Like any royal, Prince Maurice of Battenberg was destined to join the military. Join me, Shannon McInulty, as I take a look at Maurice’s short time in the army and how this led to his tragic demise.
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From a young age, the prince had dreamt of joining the Kings Royal Rifle corps, just like his older cousin, Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein, who had passed away in 1900. But first, the young Prince needed training.
In 1905, Maurice began attending Wellington College in Berkshire. While he learnt a variety of subjects, the collage college had strong military traditions that helped prepare him for his time at the Royal Military College in Sandhurst, which he transferred to in 1909.
Upon leaving Sandhurst in 1911, Maurice’s dreams came true as he joined The Kings Royal Rifles as a 2nd Lieutenant. However, no one could predict what was soon to happen.
When the Great War broke out in July 1914, Maurice and his battalion were almost immediately called to the frontline. At first, they were stationed on the western front but left in August. After that, there was some confusion over where him and his troops would be based. On one occasion, they were involved in a worryingly disastrous retreat that almost led to the Prince getting shot in the head.
Eventually, the Royal Rifles found themselves in Zonnebeke near Ypres. It was here that Maurice was leading an attack when he got hit by shrapnel from a shell blast. Although he was still alive, Maurice – a sufferer of the clotting disease, haemophilia – knew his wounds were fatal and bid his men one final goodbye before tragically passing away on 27th October 1914, aged just 23.
While Princess Beatrice was understandably distraught by her son’s death, she turned down an offer to return his body to Britain. Instead, the Prince received a soldiers burial at Ypres Town Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery, on 31st October, where he was buried amongst his men. The only member of the royal family to attend was his cousin, Prince Arthur of Connaught, who had been stationed nearby. Private memorials also were held for the British and Spanish royal families and dignitaries at St James’s Palace and the chapel in the British Embassy in Madrid. As soon as the armistice had been signed and peace was on its way to being restored, King George V headed to Berlin, where he visited Maurice’s grave for the first time on 9th December 1918.
©️Queen.Victoria.Roses 2024
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Oh my. Only 23? How incredibly sad for Beatrice. 🥺