Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess Of Cambridge

Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge (originally Prince Adolphus of Teck), was born on 13 August 1868 at Kensington Palace in London. His full name was Adolphus Charles Alexander Albert Edward George Philip Louis Ladislaus. He was the son of Prince Francis, Duke of Teck, and Duchess of Teck (Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge). His paternal grandfather was Duke Alexander of Württemberg, and his maternal grandparents included Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, and Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel.

Upon birth, he was styled His Serene Highness Prince Adolphus of Teck. He was educated at Wellington College in Berkshire and subsequently attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

In April 1888, at age 19, he received a commission as a second lieutenant in the 17th Lancers, a regiment linked to his maternal uncle, the Duke of Cambridge, who was Commander-in-Chief of the British Army from 1856 to 1895. He was promoted to lieutenant in January 1893 and transferred to the 1st Life Guards as a captain in June 1895.

On 12 December 1894, he married Lady Margaret Evelyn Grosvenor, daughter of Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster. The couple had four children: Prince George of Teck (later 2nd Marquess of Cambridge), Princess Mary of Teck (later Lady Mary Cambridge), Princess Helena of Teck (later Lady Helena Cambridge), and Prince Frederick of Teck (later Lord Frederick Cambridge).

In January 1900, he succeeded his father as Duke of Teck in the Kingdom of Württemberg. He served in the Second Boer War (1899–1900), earning promotion to Brevet Major in November 1900. He also served as a transport officer in the Household Cavalry and was appointed a temporary military attaché at the British embassy in Vienna in February 1904; this appointment was confirmed in April 1906. During 1906, he received a staff posting, was promoted to major in December, and brevet lieutenant-colonel in November 1910.

In 1911, King George V granted him the style His Highness, and he was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath. He received international honors, including the grand cross of the Order of the Red Eagle of Prussia and the Order of the Star of Romania. He served as Honorary Colonel of the 8th Battalion, London Regiment from 1912 to 1923, and was president of the RSPCA between 1910 and 1916. From 1914, he was Governor and Constable of Windsor Castle.

During the First World War, he returned to active military service, initially joining his regiment in October 1914. He later served as assistant military secretary at the War Office and as military secretary to the commander-in-chief of the British Expeditionary Forces in France, Sir Douglas Haig, with the temporary rank of brigadier general. He was awarded honors such as the Belgian Order of Leopold (Grand Cordon), Croix de Guerre, and the Legion of Honour (Grand Officer). Due to health issues, he was placed on half-pay in July 1916 and retired in 1919.

In response to anti-German sentiment during the war, King George V in 1917 renounced the German titles of the royal family members. Adolphus renounced his German titles through a Royal Warrant on 14 July 1917 and adopted the surname Cambridge, after his grandfather. Subsequently, he was created Marquess of Cambridge, alongside lesser titles of Earl of Eltham and Viscount Northallerton in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.

Following World War I, he settled in Shropshire at Shotton Hall near Shrewsbury, where he became a justice of the peace and deputy lieutenant in 1923. He also served as treasurer of the Royal Salop Infirmary.

Adolphus Cambridge died on 24 October 1927 at the age of 59 after an intestinal operation at a nursing home in Shrewsbury. His death occurred during preparations for a royal visit by his nephew, the Prince of Wales. He was initially buried at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle and later reinterred at the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore. His eldest son succeeded him as Marquess of Cambridge.