The Earl of Athlone | |
|---|---|
 Portrait, c. 1940 | |
| 16th Governor General of Canada | |
| In office 21 June 1940 – 12 April 1946 | |
| Monarch | George VI |
| Prime Minister | William Lyon Mackenzie King |
| Preceded by | The Lord Tweedsmuir |
| Succeeded by | The Viscount Alexander of Tunis |
| 4th Governor-General of South Africa | |
| In office 21 January 1924 – 21 December 1930 | |
| Monarch | George V |
| Prime Minister | Jan Smuts J. B. M. Hertzog |
| Preceded by | Prince Arthur of Connaught |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Clarendon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Prince Alexander of Teck 14 April 1874 Kensington Palace, London, England |
| Died | 16 January 1957 (aged 82) Kensington Palace, London, England |
| Resting place | Royal Vault, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle; later Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Lady May Abel Smith Rupert Cambridge, Viscount Trematon Prince Maurice of Teck |
| Parent(s) | Francis, Duke of Teck Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge |
| Education | Eton College; Royal Military Academy Sandhurst |
| Profession | Army officer |
| Awards | See below... |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch/service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1894–1931 |
| Rank | Major-General |
| Battles/wars | |
Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone (Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George; born Prince Alexander of Teck; 14 April 1874 – 16 January 1957), was a member of the extended British royal family, as a great-grandson of King George III, a brother of Queen Mary, uncle to the Kings Edward VIII and George VI, and the husband of Princess Alice of Albany. He was a British Army commander, who served as Governor-General of the Union of South Africa and Governor General of Canada.
Prince Alexander was born in London to Francis, Duke of Teck and Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge and was educated at Eton College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. In 1904, he married Princess Alice of Albany and rose in the military ranks through his service on the western front of the First World War, receiving numerous honours and decorations.
A cousin and also brother-in-law of King George V, Alexander relinquished his German titles in 1917, including that of Prince of Teck in the Kingdom of Württemberg, and was elevated to the peerage as the Earl of Athlone. In 1923, the King appointed Lord Athlone as Governor-General of South Africa, on the recommendation of British prime minister Stanley Baldwin, and he occupied the viceregal post until 1930. Athlone then served as Chancellor of the University of London until, in 1940, his nephew George VI appointed him as Governor General of Canada,[1][2][3][4] on the recommendation of Canadian prime minister William Lyon Mackenzie King. He occupied the post until 1946. Athlone helped galvanise the Canadian war effort and was a host to British and American statesmen during the Second World War.
After returning to the United Kingdom, Athlone sat on the organising committee for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, his great-niece. He died at Kensington Palace in 1957 and was interred in the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore.
- ^ Galbraith, William (1989), "Fiftieth Anniversary of the 1939 Royal Visit" (PDF), Canadian Parliamentary Review, 12 (3), Ottawa: Commonwealth Parliamentary Association: 7–9, archived from the original (PDF) on 14 March 2011, retrieved 14 December 2009
- ^ Wayling, Thomas (22 May 1939). "George VI Becomes King of Canada". The Leader-Post. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
- ^ "George IV, Dominion Will See First 'King of Canada'". The Canadian Jewish Chronicle. 12 May 1939. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
- ^ Tidridge, Nathan (5 February 2012). "This Jubilee day is also a sad anniversary". The Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved 23 July 2013.