Princess Patricia Of Connaught

Lady Victoria Patricia Helena Elizabeth Ramsay, born Princess Patricia of Connaught, was born on 17 March 1886 at Buckingham Palace in London. She was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, being the daughter of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, and Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia. Her birth date coincided with St Patrick's Day. She was the third and youngest child and the second daughter of her parents.

Her full name at baptism was Victoria Patricia Helena Elizabeth. The baptism took place on 1 May 1886 at St Anne's Church in Bagshot. Her godparents included Queen Victoria (her paternal grandmother), the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the Hereditary Grand Duchess of Oldenburg, Prince Wilhelm of Prussia, Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, and Prince Albert of Prussia. Her name combined references to Queen Victoria, St Patrick, and Princess Helena of the United Kingdom.

Throughout her childhood, Patricia was part of the British royal family and participated in notable events such as her role as a bridesmaid at the wedding of the future King George V and Queen Mary in 1893. She traveled extensively during her early years, including spending two years living in India when her father was posted there with the army. In 1911, her father was appointed Governor General of Canada, and she accompanied her parents on their service there. Her portrait was featured on the Canadian one-dollar note in 1917.

Following her sister Princess Margaret's death, Patricia became the only surviving child of her father. She inherited £50,000 from her mother's estate after her mother's death in 1917.

On 22 February 1918, she was appointed Colonel-in-Chief of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, a regiment named after her. This regiment was founded by Andrew Hamilton Gault and was the last privately raised regiment in the British Empire. Patricia designed the regiment's badge and colours, and she actively supported the regiment until her death. A memorial plaque in Ottawa commemorates her contribution.

Patricia married Alexander Ramsay, a naval commander and later an admiral, on 27 February 1919 at Westminster Abbey. This marriage was notable as it was the first royal wedding at Westminster Abbey in over five centuries. She relinquished her royal titles and style of a British princess upon her marriage, granted instead the style of Lady Victoria Patricia Helena Elizabeth Ramsay, with precedence before Marchionesses of England.

The couple had one son, Alexander Arthur Alfonso David Maule Ramsay, born on 21 December 1919, who later married Flora Fraser, 21st Lady Saltoun.

Despite her loss of royal styling, Lady Patricia maintained close ties with the royal family, attending key ceremonies including coronations and state occasions. She participated in the processions and attended the funerals of monarchs, including King George V and King George VI. She was an accomplished artist specializing in watercolors, influenced by artists Gauguin and Van Gogh, having studied under Archibald Standish Hartrick. She was honored as an honorary member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours.

Lady Patricia died on 12 January 1974 at Ribsden Holt, Windlesham, Surrey, just before her 88th birthday. Her estate was valued at £917,199. She and her husband are buried at the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore.

Her legacy includes the naming of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, geographic locations such as Patricia Lake in Alberta, and other memorials. Several ships, streets, and institutions have been named in her honor, including the TEV Princess Patricia and the Patricia Theatre in British Columbia. Multiple honors and medals were awarded to her, including the Companion of the Imperial Order of the Crown of India and the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal.

Upon her marriage, she was granted arms reflecting her status as a grandchild of a British monarch, featuring the royal arms of the United Kingdom differenced by a label of five points.