Prince Francis Of Teck

Prince Francis of Teck (Francis Joseph Leopold Frederick), born on 9 January 1870 at Kensington Palace, was a member of the British royal family and the younger brother of Queen Mary of Teck, wife of King George V. He died on 22 October 1910.

Family Background:

His father was Prince Francis, Duke of Teck, the son of Duke Alexander of Württemberg and Countess Claudine Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde. Countess Claudine was created Countess Hohenstein by Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria. His mother was Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, the youngest daughter of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, making her a granddaughter of King George III. Consequently, Francis was styled "His Serene Highness Prince Francis of Teck."

Education and Early Life:

Prince Francis received education at Wellington College in Berkshire, from which he was expelled for an incident involving throwing his housemaster over a hedge to win a bet. He subsequently attended Cheltenham College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

Military Career:

He entered the British Army, being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the 9th (Queen's Royal) Lancers on 30 January 1889. Shortly after, he transferred to the 1st Battalion of the King's Royal Rifle Corps on 17 April 1889. In October 1890, he transferred to the Royal Dragoons, where he was promoted to Lieutenant on 26 August 1891 and to Captain on 25 July 1894. Notable service includes participation in the Nile Expedition (1897–1898), which involved engagement at Atbara and Khartoum, and service during the Second Boer War (South African War, 1899–1900). He was appointed Aide de Camp to various commanding officers and received multiple distinctions, including being twice mentioned in despatches, awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO), and receiving medals with clasps. He rose to the rank of Brevet Major on 29 November 1900 before retiring from active service in 1902 with the rank of Major.

Personal Life:

Prince Francis never married. Reports suggest he was pursued by Princess Maud of Wales, but he did not reciprocate the interest. He engaged in an extramarital affair with Ellen Constance, wife of Francis Needham, 3rd Earl of Kilmorey. There is a claim from actress Sarah Miles that she is a great-granddaughter of Prince Francis through an alleged illegitimate son, Francis Remnant, born in 1894.

Death and Will:

Following a minor sinus operation in September 1910, Prince Francis developed an infection that led to pleurisy. He returned to London, was hospitalized, and underwent further surgery, but died on 22 October 1910 at the age of 40. He was initially interred in the Royal Vault at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, before being buried in the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore.

His will, dated 1902, named his mistress, Lady Kilmorey, as the sole heir to an estate valued at approximately £23,154 gross (equivalent to about £1.9 million in 2022). The estate included family jewels such as the Cambridge Emeralds, pearls, and a personal gift from Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. In his will, he instructed that his jewelry inherited from his mother be left to Lady Kilmorey and expressed a hope that she would return the inheritance to the royal family upon her death.

After his death, Queen Mary negotiated with Lady Kilmorey to repurchase the emeralds, paying her £10,000. The transaction was completed in July 1911, allowing Queen Mary to wear the jewels at the Delhi Durbar. Lady Kilmorey passed away in 1920 and bequeathed Emperor Franz Joseph's jewel back to the royal family.

Legal Proceedings:

In 1911, the Probate Division of the High Court ordered that Prince Francis's will be sealed to prevent potential scandal. This tradition was followed for subsequent royal wills. The will remained sealed until 2021, when a legal review process led to its unsealing and publication, along with the wills of other royals.

Honors:

Prince Francis received the following honors:

- Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (8 December 1898)

- Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (1 December 1909)

Ancestry:

His lineage connects him to the Württemberg royal family through his paternal line and to the British royal family through his maternal line.