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Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany

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Subject: David Dundas (British Army officer), Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst, William IV of the United Kingdom, Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex, Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland
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Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany

Prince Frederick
Duke of York and Albany
The Duke of York, painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds in the robes of the Order of the Garter, 1788.
Born (1763-08-16)16 August 1763
St. James's Palace, London
Died 5 January 1827(1827-01-05) (aged 63)
Rutland House, London
Burial Windsor
Spouse Princess Frederica Charlotte of Prussia
Full name
Frederick Augustus
House House of Hanover
Father George III
Mother Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz

The Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Hanover.

Frederick was thrust into the British army at a very early age, appointed to high command at the age of 30, and commanded in a notoriously ineffectual campaign during the War of the First Coalition, which followed the French Revolution. Later, as Commander-in-Chief during the Napoleonic Wars, he reorganised the British army, putting in place vital administrative and structural reforms.

Contents

  • Early life 1
  • Military career 2
    • Flanders 2.1
    • Commander-in-Chief 2.2
  • Death 3
  • Family 4
  • Titles, styles, honours and arms 5
    • Titles and styles 5.1
    • Honours 5.2
    • Arms 5.3
  • Legacy 6
  • Ancestors 7
  • See also 8
  • References and notes 9
  • Sources 10
  • Further reading 11
  • External links 12

Early life

Prince Frederick Augustus, or the Duke of York as he became in later life, belonged to the Prince of Wales.[4] On 26 May 1789 he took part in a duel with Colonel Charles Lennox, who had insulted him; Lennox missed and Prince Frederick refused to return fire.[4]

Flanders

On 12 April 1793 he was promoted to full general.[12] That year, he was sent to Flanders in command of the British contingent of Coburg's army destined for the invasion of France.[12] Frederick and his command fought in the Flanders Campaign under extremely trying conditions. He won several notable engagements, such as the Siege of Valenciennes in July 1793,[13] but was defeated at the Battle of Hondschoote in September 1793.[12] In the 1794 campaign he was successful at the battle of Willems in May but was defeated at the Battle of Tourcoing later that month.[12] The British army was evacuated through Bremen in April 1795.[12]

Commander-in-Chief

See also: Recruitment in the British Army

After his return to Britain, his father George III promoted him to the rank of Commander-in-Chief in succession to Lord Amherst[14] although the title was not confirmed until three years later.[15] He was also colonel of the 60th Regiment of Foot from 19 August 1797.[16]

On appointment as Commander-in-Chief he immediately declared, reflecting on the Flanders Campaign of 1793–94,
"...that no officer should ever be subject to the same disadvantages under which he had laboured".[14]

His second field command was with the army sent for the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland in August 1799. On 7 September 1799, he was given the honorary title of Captain-General.[17] Sir Ralph Abercromby and Admiral Sir Charles Mitchell, in charge of the vanguard, had succeeded in capturing some Dutch warships in Den Helder. However, following the Duke's arrival with the main body of the army, a number of disasters befell the allied forces, including shortage of supplies.[18] On 17 October 1799, the Duke signed the Convention of Alkmaar, by which the allied expedition withdrew after giving up its prisoners.[18]

These military setbacks were inevitable given Frederick's lack of moral seniority as a field commander, the poor state of the British army at the time, and conflicting military objectives of the protagonists. After this ineffectual campaign, Frederick was mocked, perhaps unfairly, in the rhyme "The Grand Old Duke of York":

The grand old Duke of York,
He had ten thousand men.
He marched them up to the top of the hill
And he marched them down again.
And when they were up, they were up.
And when they were down, they were down.
And when they were only halfway up,
They were neither up nor down.[19]
"The modern Circe or a sequel to the petticoat", caricature of Frederick's lover, Mary Anne Clarke by Isaac Cruikshank, 15 March 1809. The prince resigned as head of the British army ten days after the caricature's publication.
Statue of Frederick Duke of York in Waterloo Place, Westminster, London

Frederick's experience in the Dutch campaign made a strong impression on him. That campaign, and the Flanders campaign, had demonstrated the numerous weaknesses of the British army after years of neglect. Frederick as Commander-in-Chief of the British army carried through a massive programme of reform.[20] He was the person most responsible for the reforms that created the force which served in the Peninsular War. He was also in charge of the preparations against Napoleon's planned invasion of the United Kingdom in 1803. In the opinion of Sir John Fortescue, Frederick did "more for the army than any one man has done for it in the whole of its history."[21]

In 1801 Frederick actively supported the foundation of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, which promoted the professional, merit-based training of future commissioned officers.[18]

On 14 September 1805 he was given the honorary title of Warden of Windsor Forest.[22]

Frederick resigned as Commander-in-Chief on 25 March 1809, as the result of a scandal caused by the activities of his latest mistress, Mary Anne Clarke.[18] Clarke was accused of illicitly selling army commissions under Frederick's aegis.[18] A select committee of the House of Commons enquired into the matter. Parliament eventually acquitted Frederick of receiving bribes by 278 votes to 196. He nevertheless resigned because of the high tally against him.[18] Two years later, it was revealed that Clarke had received payment from Frederick's disgraced chief accuser, Gwyllym Wardle,[23] and the Prince Regent reappointed the now-exonerated Frederick as Commander-in-Chief on 29 May 1811.[24]

Frederick maintained a country residence at

 
Significant civil and political events by year
1788
1789
1790
1791
1792
1793
1794
1795
1797
1799
 
Revolutionary campaigns
1792
1793
1794
1795
1796
1797
1798
1799
1800
1801
1802
 
Military leaders
French Army
French Navy
Opposition
Austria
Britain
Dutch Republic
 Prussia
Russia
Spain
 
Other significant figures and factions
Girondists
The Plain
Montagnards
Hébertists
and Enragés
Others
 
Influential thinkers
 
Cultural impact
The generations indicate descent from George I, who formalised the use of the titles prince and princess for members of the British Royal Family.
1st generation
  • King George II
2nd generation
3rd generation
4th generation
5th generation
6th generation
7th generation
8th generation
9th generation
10th generation
11th generation
12th generation
  • Prince George of Cambridge
1 Not a British prince by birth, but created Prince Consort. 2 Not a British prince by birth, but created a Prince of the United Kingdom. 3 Status debatable; see his article.
Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
Cadet branch of the House of Welf
Born: 16 August 1763 Died: 5 January 1827
Regnal titles
Vacant
Title last held by
Clemens August of Bavaria 		Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück
1764–1802
as Protestant Administrator 		Vacant
Title next held by
Paul Melchers
as bishop
Military offices
Preceded by
The Lord Amherst 		Captain and Colonel of the
2nd Troop Horse Grenadier Guards
1782–1784 		Succeeded by
Earl Percy
Preceded by
The Earl Waldegrave 		Colonel of the Coldstream Guards
1784–1805 		Succeeded by
The Duke of Cambridge
Preceded by
The Lord Amherst 		Commander-in-Chief of the Forces
1795–1809 		Succeeded by
Sir David Dundas
Colonel-in-Chief of the
60th (Royal American) Regiment of Foot
1797–1827 		Succeeded by
The Duke of Cambridge
Vacant
Title last held by
The Duke of Cumberland 		Captain-General
1799–1809 		Office abolished
Preceded by
The Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh 		Colonel of the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards
1805–1827 		Succeeded by
The Duke of Wellington
Preceded by
Sir David Dundas 		Commander-in-Chief of the Forces
1811–1827
Honorary titles
Vacant
Title last held by
The Duke of Montagu 		Great Master of the Bath
1767–1827 		Succeeded by
The Duke of Clarence and St. Andrews
later became King William IV
Preceded by
The Prince of Wales
later became King George IV 		President of the Foundling Hospital
1820–1827 		Succeeded by
The Duke of Cambridge

External links

Further reading

Sources

  1. ^ a b c d e f Heathcote, p. 127.
  2. ^
  3. ^
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h
  5. ^ Cokayne, p.921
  6. ^ Weir, p. 286.
  7. ^ The London Gazette: no. 12132. p. 1. 31 October 1780. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  8. ^
  9. ^ The London Gazette: no. 12281. p. 6. 23 March 1782. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  10. ^ The London Gazette: no. 12590. p. 1. 26 October 1784. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  11. ^
  12. ^ a b c d e f g Heathcote, p.128
  13. ^ The London Gazette: no. 13552. p. 650. 1 August 1793. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  14. ^ a b Glover, (1973), p.128
  15. ^ The London Gazette: no. 15004. p. 283. 3 April 1798. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  16. ^ The London Gazette: no. 14038. p. 795. 19 August 1797. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  17. ^ The London Gazette: no. 15177. p. 889. 3 September 1799. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g Heathcote, p.129
  19. ^ Opie, pp. 442–443
  20. ^ Glover, (1963), p.12
  21. ^ The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Army (1994) p. 145
  22. ^ The London Gazette: no. 15842. p. 1145. 10 September 1805. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  23. ^ The Duke of York Scandal, 1809
  24. ^ The London Gazette: no. 16487. p. 940. 21 May 1811. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  25. ^ Heathcote, p.130
  26. ^ a b The London Gazette: no. 18328. p. 182. 24 January 1827. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  27. ^ Fox-Davies, p.498
  28. ^
  29. ^
  30. ^
  31. ^
  32. ^ Taylor, p.300

References and notes

Ancestors

The Duke of York Bay in Canada was named in his honour, since it was discovered on his birthday, 16 August.[32]

The first British fortification in southern Africa, Fort Frederick, Port Elizabeth, a city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, was built in 1799 to prevent French assistance for rebellious Boers in the short-lived republic of Graaff-Reinet.[31]

The 72nd Regiment of Foot was given the title Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders in 1823 and, in 1881, became 1st Battalion Seaforth Highlanders (Ross–shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's).[30]

The towering Duke of York Column on Waterloo Place, just off The Mall, London was completed in 1834 as a memorial to Prince Frederick.[29]

Fredericton, the capital of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, was named after Prince Frederick. The city was originally named "Frederick's Town".[28]

Legacy

As a son of the sovereign, Frederick was granted use of the arms of the kingdom, differenced by a label argent of three points, the centre point bearing a cross gules. The quarter/inescutcheon of Hanover had an inescutcheon argent charged with a wheel of six spokes gules for the Bishopric of Osnabrück.[27]

Arms

His honours were as follows:[26]

Honours

His full style, recited at his funeral, was "Most High, Most Mighty, and Illustrious Prince, Frederick Duke of York and of Albany, Earl of Ulster, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, First and Principal Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order".[26]

  • 16 August 1763 – 27 November 1784: His Royal Highness The Prince Frederick
  • 27 November 1784 – 5 January 1827: His Royal Highness The Duke of York and Albany

Titles and styles

Titles, styles, honours and arms

The Duke of York Column seen from The Mall.
The Duke of York in 1822.

On 29 September 1791 at Charlottenburg, Berlin, and again on 23 November 1791 at Buckingham Palace, Frederick married his cousin Princess Frederica Charlotte of Prussia, the daughter of King Frederick William II of Prussia and Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg.[12] The marriage was not a happy one and the couple soon separated. Frederica retired to Oatlands, where she lived until her death in 1820.[4]

Family

Frederick died of Windsor.[4]

Death

[4] He was created

British Royalty
House of Hanover
Quarterly, I and IV Gules three lions passant guardant in pale Or; II Or a lion rampant within a double tressure flory-counter-flory Gules; III Azure a harp Or stringed Argent; overall an escutcheon tierced per pale and per chevron, I Gules two lions passant guardant Or, II Or a semy of hearts Gules a lion rampant Azure, III Gules a horse courant Argent, the whole inescutcheon surmounted by crown
George III
George IV
Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
William IV
Charlotte, Princess Royal and Queen of Württemberg
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn
Princess Augusta Sophia
Elizabeth, Landgravine of Hesse-Homburg
Ernest Augustus I of Hanover
Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex
Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh
Princess Sophia
Prince Octavius
Prince Alfred
Princess Amelia
Grandchildren
Charlotte, Princess Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Princess Charlotte of Clarence
Princess Elizabeth of Clarence
Victoria
George V of Hanover
Prince George, Duke of Cambridge
Augusta, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck
Great-grandchildren
Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover
Princess Frederica, Baroness von Pawel-Rammingen
Princess Marie of Hanover
Great-great-grandchildren
Marie Louise, Princess Maximilan of Baden
Prince George William of Hanover
Alexandra, Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Princess Olga of Hanover
Prince Christian of Hanover
Ernest Augustus, Prince of Hanover and Duke of Brunswick
Great-great-great-grandchildren
Ernest Augustus, Prince of Hanover and Hereditary Prince of Brunswick
Prince George William of Hanover
Frederica, Queen of the Hellenes

George III decided that his second son would pursue an army career and had him gazetted colonel on 4 November 1780.[7] From 1781 to 1787, Prince Frederick lived in Hanover, where he studied (along with his younger brothers, Prince Edward, Prince Ernest, Prince Augustus and Prince Adolphus) at the University of Göttingen.[8] He was appointed colonel of the 2nd Horse Grenadier Guards (now 2nd Life Guards) on 26 March 1782[9] before being promoted to major-general on 20 November 1782.[1] Promoted to lieutenant general on 27 October 1784,[1] he was appointed colonel of the Coldstream Guards on 28 October 1784.[10]

The Duke of York in 1790.

Military career

On 27 February 1764, when Prince Frederick was six months old, his father secured his election as Prince-Bishop of Osnabrück in today's Lower Saxony.[1] He received this title because his father, as Elector of Hanover, was entitled to select every other holder of this title (in alternation with a Catholic prelate).[4] He was invested as Knight of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath on 30 December 1767[5] and as a Knight of the Order of the Garter on 19 June 1771.[6]

[3].Princess Amelia, stood proxy) and his great-aunt the Groom of the Stole, Earl of Huntingdon (for whom the Duke of York, stood proxy), his uncle the Lord Chamberlain, Earl Gower (for whom the Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg — his godparents were his great-uncle the Thomas Secker, Archbishop of Canterbury He was christened on 14 September 1763 at St James's, by the [2] (née Princess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz).Queen Charlotte His mother was [1]

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