'Francis, Duke of Teck' (Francis Paul Charles Louis Alexander;
28 August 1837 –
21 January 1900), was a member of the
British Royal Family, the father of
Queen Mary. Francis held the titles of Count of Hohenstein (''Graf von Hohenstein'') and later
Duke of Teck (''Herzog von Teck''). He was granted the style of ''
Highness'' in
1887.
Early life
Francis was born on
28 August 1837 in
Esseg,
Slavonia (now
Osijek,
Croatia).
[1] His father was
Duke Alexander of Württemberg, the son of
Duke Louis of Württemberg. His mother was Countess
Claudine Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde. The marriage was morganatic, meaning that Francis had no succession rights to the Kingdom of
Württemberg. His title at birth was 'Count Francis von Hohenstein', after his mother was created Countess of Hohenstein in her own right by
Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria. Through the House of Württemberg, Francis was distantly descended from the
Habsburgs, the then powerful ruling family of Austria.
In 1863, Francis was created Prince of Teck, with the style ''
His Serene Highness'' in the Kingdom of Württemberg, and in 1871, was created
Duke of Teck.
Army
Like his father, Duke Alexander, Francis embarked upon a career in the Austrian army, eventually rising to the rank of captain in the 7th Hussars during the
Austro-Prussian War. He retired from the Austrian army in 1866. Later he became attached to the staff of British General Sir
Garnet Wolseley during the
1882 Egyptian campaign. He was gazetted a colonel in the
British Army in
1882 and subsequently promoted to major general in
1893.
Marriage
As the product of a
morganatic marriage, and without succession rights to the throne, Francis had little income in comparison with other European princes. This made Francis an unpopular choice with the princesses of Europe from whom he had to choose a bride. He instead married upwards, into a richer family, by marrying
Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, the younger daughter of
Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, and a granddaughter of
George III, who was known as '''Fat Mary''' because of her wide girth. That, together with the fact that she was now in her thirties, meant that Mary Adelaide was also short of choices for marriage.
The couple married on
12 June 1866 at St Anne's Church,
Kew,
West London.
[2] They had four children:
★
Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, later Queen Mary, queen-consort of the United Kingdom (
1867-
1953)
★
Prince Adolphus of Teck, later
Duke of Teck and
Marquess of Cambridge (
1868-
1927)
★
Prince Francis of Teck (
1870-
1910)
★
Prince Alexander of Teck, later
Earl of Athlone (
1874-
1957)
Hard times
Given the impoverishment of Francis, the couple were forced to survive on Mary Adelaide's small Parliamentary allowance of £5,000 per annum, supplemented by income from her mother,
The Duchess of Cambridge. Mary Adelaide's requests to her cousin
Queen Victoria for more funds were met with refusal; however, they were granted a
grace and favour apartment in
Kensington Palace,
London and a country house,
White Lodge, the former royal deer-hunting lodge in
Richmond Park, South-West London.
Despite the modest incomes of the Duke and Duchess, they lived remarkable lives of social engagements, leading to the build up of large debts. In
1883, the Tecks fled the UK to continental Europe, where they stayed with relatives in
Florence and
Germany. They eventually returned to the UK in
1885.
Later life
In 1887, Queen Victoria granted Francis the style of ''
His Highness'', as a gift to celebrate her
Golden Jubilee. Despite this, the Tecks were still seen as minor relatives, with little status or wealth. Their fortunes improved when in
1891, their only daughter, Princess Victoria Mary of Teck (known as ''May'' to her family) became engaged to the second in line to the British throne,
Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence. The death of the Duke of Clarence only six weeks later looked like a cruel blow. However,
Queen Victoria was fond of Princess May and persuaded the Duke of Clarence's brother, and next in the line of succession,
Prince George, Duke of York to marry her instead.
In
1897, the Duchess of Teck died, leaving Francis a widower. He continued to live at White Lodge, Richmond but did not carry out any royal duties, although he continued to receive the late Duchess' Parliamentary annuity.
Francis died on
21 January 1900 at White Lodge.
[3] He was buried next to his wife in the Royal Vault at
St. George's Chapel, Windsor.
Titles, styles, honours and arms
Titles
★ '
28 August 1837 –
1 December 1863': ''Count Francis of Hohenstein''
★ '
1 December 1863 –
16 December 1871': ''His Serene Highness'' The Prince of Teck
★ '
16 December 1871 –
11 July 1887': ''His Serene Highness'' The Duke of Teck
★ '
11 July 1887 –
21 January 1900': ''His Highness'' The Duke of Teck
Honours
★ 'GCB':
Knight Grand Cross of the Bath
★ 'GCVO':
Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
Ancestors
References
1. Huberty, M., Giraud, A., Magdelaine, F. & B. (1979) ''L’Allemagne Dynastique, Vol. II'' (Alain Giraud, Le Perreux, France) p.524 ISBN 2-901138-02-0
2. Weir, A. (1996) ''Britain’s Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy, Revised edition'' (Pimlico, London)
3. ''The Times'' Tuesday, Jan 23, 1900; pg. 7; Issue 36046; col D
Württemberg titles
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