1953 of Alexander's great-niece, [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]],<ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=39578| date=20 June 1952| startpage=3395| accessdate=23 March 2009}}</ref> and continued to sit as Chancellor of the University of London until 1955.<ref name=GGCam />
After Athlone's replacement as governor general was appointed on 21 March 1946, the Earl returned to the United Kingdom to retirement, taking up residence at [[Kensington Palace]], and resigning as colonel of the 7th Queen's Own Hussars on 1 September of that year.<ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=37706| date=27 August 1946| startpage=4347| accessdate=25 March 2009}}</ref> He did not completely remove himself from public activity, however, and was, along with his Canadian viceregal successor, [[Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis|Lord Alexander of Tunis]], appointed to the committee charged with organising the [[coronation]] in 1953 of Alexander's great-niece, [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]],<ref>{{LondonGazette| issue=39578| date=20 June 1952| startpage=3395| accessdate=23 March 2009}}</ref> and continued to sit as Chancellor of the University of London until 1955.<ref name=GGCam />


The Earl of Athlone died at Kensington on 16 January 1957, and he was interred in the [[Royal Burial Ground]] at [[Frogmore]].
The Earl of Athlone died at Kensington on 16 January 1957, and he was interred in the [[Royal Burial Ground]] at [[Frogmore]].
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* '''1918{{ndash}} 21 January 1924''': Major-General ''The Right Honourable'' The Earl of Athlone
* '''1918{{ndash}} 21 January 1924''': Major-General ''The Right Honourable'' The Earl of Athlone
* '''21 January 1924{{ndash}} 21 December 1930''': Major-General ''His Excellency'' ''The Right Honourable'' The Earl of Athlone, Governor-General of the Union of South Africa
* '''21 January 1924{{ndash}} 21 December 1930''': Major-General ''His Excellency'' ''The Right Honourable'' The Earl of Athlone, Governor-General of the Union of South Africa
* '''21 December 1930{{ndash}} 16 January 1957''': Major-General ''The Right Honourable'' Alexander Cambridge, Earl of Athlone
* '''21 December 1930{{ndash}} 16 January 1957''': Major-General ''The Right Honourable'' The Earl of Athlone


;{{flagicon|Canada|1921}} [[Canada]]
;{{flagicon|Canada|1921}} [[Canada]]
* '''21 June 1940{{ndash}} 12 April 1946''': Major-General ''His Excellency The Right Honourable'' The Earl of Athlone, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of the Militia and Naval and Air Forces of Canada
* '''21 June 1940{{ndash}} 12 April 1946''': Major-General ''His Excellency The Right Honourable'' The Earl of Athlone, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of the Militia and Naval and Air Forces of Canada


Cambridge's style and title prior to the renunciation of his Germanic titles in 1917 was: ''His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George of Teck, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, Grand Cross of the Order of the Rautenkrone, Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold, Member First Class with Swords of the Order of St. Anna''. Upon his elevation to the [[peerage]], he was styled and titled as: ''The Right Honourable Sir Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, Earl of Athlone, Viscount Trematon, Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold, Member First Class with Swords of the Order of St. Anna, Major-General of the Militia of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland''.
Athlone's style and title prior to the renunciation of his Germanic titles in 1917 was: ''His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George of Teck, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, Grand Cross of the Order of the Rautenkrone, Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold, Member First Class with Swords of the Order of St. Anna''. Upon his elevation to the [[peerage]], he was styled and titled as: ''The Right Honourable Sir Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, Earl of Athlone, Viscount Trematon, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold, Member First Class with Swords of the Order of St. Anna, Major-General of the Militia of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland''.


As Governor General of South Africa, Cambridge was formally addressed as: ''His Excellency The Right Honourable Sir Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, Earl of Athlone, Viscount Trematon, Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold, Member First Class with Swords of the Order of St. Anna, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of the Union of South Africa, Major-General of the Militia of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland''.
As Governor General of South Africa, Athlone was formally addressed as: ''His Excellency The Right Honourable Sir Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, Earl of Athlone, Viscount Trematon, Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold, Member First Class with Swords of the Order of St. Anna, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of the Union of South Africa, Major-General of the Militia of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland''.


Cambridge's style and title as Governor General of Canada was, in full, and in [[English language|English]]: ''His Excellency The Right Honourable Sir Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, Earl of Athlone, Viscount Trematon, Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Grand Master of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold, Member First Class with Swords of the Order of St. Anna, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of the Militia and Naval and Air Forces of Canada, Major-General of the Militia of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'', and in [[French language|French]]: ''Son Excellence le très honorable Sir Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, comte d'Athlone, viscompte Trematon, chevalier du nobilissime ordre de la Jarretière, chevalier grand-croix du très honorable ordre du Bain, grand-maître du très distingué ordre de Saint-Michel et Saint-George, chevalier grand-croix de l'ordre royal de Victoria, compagnon de l'ordre du service distingué, grand cordon de l'ordre de Léopold, membre première classe avec épées de l'ordre de Sainte-Anne, gouverneur général et commandant en chef de la milice et des forces navales et aérienne du Canada, major-général de la milice du Royaume-Uni de Grande-Bretagne et d'Irlande du Nord''. It should be noted that, for Cambridge, ''Commander-in-Chief'' was strictly a title, and not a position that he held; the actual commander-in-chief (who can also be, and is, called such) is perpetually the monarch of Canada.<ref>{{Citation| last=Victoria| author-link=Victoria of the United Kingdom| publication-date=29 March 1867| title=Constitution Act, 1867| series=III.15| publication-place=Westminster| publisher=Queen's Printer| url=http://www.solon.org/Constitutions/Canada/English/ca_1867.html| accessdate=15 January 2009}}</ref>
Athlone's style and title as Governor General of Canada was, in full, and in [[English language|English]]: ''His Excellency The Right Honourable Sir Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, Earl of Athlone, Viscount Trematon, Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Grand Master of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold, Member First Class with Swords of the Order of St. Anna, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of the Militia and Naval and Air Forces of Canada, Major-General of the Militia of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'', and in [[French language|French]]: ''Son Excellence le très honorable Sir Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, comte d'Athlone, viscompte Trematon, chevalier du nobilissime ordre de la Jarretière, chevalier grand-croix du très honorable ordre du Bain, grand-maître du très distingué ordre de Saint-Michel et Saint-George, chevalier grand-croix de l'ordre royal de Victoria, compagnon de l'ordre du service distingué, grand cordon de l'ordre de Léopold, membre première classe avec épées de l'ordre de Sainte-Anne, gouverneur général et commandant en chef de la milice et des forces navales et aérienne du Canada, major-général de la milice du Royaume-Uni de Grande-Bretagne et d'Irlande du Nord''. It should be noted that, for Athlone, ''Commander-in-Chief'' was strictly a title, and not a position that he held; the actual commander-in-chief (who can also be, and is, called such) is perpetually the monarch of Canada.<ref>{{Citation| last=Victoria| author-link=Victoria of the United Kingdom| publication-date=29 March 1867| title=Constitution Act, 1867| series=III.15| publication-place=Westminster| publisher=Queen's Printer| url=http://www.solon.org/Constitutions/Canada/English/ca_1867.html| accessdate=15 January 2009}}</ref>


===Honours===
===Honours===
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==External links==
==External links==
{{commonscat|Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone}}
{{commonscat|Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone}}
*[http://www.gg.ca/gg/fgg/bios/01/athlone_e.asp Website of the Governor General of Canada entry for Alexander Cambridge]
*[http://www.gg.ca/gg/fgg/bios/01/athlone_e.asp Website of the Governor General of Canada entry for Lord Athlone]
*[http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0000376 The Canadian Encyclopedia entry for Alexander Cambridge]
*[http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0000376 The Canadian Encyclopedia entry for Lord Athlone]


{{s-start}}
{{s-start}}

Revision as of 17:50, 25 August 2009


Major-General The Right Honourable
The Earl of Athlone
KG, PC, GCB, GMMG, GCVO, DSO, ADC(P), FRS

16th Governor General of Canada
In office
21 June 1940 – 12 April 1946
MonarchGeorge VI
Prime MinisterWilliam Lyon Mackenzie King
Preceded byThe Lord Tweedsmuir
Succeeded byThe Viscount Alexander of Tunis

4th Governor-General of the Union of South Africa
In office
21 January 1924 – 21 December 1930
MonarchGeorge V
Prime MinisterJan Smuts
J. B. M. Hertzog
Preceded byPrince Arthur of Connaught
Succeeded byThe Earl of Clarendon
Personal details
BornInfobox Military Person
(1874-04-14)14 April 1874
London, UK
Died16 January 1957(1957-01-16) (aged 82)
London, UK
Resting placeInfobox Military Person
SpousePrincess Alice, Countess of Athlone
Parent
  • Infobox Military Person
ProfessionArmy officer
AwardsSee below...
Military service
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Branch/serviceBritish Army
Years of service1894– 1923
RankMajor-General
Battles/warsSecond Matabele War
Second Boer War
World War I
Teck-Cambridge Family
Francis, Duke of Teck
Children
Mary, Queen of the United Kingdom
Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge
Prince Francis of Teck
Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone
Adolphus Cambridge,
 1st Marquess of Cambridge
Children
George Cambridge, 2nd Marquess of Cambridge
Mary Somerset, Duchess of Beaufort
Lady Helena Gibbs
Lord Frederick Cambridge
Grandchildren
Lady Mary Whitley
Alexander Cambridge,
 1st Earl of Athlone
Children
Lady May Abel Smith
Rupert Cambridge, Viscount Trematon
Prince Maurice of Teck

Major-General Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone KG PC GCB GMMG GCVO DSO ADC(P) FRS (born Prince Alexander of Teck; 14 April 1874– 16 January 1957), was a member of the British Royal Family,[neutrality is disputed] as well as a British military commander and major-general who, between 1924 and 1930, served as the Governor-General of the Union of South Africa, and between 1940 and 1946, as the Governor General of Canada. Alexander was born in London, to the Duke and Duchess of Teck, and was educated at Eton College before moving on to Sandhurst for training as an officer. He rose in rank through his service in African campaigns and the First World War, receiving numerous honours and decorations, including elevation to the peerage as the Earl of Athlone, after he relinquished his German title of Prince of Teck in the Kingdom of Württemberg. Between his two viceregal tenures, Athlone served as Chancellor of the University of London, and after his period as Governor General of Canada, he sat on the organising committee for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. He died at Kensington Palace in 1957, and was interred in the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore.

Early life, education, and military career

Athlone as Prince Alexander of Teck, 28 June 1910, wearing the insignia of the Royal Victorian Order, and the star and sash of the Order of the Rautenkrone of the German Kingdom of Saxen.

Prince Alexander of Teck was born at Kensington Palace on 14 April 1874,[1] the fourth child and third son of Prince Francis, Duke of Teck, and Princess Mary, Duchess of Teck. As the son of a prince of Teck, in Württemberg, Alexander was styled from birth as His Serene Highness and held the title Prince Alexander of Teck,[1][2] though he was known to his family and friends as Alge.[3] He came to be known as a meticulous individual, with a quick, but short-lived, temper, and an ability to be cautious and tactful.[3]

When Alexander was nine years old, his parents for two years fled the United Kingdom for Continental Europe to escape their high debts, but Alexander remained at Eton College, and, after graduation from there, moved on to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.[2] In 1894, having completed his officer's training, Prince Alexander was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 7th Queen's Own Hussars,[2][4] and shortly after served in the Second Matabele War. Alexander was mentioned in despatches during the conflict, and after its cessation was appointed on 8 December 1898 by Queen Victoria to the Royal Victorian Order, with the rank of Knight Commander.[5] Later, for his actions in the Second Boer War, Prince Alexander was awarded in April 1901 from King Edward VII the Distinguished Service Order.[6]

The announcement came on 16 November 1903 that Alexander had become engaged to his second cousin once removed,[7] Princess Alice of Albany, the daughter of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, and thus a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and niece of the then soon to be Governor General of Canada, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn. The two were wed at St. George's Chapel, in Windsor Castle, on 10 February 1904,[1][2] and six days following, in celebration of the wedding, Alexander was elevated to the grade of a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order.[8] The couple thereafter had three children: Princess May of Teck, born 1906; Prince Rupert of Teck, born 1907; and Prince Maurice of Teck.[9] Maurice, however, lived only for less than six months, between 29 March and 14 September 1910, the same year Alexander was selected as the chairman of Middlesex Hospital.[3]

World War I

At the outbreak of World War I, Prince Alexander, who had been promoted to major and was commanding the 2nd Life Guards,[10] was nominated by British Prime Minister Herbert Asquith to serve as the Governor General of Canada. However, Alexander was called up for active service with his regiment,[11] taking him to battle in France and Flanders. By 1915, he was elevated to the rank of lieutenant colonel, to brigadier in 1917, and to honorary major-general in the final year of the war,[citation needed] at the same time he was serving as the head of the British Mission to the Belgian Army.[citation needed] For his service on the battlefields, in June 1917 Alexander was appointed by his brother in law, King George V, as a companion of the Order of St Michael and St George.[12]

During the war, anti-German sentiment throughout the British Empire led the King to change the name of the royal house from the Germanic House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the more English House of Windsor, while simultaneously renouncing all Germanic titles for himself and all members of the Royal Family. Though only a member of the Royal Family by marriage, Alexander, along with his brother, Prince Adolphus, Duke of Teck, similarly relinquished through a royal warrant issued on 14 July 1917 all of his titles, styles, and German honours, choosing instead the name of Cambridge, after his grandfather, Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge.[13] Alexander was then known simply as Sir Alexander Cambridge (being entitled to the honorific sir due to his position as a knight commander of the Royal Victorian Order), until, on 7 November 1917, the King created him as Earl of Athlone and Viscount Trematon.[14] Athlone's wife retained her royal style and title, while their surviving children became The Lady May Cambridge and Rupert Cambridge, Viscount Trematon. Rupert was to inherit the title of Earl of Athlone, but he died on 15 April 1928, ten days shy of his 21st birthday, meaning the third creation of the title became extinct with the death of the first earl.

Following the cessation of hostilities in Europe in 1918, Athlone retired from the army and took up posts in the civilian world, continuing at Middlesex Hospital, and because of his experience there, he was appointed in 1921 to chair an investigative committee on the needs of doctors. Known as the Athlone Committee, its work resulted in the creation of post-graduate schools for medical education and research,[3] such as the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, at Hammersmith Hospital, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

Governor-generalship of the Union of South Africa

In 1923, Athlone was appointed by the King as both a major-general (despite his retirement from the army) and the Governor-General of the Union of South Africa,[3] replacing Athlone's cousin, Prince Arthur of Connaught. He arrived in Pretoria in January 1924, and was immediately at work with his viceroyal duties, opening the newly finished parliament building, just weeks before his prime minister, Jan Smuts, suddenly advised him to prorogue the legislature.[15]

In the the ensuing election– the running of which forced Athlone to cancel the planned tour of Prince Edward, Prince of Wales[15]– the National Party won a majority of seats in the National Assembly, meaning Athlone appointed the party's leader, James Hertzog, as his new prime minister. At the time, Afrikaner nationalism was increasing in the Dominion, and Hertzog was a republican who promoted the secession of South Africa from the British Empire. As such, he proposed the country adopt its own flag over the Union Flag. Athlone, however, proved sympathetic and tactful, and resolved the issue by advancing a flag that was unique to South Africa, but which still contained the Union Flag within it, despite opposition from numerous Afrikaners. He also gained popularity with South Africans of all races through his frequent tours of the country,[3] performing a number of ceremonial duties, including opening Pioneer Park, in Johannesburg.[16]

For his service to the Crown in South Africa, the Earl of Athlone was appointed by George V as a knight companion of the Order of the Garter, on 17 April 1928.[17] Athlone was also, upon his return to the UK, appointed on 4 August 1931 as the Governor and Constable of Windsor Castle.[18] The following year, he was also selected as the Chancellor of the University of London, which post he held until 1955.[19]

Governor generalship of Canada

The Earl of Athlone (seated, right) with (left to right) Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King, US President Roosevelt, and UK Prime Minister Churchill, at La Citadelle, August 1943.
Earl of Athlone and his wife, Princess Alice, followed by Mackenzie King at the opening of parliament, 6 September 1945.

In Canada, in the late 1930s, there had been calls from government circles and the media alike for the King to appoint a Canadian-born individual as the his governor general. However, with the rush to fill the post after the unexpected death of the incumbent viceroy, John Buchan, Baron Tweedsmuir, and the country embroiled in the Second World War, Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King advised King George VI that the time was not right for such a change in viceregal tradition. Instead, it was George's uncle, the Earl of Athlone, whose name Mackenzie King put forward, and, after the Earl accepted, it was announced from the Prime Minister's office on 2 June 1940 that the King had, by commission under the royal sign-manual and signet, approved the recommendation of his prime minister, Mackenzie King, to appoint Athlone as his representative.[19] Athlone– with a party that included his wife, Princess Alice, and his aide-de-camp, Canadian militiaman Alastair Windsor, Earl of Macduff[N 1][20]– thus voyaged to Canada to take up his position, sailing on the RMS Queen Mary in a submarine evading zig-zag pattern across the Atlantic Ocean to Halifax, Nova Scotia. After travelling on to Ottawa by train, Athlone was subsequently sworn-in during a ceremony in the Senate chamber on 21 June 1940.

The Earl immediately made himself active in the support of the war effort, travelling across the country, and focusing much of his attention on the troops, either those training at military facilities or those injured and in hospital. Viewing his position as governor general as a link between Canadians and their monarch, Athlone also communicated in speeches that the King stood with them in their fight against Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime.[19] The war was brought close to home for the Athlones also because many of those belonging to displaced European royal families sought refuge in Canada, and resided at or near the royal and viceroyal residence, Rideau Hall. Among the royal guests were Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Märtha of Norway, Grand Duchess Charlotte and Prince Felix of Luxembourg, King Peter of Yugoslavia, King George of Greece, Empress Zita of Bourbon-Parma (Austria) and her daughters, as well as Queen Wilhelmina and her daughters, Princesses Juliana, Beatrix, and Margriet.[21] Further, in December 1941, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill arrived at the hall, where he presided over British Cabinet meetings via telephone from his bed.[22]

It was Athlone's duty to play host at Quebec City to his prime minister, still Mackenzie King, as well as Churchill and United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who all gathered to take part in what would become known as the Quebec Conferences, with the first taking place between 17 and 24 August 1943 at the viceregal residence in La Citadelle, and the second occurring from 12 to 16 September 1944 at the Château Frontenac. It was at these meetings that the four men discussed the Allied strategies that would eventually lead to victory over Nazi Germany and Japan. When Germany fell on 8 May 1945 and Japan on 15 August of the same year, Athlone led the national celebrations held on Parliament Hill and elsewhere. He thereafter spoke in speeches about Canada's future being marked not by war but by a strong role in reconstruction and reconciliation.[19]

During his time as the Canadian viceroy, Athlone also lent his status to various charitable and other social events, and mounted a number of activities of his own, such as tobogganing parties and skating lessons on the grounds of Rideau Hall, as well as skiing in Gatineau Park. When he departed Canada at the end of his time as the King's representative, Athlone left as a legacy the Athlone-Vanier Engineering Fellowship, awarded by the Engineering Institute of Canada.[19]

Post-viceregal life

After Athlone's replacement as governor general was appointed on 21 March 1946, the Earl returned to the United Kingdom to retirement, taking up residence at Kensington Palace, and resigning as colonel of the 7th Queen's Own Hussars on 1 September of that year.[23] He did not completely remove himself from public activity, however, and was, along with his Canadian viceregal successor, Lord Alexander of Tunis, appointed to the committee charged with organising the coronation in 1953 of Alexander's great-niece, Queen Elizabeth II,[24] and continued to sit as Chancellor of the University of London until 1955.[19]

The Earl of Athlone died at Kensington on 16 January 1957, and he was interred in the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore.

Titles, styles, honours, and arms

Titles

Viceregal styles of
The Earl of Athlone
  
Reference styleHis Excellency The Right Honourable
(in Canada, also) Son Excellence le très honorable
Spoken styleYour Excellency
(in Canada, also) Votre Excellence
Kingdom of Württemberg Kingdom of Württemberg
  • 14 April 1874– 14 July 1917: His Serene Highness Prince Alexander of Teck
United Kingdom United Kingdom
  • 14 July 1917– 17 July 1917: Brigadier Sir Alexander Cambridge
  • 17 July 1917– 1918: Brigadier The Right Honourable The Earl of Athlone
  • 1918– 21 January 1924: Major-General The Right Honourable The Earl of Athlone
  • 21 January 1924– 21 December 1930: Major-General His Excellency The Right Honourable The Earl of Athlone, Governor-General of the Union of South Africa
  • 21 December 1930– 16 January 1957: Major-General The Right Honourable The Earl of Athlone
Canada Canada
  • 21 June 1940– 12 April 1946: Major-General His Excellency The Right Honourable The Earl of Athlone, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of the Militia and Naval and Air Forces of Canada

Athlone's style and title prior to the renunciation of his Germanic titles in 1917 was: His Serene Highness Prince Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George of Teck, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, Grand Cross of the Order of the Rautenkrone, Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold, Member First Class with Swords of the Order of St. Anna. Upon his elevation to the peerage, he was styled and titled as: The Right Honourable Sir Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, Earl of Athlone, Viscount Trematon, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold, Member First Class with Swords of the Order of St. Anna, Major-General of the Militia of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

As Governor General of South Africa, Athlone was formally addressed as: His Excellency The Right Honourable Sir Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, Earl of Athlone, Viscount Trematon, Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold, Member First Class with Swords of the Order of St. Anna, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of the Union of South Africa, Major-General of the Militia of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Athlone's style and title as Governor General of Canada was, in full, and in English: His Excellency The Right Honourable Sir Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, Earl of Athlone, Viscount Trematon, Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Grand Master of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold, Member First Class with Swords of the Order of St. Anna, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of the Militia and Naval and Air Forces of Canada, Major-General of the Militia of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and in French: Son Excellence le très honorable Sir Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge, comte d'Athlone, viscompte Trematon, chevalier du nobilissime ordre de la Jarretière, chevalier grand-croix du très honorable ordre du Bain, grand-maître du très distingué ordre de Saint-Michel et Saint-George, chevalier grand-croix de l'ordre royal de Victoria, compagnon de l'ordre du service distingué, grand cordon de l'ordre de Léopold, membre première classe avec épées de l'ordre de Sainte-Anne, gouverneur général et commandant en chef de la milice et des forces navales et aérienne du Canada, major-général de la milice du Royaume-Uni de Grande-Bretagne et d'Irlande du Nord. It should be noted that, for Athlone, Commander-in-Chief was strictly a title, and not a position that he held; the actual commander-in-chief (who can also be, and is, called such) is perpetually the monarch of Canada.[25]

Honours

Appointments
Decorations
Awards
Foreign honours and decorations

Honorary military appointments

Honorific eponyms

Geographic locations
Buildings
Schools

Arms

Coat of arms of Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone
Notes
Quarters two and three are derived from the coat of arms of Württemberg.
Escutcheon
Quarterly, 1 and 4 the arms of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, being the arms of King George III of the United Kingdom and Hanover with the addition of a label of three points argent, charged on the centre point with a cross gules and on each outer point with two hearts also gules; 2 and 3 the arms of Francis, Duke of Teck; overall a crescent sable for difference.

Ancestry

Family of Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone
16. Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg
8. Duke Louis of Württemberg
17. Margravine Friederike Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt
4. Duke Alexander of Württemberg
18. Charles Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg
9. Princess Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg
19. Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau
2. Francis, Duke of Teck
20. Count Mihály Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde
10. Count László Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde
21. Baroness Terézia Bánffy von Losoncz
5. Countess Claudine Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde
22. Baron Gergely Inczédy von Nagy-Várad
11. Baroness Ágnes Inczédy von Nagy-Várad
23. Baroness Karoline Barcsay von Nagy-Barcsa
1. Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone
24. Frederick, Prince of Wales
12. George III of the United Kingdom
25. Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
6. Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
26. Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
13. Duchess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
27. Princess Elizabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen
3. Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge
28. Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel
14. Landgrave Frederick of Hesse-Cassel
29. Princess Mary of Great Britain
7. Princess Augusta of Hesse-Cassel
30. Charles William, Prince of Nassau-Usingen
15. Princess Caroline Polyxene of Nassau-Usingen
31. Countess Caroline of Leiningen-Dagsburg

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Lord Macduff (originally Prince Alastair of Connaught), who would succeed to the title of Duke of Connaught, was the grandson of the previous governor general of Canada, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, and the son of former South African governor general Prince Arthur of Connaught, died at Rideau Hall.

References

  1. ^ a b c Eilers, Marlene A. (1987). Queen Victoria's Descendants. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co. p. 215. ISBN 978-0938311041.
  2. ^ a b c d Cokayne, G. E. (2000). The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant. Vol. XIII. Gloucester: Alan Sutton Publishing. p. 258. ISBN 978-0904387827. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Earl of Athlone (1874-1957)". University of Warwick. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
  4. ^ "No. 26563". The London Gazette. 23 October 1894.
  5. ^ "No. 27032". The London Gazette. 13 December 1898.
  6. ^ "No. 27306". The London Gazette. 19 April 1901.
  7. ^ "No. 27616". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 16 November 1903.
  8. ^ "No. 27647". The London Gazette. 16 February 1904.
  9. ^ Cokayne 2000, p. 259
  10. ^ "No. 28466". The London Gazette. 17 February 1911.
  11. ^ Clifford, Bede (2004). "Cambridge, Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George, earl of Athlone (1874–1957)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/32255. Retrieved 31 March 2008.
  12. ^ "No. 30111". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 1 June 1917.
  13. ^ "No. 30374". The London Gazette. 9 November 1917.
  14. ^ "No. 30374". The London Gazette. 9 November 1917.
  15. ^ a b "U.S.A. Crisis". Time. III (16). New York: Time Inc. 21 April 1924. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 25 March 2009.
  16. ^ "Wemmer Pan/Pioneer Park". Johannesburg City Parks. Retrieved 19 September 2008.
  17. ^ "No. 33376". The London Gazette. 17 April 1928.
  18. ^ "No. 33741". The London Gazette. 4 August 1931.
  19. ^ a b c d e f Cite error: The named reference GGCam was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  20. ^ Hubbard, R.H. (1977). Rideau Hall. Montreal and London: McGill-Queen's University Press. ISBN 978-0773503106.
  21. ^ Hubbard, R.H. (1977). Rideau Hall. Montreal and London: McGill-Queen's University Press. p. 201. ISBN 978-0773503106.
  22. ^ Hubbard 1977, p. 202
  23. ^ "No. 37706". The London Gazette. 27 August 1946.
  24. ^ "No. 39578". The London Gazette. 20 June 1952.
  25. ^ Victoria (29 March 1867), Constitution Act, 1867, III.15, Westminster: Queen's Printer, retrieved 15 January 2009
  26. ^ "No. 27702". The London Gazette. 5 August 1904.
  27. ^ "No. 28749". The London Gazette. 22 August 1913.
  28. ^ "No. 32877". The London Gazette. 6 November 1923.
  29. ^ "No. 34300". The London Gazette. 30 June 1936.
  30. ^ "No. 33731". The London Gazette. 30 June 1931.
  31. ^ "No. 34119". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 1934.
  32. ^ "No. 29312". The London Gazette. 1 October 1915.
  33. ^ "No. 29486". The London Gazette. 22 February 1916.
  34. ^ "No. 30476". The London Gazette. 14 January 1918.
  35. ^ "No. 30638". The London Gazette. 16 April 1918.
  36. ^ "No. 28380". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 May 1910.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone.
Academic offices
Preceded by Chancellor of the University of London
1932 – 1955 		Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Prince Edward, Prince of Wales
later became
King Edward VIII
 Grand Master
of the Most Distinguished Order
of Saint Michael and Saint George
24 June 1936– 16 January 1957 		Succeeded by
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New creation Earl of Athlone
3rd creation
17 July 1917– 16 January 1957 		Extinct

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