Princess Louise Margaret, Duchess Of Connaught And Strathearn

Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia (Louise Margaret Alexandra Victoria Agnes), born on 25 July 1860 at Marmorpalais near Potsdam in the Kingdom of Prussia, was a member of the House of Hohenzollern. She was the daughter of Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia (1828–1885) and Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt (1837–1906). Her father was a military commander and nephew of German Emperor William I, while her mother was a musician and painter, and a great-granddaughter of King Frederick William II of Prussia.

Louise Margaret was the fourth child and third surviving daughter in her family. Her early life was primarily spent in Berlin, where she was raised under the care of an English governess. She was considered delicate and shy in her youth and experienced a somewhat isolated childhood due to the significant age differences with her siblings. Her parents had a troubled marriage; her father was known for alcoholism and domineering behavior, which led to estrangement and separation, although they never formally divorced. Queen Victoria documented her father's brutal treatment of her mother.

In 1878, at the age of eighteen, she met Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, the seventh child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The engagement followed shortly thereafter, and the marriage took place on 13 March 1879 at St. George's Chapel, Windsor. The wedding was a grand event attended by royalty from Britain and Germany, with Queen Victoria herself present, wearing the Koh-i-Noor diamond. Following her marriage, she was styled as Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Connaught and Strathearn, and her name was Anglicised to Louise Margaret.

The couple had three children: Princess Margaret (1882–1920), Princess Patricia (1886–1974), and Prince Arthur (1883–1938). Princess Margaret married Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden and became the grandmother of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. Prince Arthur served as the governor-general of South Africa.

As Duchess of Connaught, Louise Margaret spent the initial years of her marriage traveling with her husband across the British Empire, including their residence in Bagshot Park in Surrey and Clarence House in London. In 1911, she accompanied her husband when he assumed the role of governor-general of Canada, serving as the viceregal consort until 1916. During her tenure in Canada, she became colonel-in-chief of the 199th Canadian (Overseas) Infantry Battalion during World War I.

She held various military honors, including being a Companion of the Crown of India and a Lady of Justice of St. John. She was also awarded the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert, First Class, and the Grand Cordon of the Precious Crown by Japan. In 1904, she received a Doctor of Music degree from Trinity College Dublin.

Princess Louise Margaret died from influenza and bronchitis at Clarence House on 14 March 1917. She was the first member of the British royal family to be cremated; her ashes were interred in the Royal Vault at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, and later placed in the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore. Her estate in the United Kingdom was valued at £123,008, with designated bequests to her daughters and residuary estate inherited by her son, Prince Arthur. The Louise Margaret Maternity Hospital near Aldershot was named in her honor, with her laying the foundation stone for the facility.

Her titles evolved from Her Royal Highness Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia (1860–1879) to Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Connaught and Strathearn (1879–1917).