Two Germans lose British titles

Duke of Cumberland

March 28, 1919

The Duke of Albany, the Duke of Cumberland and Viscount Taafe, "who adhered to the enemy during the war," were deprived today of their British peerages by a "King's Order in Council," according to the New York Times.

The Duke of Albany, a first cousin of King George V, and the Duke of Cumberland, the late King Edward VII's brother-in-law, both "served with the German forces for a part at least of the late war."

Both men were British royal dukes.  The Duke of Albany is the only son of the late Prince Leopold, who died several months before his son was born.  The infant prince Charles Edward succeeded to his father's peerages.  In 1899, he became the heir to his uncle, Prince Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.  He succeeded to the German title in 1900, following his uncle's death.   The Duke's older sister, Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, is married to Queen Mary's brother, the Earl of Athlone.

The Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale was also a British prince by birth.  He was the son of the late King Georg V of Hannover, a first cousin of Queen Victoria.

[Queen Victoria succeeded to the British throne in 1837, but due to the Salic law in Hanover, thet throne passed to the next in line, Victoria's uncle, Prince Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, who succeeded to the Hanover throne as King Ernst August.   King Georg V was his only son.]

The Duke of Cumberland is married to Princess Thyra of Denmark, younger sister of the Dowager Queen Alexandra.  Their son, Prince Ernst August, was married in 1913 to Princess Viktoria Luise, only daughter of the former Kaiser Wilhelm II.

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Both Dukes had "courtesy commands" in the British Army. The Duke of Albany was a full General.

Before the war, the Duke of Albany "took precedence" over his uncle, the Duke of Connaught, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord Chancellor.  Both dukes had seats in the House of Lords.

Viscount Taafe is a member of an "ancient Irish family.  When the war broke out, he was living in Silesia and he fought "with the Austrian army," with the rank of Captain.

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