Duke of Teck

Coat of arms of the Dukes of Teck,Scheiblersches Wappenbuch,1450–80

Duke of Teck(German:Herzogvon Teck) is a title which was created twice in Germanic lands. It was first borne from 1187 to 1439 by the head of a cadet line of theGermanducalHouse of Zähringen,known as the "first House of Teck". The seat of this territory wasCastle Teckin theDuchy of Swabia(from 1512 part of theCounty of Württemberg).

The title was recreated in 1871 by KingCharles I of Württembergfor his cousinFrancis,who as the product of amorganatic marriagedid not have a right to titles of nobility as a member of theHouse of Württemberg.His descendants settled in the United Kingdom and married into theBritish royal family.

The first House of Teck

Adalbert I,son ofConrad I, Duke of Zähringen,inherited his father's Swabian possessions around Teck Castle betweenKirchheimandOwen.After the death of his brotherBerthold IVin 1186, Adalbert adopted the title of "Duke of Teck". His descendant,Conrad II,became a candidate for theelectionasking of the Romansupon the death of KingRudolf Iin 1291, but was slain the following year, probably by agents of his opponentSiegfried of Westerburg,Archbishop ofCologne.

In the 13th century, the family divided into the lines of Teck-Oberndorfand Teck-Owen. The dukes of Teck-Oberndorf died out in 1363 and Frederick of Teck-Owen sold their possessions to thecounts of Hohenberg.In 1365, the dukes of Teck-Owen came into the possession ofMindelheimbut had to sell their lands around Castle Teck to thecounts of Württembergin 1381. The last member of that line,Louis of Teck,Patriarch of Aquileiafrom 1412, died in 1439.

In 1495, Holy Roman EmperorMaximilian Ielevated CountEberhard von Württembergto the status of reigning duke (herzog) of Württemberg, also granting him the defunct title of "Duke of Teck". However, the title was not borne independently by any member or branch of that dynasty. Eventually, in 1806, the dignity was renounced byFrederickupon his elevation as king.

The Teck branch of the Württembergs

Arms ofFrancis, Duke of Teck

Duke Alexander of Württemberg(1804–1885), an Austrian major-general andcadetof the dynasty that had becomekings of Württembergin 1806, established anon-dynasticline of dukes of Teck by virtue of hismorganatic marriagein 1835 with a Hungarian noblewoman,Countess Claudine Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde(1812–1841). Their son, excluded from succession to the throne of Württemberg, was born CountFrancis von Hohenstein(1837–1900), sharing the title his mother was granted by EmperorFerdinand I of Austriaon 16 May 1835, two weeks after the couple married inVienna.

In 1863, KingWilliam I of Württembergraised Francis in rank to "Prince (Fürst) of Teck "with the styleSerene Highness(Durchlaucht), heritable by all his male-line descendants. In 1866, Francis marriedPrincess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge,a member of theBritish royal familyand granddaughter of KingGeorge III.As the couple had to live on Mary's parliamentaryannuity,the prince having inherited little income, they lived mostly in England—first atKensington Palace(where their children were born) and later atRoyal LodgeinSurrey,both residences lent them byQueen Victoria.

In 1871, KingCharles I of Württemberggranted Francis the new (and, within theGerman nobility,higher) title of "Duke (Herzog) of Teck ",heritable by male-lineprimogeniture.In 1887, Queen Victoria granted the Duke of Teck the British style ofHighnesson a non-hereditary basis.

In 1893, Francis' daughter,Princess Victoria Mary of Teck,married Prince George, Duke of York, who later reigned as KingGeorge V.When the first duke of Teck died in 1900, the title passed to his eldest son, PrinceAdolphus of Teck.King George V granted the second duke of Teck, his brother-in-law, the personal style ofHighnessin 1911.

The title existed until theFirst World War,when anti-German sentiment in theUnited Kingdomprompted the British monarch to adopt a non-German surname and relinquish all German titles on behalf of himself and those of his family members domiciled in his realms, including the Tecks.The Duke of Teck thus renounced, in July 1917, his German titles of prince and duke in theKingdom of Württemberg,as well as the styles ofHighnessandSerene Highness.Adolphus, along with his brother,Prince Alexander of Teck,assumed the name "Cambridge", which had been borne as aterritorial designationby their maternal grandfather,Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge.

On 16 July 1917, Adolphus was created as "Marquess of Cambridge","Earl of Eltham"and" Viscount Northallerton "in thePeerage of the United Kingdom.His elder son took thecourtesy titleof "Earl of Eltham". His younger children became "Lord/Lady (Christian name) Cambridge", as children of amarquess.Adolphus's younger brother, Alexander, who had married PrincessAlice of Albanyin 1904, was simultaneously created "Earl of Athlone"and"Viscount Trematon".Their son PrinceRupert of Teck(1907–1928), who also took the surname of Cambridge and was known by the courtesy title of "ViscountTrematon ",was one of the descendants of Queen Victoria who suffered fromhaemophilia,along with the crown princesAlexei of RussiaandAlfonso of Spain.

The last male-line descendant of the first duke of Teck was his grandsonGeorge Cambridge, 2nd Marquess of Cambridge.He died in 1981 and themarquessateof Cambridge became extinct.

Members

Francis, Duke of Teck

• Princess Claudine of Teck(1836–1894)
• Prince Francis, Duke of Teck(1837–1900) m.Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge
  • Princess Victoria Mary of Teck(1867–1953) m.King George V of the United Kingdom
  • Prince Adolphus, Duke of Teck, laterAdolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge(1868–1927) m.Lady Margaret Grosvenor
    • Prince George of Teck, laterGeorge Cambridge, 2nd Marquess of Cambridge(1895–1981) m. Dorothy Hastings
      • Lady Mary Cambridge(1924–1999) m. Peter Whitley
    • Princess Mary of Teck, laterLady Mary Cambridge(1897–1987) m.Henry Somerset, 10th Duke of Beaufort
    • Princess Helena of Teck, laterLady Helena Cambridge(1899–1969) m. Colonel John Evelyn Gibbs
    • Prince Frederick of Teck, laterLord Frederick Cambridge(1907–1940)
  • Prince Francis of Teck(1870–1910)
  • Prince Alexander of Teck, laterAlexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone(1874–1957) m.Princess Alice of Albany
    • Princess May of Teck, laterLady May Cambridge(1906–1994) m. SirHenry Abel Smith
    • Prince Rupert of Teck, laterRupert Cambridge, Viscount Trematon(1907–1928)
    • Prince Maurice of Teck (1910–1910)
• Princess Amalie of Teck(1838–1893) m. Count Paul vonHügel(1835–1897)

See also

• Coat of arms of Württemberg

References

• Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911)."Teck".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 26 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 498–499.