Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom that was granted on 24 May 1874 by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to her third son, Prince Arthur. At the same time, he was also granted the subsidiary title of Earl of Sussex.
History
By tradition, members of the sovereign’s family received titles associated with England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, the four Home Nations that made up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The Dukedom of Connaught and Strathearn was named after one of the four provinces of Ireland, now known by its modern Irish language-based spelling of Connacht. It was seen as the title that, if available, would henceforth be awarded to the British monarch’s third son. The first son is the Duke of Cornwall (in England) and Duke of Rothesay (in Scotland), and would be made Prince of Wales at some point, while the second son would often become Duke of York, if the title was available.
Since the exit of the Irish Free State from the United Kingdom in 1922, titles related to locations in the Free State (and later the Republic of Ireland) have not been awarded (though Prince Edward, Prince of Wales—in 1936 briefly King Edward VIII—was made a Knight of the Order of St Patrick). However, territorial titles relating to Northern Ireland have continued to be awarded.
After Prince Arthur’s death in 1942, the title was inherited by his grandson, Alastair. In the absence of any male heirs, the dukedom became extinct when Alastair died, 15 months after his grandfather.
A Canadian military regiment, The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught’s Own), is a Canadian armoured regiment in the 1st Duke’s name. A British Indian Army cavalry regiment, the 6th Duke of Connaught’s Own Lancers (Watson’s Horse), was also named for the 1st Duke.
Dukes of Connaught and Strathearn (1874)
| # | Name | Portrait | Birth | Death | Spouse | Term as Duke | Other titles | Coat of Arms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Prince Arthur |  |
1 May 1850 Buckingham Palace, London son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha |
16 January 1942 at Bagshot Park, aged 91 |
Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia (married 13 March 1879) 3 children |
1874–1942 | Earl of Sussex (1874) |  |
| 2 | Alastair Windsor | 9 August 1914 Mayfair, London son of Prince Arthur of Connaught and Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife |
26 April 1943 in Ottawa, aged 28 |
Never married | 1942–1943 | Earl of Sussex (1874) |  |
Family tree
Possible future creations
The Dukedom is currently vacant. While there were some speculations that it was one of the options available for Prince Harry upon his wedding with Meghan Markle, press reports have also noted that Connaught is now part of the Republic of Ireland, as well as the supposed manner in which the last Duke of Connaught and Strathearn died, thus making it unsuitable.
Strathearn is a subsidiary Earldom in the Dukedom of Cambridge.