Template:Short description Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox royalty Prince William Augustus Edward of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Template:Postnominals, PC(Ire) (11 October 1823 – 16 November 1902) was a British military officer of German descent. After a career in the Grenadier Guards, he became Major General commanding the Brigade of Guards and General Officer Commanding the Home District in 1870, General Officer Commanding Southern District in October 1878 and Commander-in-Chief, Ireland in October 1885. He was promoted to field marshal in 1897 despite his career including no great military achievements.<ref name="heath115" />
CareerEdit
Edward was born to Prince Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Princess Ida of Saxe-Meiningen at Bushy House, the home of his mother's sister Adelaide and her husband the future William IV of the United Kingdom.<ref>The Times (14 October 1823): 3.</ref>
After being naturalised as a British subject, Edward's military career began on 1 June 1841, when, having trained at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, he joined the 67th (South Hampshire) Regiment of Foot as an ensign.<ref name="heath114">Heathcote, p. 114</ref> He was promoted to ensign in the Grenadier Guards and lieutenant in the Army on 8 June 1841 and lieutenant in his regiment and captain in the Army on 19 May 1846<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> before becoming adjutant of his battalion in November 1850.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>
Edward was promoted to brevet major in the Grenadier Guards on 20 June 1854.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> He served in the Crimean War and fought at the Battle of Alma in September 1854 and the Siege of Sevastopol in October 1854, where he was slightly injured.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> He fought on at the Battle of Balaclava in October 1854 and the Battle of Inkerman in November 1854.<ref name="heath115">Heathcote, p. 115</ref> He was promoted to brevet lieutenant-colonel "for distinguished Service in the Field" during the war on 12 December 1854.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>
Edward was appointed an aide-de-camp to the Queen and received his colonelcy in the Grenadier Guards on 5 October 1855.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> Granted the style of Serene Highness (to both Edward and his wife) in 1866, he was promoted to major-general on 6 March 1868.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref><ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> He was appointed Major General commanding the Brigade of Guards and General Officer Commanding the Home District in 1870 and, having been promoted to lieutenant general on 6 July 1877,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> he became General Officer Commanding Southern District in October 1878.<ref name="heath115" /> Promoted to full general on 4 November 1879,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> he went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Ireland and a member of the Irish Privy Council in October 1885<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> before retiring in October 1890.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref>
In retirement Edward was a commissioner of the Patriotic Fund.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> He also became colonel of the 10th Regiment of Foot<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> and then colonel of the 1st Regiment of Life Guards.<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> He was promoted to field marshal on 22 June 1897<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> following which there was adverse comment in The Times that his career had included no great military achievements.<ref name="heath115" />
Prince and Princess Edward had for several years a summer residence at North Berwick, and in October 1902 the Prince was honoured with the Freedom of the Royal burgh of North Berwick, a week after he had hosted King Edward VII as his guest there for a couple of days.<ref>Template:Cite newspaper The Times</ref>
Edward died on 16 November 1902 at Portland Place in London and was buried in Chichester Cathedral,<ref>"Funeral of Prince Edward of Saxe-Weimar", The Times (20 November 1902): 12.</ref> in the crypt of his wife's family, the dukes of Richmond and Lennox.<ref name="heath115" />
FamilyEdit
On 27 November 1851 Edward married, morganatically, Lady Augusta Katherine Gordon-Lennox,<ref name="heath114" /> (a daughter of Charles Gordon-Lennox, 5th Duke of Richmond), who was created Countess of Dornburg by the Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar the day before the wedding. The Court Circular shows that she was usually known by that title until early 1886, when the Circular began to consistently refer to her by her husband's title, i.e. "HSH Princess Edward of Saxe-Weimar".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> They had no children.<ref name="heath115" />
AncestryEdit
HonoursEdit
Edward received the following orders and decorations:<ref>Template:Citation</ref> Template:Columns-list
ReferencesEdit
SourcesEdit
External linksEdit
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