Franz von Teck

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Duke Franz von Teck

Duke Franz Paul Karl Ludwig Alexander von Teck (born August 27, 1837 in Osijek , Kingdom of Hungary , † January 21, 1900 in White Lodge , Richmond Park , Surrey , Great Britain ) was a member of the British royal family and the father of Queen Mary . Franz had the title of Count von Hohenstein in the Austrian Empire and later that of Duke von Teck in the Kingdom of Württemberg . In 1887, Queen Victoria gave him the title of Highness .

origin

His father was Duke Alexander von Württemberg (1804-1885), the son of Duke Ludwig von Württemberg . His mother was Countess Claudine Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde . This marriage was morganatic , so that his father was excluded from the line of succession to the Kingdom of Württemberg . Franz was born as "Count von Hohenstein" because his mother was appointed Countess von Hohenstein suo jure by Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria .

In 1863 Franz was raised to a prince of Teck with the salutation " Highness " and in 1871 to Duke of Teck .

Military career

Duke Francis von Teck (1837–1900), Duchess Mary Adelaide von Teck (1833–1897), Duke Philipp von Württemberg (1838–1917) and Duchess Marie Therese von Württemberg, born. Archduchess of Austria (1845–1927) in England, around 1866

On March 6, 1889, Duke Franz became Colonel à la suite of the Dragoon Regiment "Queen Olga" (1st Württembergisches) No. 25 , October 18, 1891 major general , April 18, 1895 lieutenant general .

marriage

As the son of a morganatic marriage, with no succession rights, Franz had little income compared to other European princes. He had bad marriage prospects. He eventually married Princess Mary Adelaide of Great Britain, Ireland and Hanover, daughter of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge and granddaughter of King George III. who was called "Fat Mary" because of her obesity. So she had poor marriage prospects, which was compounded by the fact that she was over 30.

The couple married on June 12, 1866 at Kew Palace , London. The Duke and Duchess of Teck had four children (see also Teck / Cambridge family ):

Duke Franz von Teck with his wife Mary Adelaide and their daughter Mary, 1867.
Duke Franz von Teck with his wife Mary Adelaide and their daughter Mary, 1867.

Financial conditions

Due to their relatively modest financial resources, the couple were forced to live on Mary Adelaide's pension of £ 5,000 a year, supported by income from their mother, the Duchess of Cambridge . Mary Adelaide's efforts to get more money from her cousin Queen Victoria were unsuccessful. However, the couple got an apartment in Kensington Palace and the country house "White Lodge" in Richmond Park. Despite the modest income, the Duke and Duchess of Teck led an extravagant lifestyle that caused them to run into debt. In 1883 they finally had to flee from their creditors from Great Britain and lived with relatives in Florence and Germany. They finally returned to Britain in 1885.

Next life

In 1887 Queen Victoria gave Franz the title of "Highness" as a present for her golden jubilee on the throne. The Tecks' financial situation also improved when their daughter Princess Mary became engaged to the British heir to the throne Prince Albert Victor , the Duke of Clarence, in 1891 . After the prince's death just six weeks after the engagement, Queen Victoria persuaded the brother of the Duke of Clarence, Prince George, Duke of York, to hold Mary's hand.

The Duchess von Teck died in 1897. Duke Franz continued to live at White Lodge, but did not meet any public obligations. He died there on January 21, 1900 and was buried in the royal tomb of St George's Chapel in Windsor . There were rumors that Franz was actually dying in a Viennese brothel and that his body was secretly transferred to Great Britain to spare his daughter, the future queen, any inconvenience.

Awards (selection)

literature

Web links

Commons : Franz von Teck  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Karl Spieß, Hans Ritter: History of the Dragoon Regiment Queen Olga (1st Württ.) No. 25 , Ludwigsburg 1913, p. 509.
  2. ↑ Court and State Handbook of the Kingdom of Württemberg 1869, p. 30
personal data
SURNAME Franz von Teck
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Franz Paul Karl Ludwig Alexander Duke of Teck; Francis, Duke of Teck
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Member of the British royal family, Count von Hohenstein, Duke von Teck
DATE OF BIRTH August 27, 1837
PLACE OF BIRTH Osijek , Kingdom of Hungary
DATE OF DEATH January 21, 1900
Place of death White Lodge , Richmond Park , Surrey , United Kingdom