Alexander Augustus Frederick William Alfred George Cambridge

Prince Alexander was the son of the 1st Duke of Teck and Princess Mary Adelaide. A brother of Queen Mary, he was the uncle of King George VI. He was educated at Eton and the Military College at Sandhurst. Appointed Second Lieutenant with the 7th Hussar in 1894, he served in the Matabele campaign (1896) and in the South African War of 1899-1901. In 1904, he married Princess Alice, daughter of Prince Leopold and granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Alexander was to have been appointed Governor General of Canada in 1914, but requested that his name be withdrawn because of World War I. Retiring from his career as a soldier after the war, Athlone took an interest in education and medical research, and was Governor-General of the Union of South Africa (21 Jan 1924 - 26 Jan 1931). Although thinking himself too old when asked to serve as governor general again, the Earl of Athlone served more than a full term. He was the second member of the British royal family after the Duke of Connaught to be Governor General of Canada. During World War II, the Earl of Athlone supported the Canadian war effort by inspecting troops, training schools and military hospitals. He created the Athlone-Vanier Engineering Fellowship at the Engineering Institute of Canada and also enjoyed the social activities. Upon his return to UK, Athlone served the Chancellor of London University until 1955.