Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox nobility title Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom that was granted on 24 May 1874 by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to her third son, Prince Arthur.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> At the same time, he was also granted the subsidiary title of Earl of Sussex.
HistoryEdit
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.
The title Strathearn referred to the strath (valley) of the River Earn in Scotland; the ancient title Earl/Mormaer of Strathearn died out in the 15th century.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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)Edit
| # | Name | Portrait | Birth | Death | Spouse | Term as Duke | Other titles | Coat of Arms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Prince Arthur | File:Laszlo - Prince Arthur, The Duke of Connaught and Strathearn.jpg | 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) | File:Arms of Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, until 1917.svg |
| 2 | Alastair Windsor | File:Alastair Arthur, Earl of MacDuff.png | 9 August 1914 Mayfair, London son of Prince Arthur of Connaught and Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Fife |
26 April 1943 in Ottawa, aged 28 |
Never married | 1942–1943 | Earl of Sussex (1874) | File:Arms of Alaistair, 2nd Duke of Connaught and Strathearn.svg |
| Alastair Windsor had no children and all his titles became extinct on his death. | ||||||||
Family treesEdit
Template:Dukes of Kent family tree Template:Royal dukes family tree
Possible future creationsEdit
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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Strathearn is a subsidiary Earldom in the Dukedom of Cambridge.
See alsoEdit
- 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
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
- Memorial Site for the Duke of Connaught, Governor General of Canada
- www.Duke100th.com Template:Webarchive Duke of Connaught Public School, Toronto, Ontario, Canada – 100th Anniversary