Thursday, April 15, 2010

Viscount Trematon is dead at the age of 20

April 15, 1928

Viscount Trematon, the son and heir of the Earl of Athlone, Governor-General of South Africa, died at the Lyons Hospital in France, this morning. He was 20 years old.

Lord Trematon, a nephew of Queen Mary, was injured on April 1 in an automobile accident near Lyons. One of his driving companions was killed instantly, and another "escaped unhurt.
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The body of Lord Trematon will be sent to England tomorrow. The accident took place on a "narrow road near Lyons," when Lord Trematon's car, in "passing another car, ran into a ditch and struck a tree," the New York Times reports. At first, medical reports stated that the young Viscount was seriously ill, "but not mortally injured."

Lord Athlone is the younger brother of Queen Mary. Six years ago, when Lord Athlone and his wife, Princess Alice, attended Queen Wilhelmina's New Year's reception, there were rumors that their son, Rupert, "might later become the husband of Princess Juliana," then age 11 and four years his junior. It should be noted, however, that Princess Alice and Queen Wilhelmina are first cousins, who are also close friends.

The Times reports that Lord Trematon died at 3 a.m., this morning. He had passed the "night quietly, but continually lost strength owing to the difficulty he experienced in taking nourishment. At 9 p.m., last night, hospital officials announced, "that it was unlikely that he would live through the night."

Princess Alice is the daughter of the late Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, and Princess Helen of Waldeck und Pyrmont, whose sister, Emma, is the mother of Queen Wilhelmina. In 1904, Alice married Prince Alexander of Teck, one of three sons of the late Duke of Teck and Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge. Rupert and his older sister, Mary, were born in Britain but bore the title Prince and Princess of Teck with the rank of Serene Highness. Alice was styled as HRH Princess Alexander of Teck.

On July 14, 1917, the members of the British Royal Family who were styled by German titles, renounced those titles and were given British peerages. Alexander's older brother, Adolphus, the Duke of Teck, created the  Marquess of Cambridge, and Alexander was created for the Earl of Athlone. His wife, a British princess in her own right, adopted the style of HRH Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone. Princess May and Prince Rupert became known as Lady May Cambridge and Viscount Trematon, respectively.

Lord Trematon's funeral will be held at St. George's Chapel, Windsor, and it will be "of a private nature." He will be buried at Frogmore, where his grandparents, the Duke and Duchess of Albany, and the Duke and Duchess of Teck are buried. His uncle, the Marquess of Cambridge is also buried at Frogmore.

There will be no court mourning, according to the Lord Chamberlain.

The King and Queen have sent the following telegram to the Lord Mayor of London's expression of sympathy: "The Queen joins with me in sincerely thanking you, my Lord Mayor, and the citizens of London for your kind message of sympathy in the loss we have sustained by the sad death of our nephew. George R.I."

Rupert Alexander George Augustus Cambridge was sent to Eton, where he was a "wet bob," although he never took part in sports. He was "very popular with his schoolfellows, and developed into a young man of fine physique." Lord Trematon left Eton in 1925, and "went up" to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he "made many friends. He had an "inquiring turn of mind and was keenly interested in wireless and engineering."

Lord Trematon enjoyed riding and was often seen in Windsor Great Park on "his favourite pony." He grew up in the Henry III Tower, Windsor Castle, where his parent lived before Lord Athlone's appointment as Governor-General of South Africa in 1924. Last year, he went out to South Africa to visit his parents, and he was an "excellent shot," he was able to enjoy the "big game shooting." On his 19th birthday, he "shot a lion, and buffalo and rhinoceros also fell to his gun."
The "news of his death will be a great shock to all who knew him."

Lord Trematon is survived by his parents, the Earl of Athlone and Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, and an older sister, Lady May Helen Emma Cambridge.

1 comment:

Golden said...

Interesting obit except none of his grandparents are buried at Frogmore. He was buried initially in the royal vault. Later, along with his uncle, Lord Cambridge, he was transferred to the recently opened Frogmore Burial Ground