“A future little soldier”: The life of Prince Arthur of Connaught

Born at Windsor Castle on 13th January 1883, Prince Arthur of Connaught was the second child and only son of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, and his wife, Princess Louise Margaret. The baby was christened just over a month later on 16th February in the castle private chapel. It was here that he received the names Arthur Frederick Patrick Albert, although he was known as “young Arthur” amongst his close family. Arthur’s godparents included: Queen Victoria; Augusta, German Empress and Queen of Prussia; Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia; Princess Marie of Prussia; Prince George, Duke of Cambridge; and Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh.

Like most members of the royal family, Arthur spent his early education at home under the direction of tutors and governesses. However, he would later become the first British Prince to attend Eton College, where he studied until the age of sixteen. Like his father, Arthur was destined to have a military career and, upon leaving Eton, began attending the Royal Military College in Sandhurst. Two years later, he was commissioned as 2nd lieutenant in the 7th (Queen’s Own) Hussars.

In June 1902, most British troops departed from South Africa following the end of the second Boer War. Four months later, Arthur and the 230 other Hussars arrived in Cape Town with the aim of keeping the peace. Three years later, in 1905, Arthur was promoted to aide-de-camp to his uncle, King Edward VII. In 1907 he was once again promoted to Captain in the 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Grey’s).

Upon the accession of his cousin, King George V, Arthur and his father became two of the most senior and hardest working members of the royal family. Alongside undoing official duties on behalf of the king, Arthur was also responsible for acting as Chancellor of State whenever the king was out of the country.

On 15th October 1913, Arthur married his first cousin once removed, Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife, in the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace. Together the couple lived at 54 Mount Street in Mayfair, where they brought up their only child, Alistair.

Throughout the First World War Arthur served as aide-de-camp to Generals Sir John French and Sir Douglas Haig. In 1919 he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel before becoming Honorary Major General in October 1920. That same year he also became Governor General and Commanded-in-Chief of South Africa, a role he held until 1924. When he returned to Britain, Arthur became involved in numerous charitable organisations; including the Middlesex Hospital, for which he acted as chairman on the board of governors. In May 1935, the prince was also appointed as High Steward of Reading, a role that had been vacant since 1910.

In May 1937, Arthur made one of his final public appearances when he attended the coronation of king George VI and his wife Elizabeth. Over the coming years Arthur developed stomach cancer and passes away at his home – 41 Belgrave Square – on 12th September 1938, aged just 55. His body lay-in-state in the private chapel at Middlesex Hospital before making its way to St George’s Chapel for his funeral four days later. On the 22nd he was interred in the royal vault before being laid to rest for the final time in the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore, on 29th February 1939.

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