View source for Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia

{{Short description|Duchess of Connaught and Strathearn (1860–1917)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Princess Louise Margaret
| title        = Duchess of Connaught and Strathearn
| image        = Princess Louise, Duchess of Connaught by Lafayette.jpg
| caption      = Photograph by [[James Lafayette]], 1907
| succession   = [[Viceregal consort of Canada]]
{{Infobox officeholder/office
| termstart        = 13 October 1911 
| termend       = 11 November 1916
| predecessor    = [[Alice Grey, Countess Grey|The Countess Grey]]
| monarch       = [[George V]]
| successor    = [[Evelyn Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire|The Duchess of Devonshire]]
}}
| birth_date   = {{Birth date|1860|7|25|df=y}}
| birth_place  = [[Marmorpalais]], [[Potsdam]], [[Kingdom of Prussia]]
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|1917|3|14|1860|7|25|df=y}}
| death_place  = [[Clarence House]], [[London]], England, United Kingdom
| burial_date  = 19 March 1917
| burial_place = Royal Vault, [[St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle]]<br /> 23 October 1928 <br />[[Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore]]
| spouse       = {{marriage|[[Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn]]|13 March 1879}}
| issue        = {{plainlist|
* [[Margareta, Crown Princess of Sweden]]
* [[Prince Arthur of Connaught]]
* [[Lady Patricia Ramsay]]
}}
| house        = [[House of Hohenzollern|Hohenzollern]]
| father       = [[Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia (1828–1885)|Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia]]
| mother       = [[Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau]]
| full name    = [[English language|English]]: Louise Margaret Alexandra Victoria Agnes<br />{{Langx|de|Luise Margarete Alexandra Viktoria Agnes}}
| reg-type1    = [[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]]
| regent1      = [[Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn|The Duke of Connaught and Strathearn]]
| signature    = Princess_Louise_Margaret_of_Prussia's_signature_1905.png
}}
{{House of Hohenzollern (Prussia)|frederickwilliam3gg}}
'''Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia''' (Louise Margaret Alexandra Victoria Agnes; 25 July 1860 – 14 March 1917), later '''Duchess of Connaught and Strathearn''',<ref>{{Cite book |last=Weir |first=Alison |title=Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy |publisher=Random House |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-4464-4911-0 |pages=311}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Gelardi |first=Julia P. |title=Prince Arthur & Princess Louise Margaret 1879 |publisher=Independent |year=2024 |pages=5–7}}</ref> was a member of the [[House of Hohenzollern]] who married into the [[British royal family]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Aronson |first=Theo |title=Grandmama of Europe: The Crowned Descendants of Queen Victoria |publisher=Cassell |year=1973 |pages=82–83}}</ref> She served as the [[viceregal consort of Canada]] while her husband, [[Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn]], served as the [[Governor General of Canada|governor general]], from 1911 to 1916.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn |website=The Canadian Encyclopedia |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/arthur-william-patrick-albert |access-date=24 October 2025}}</ref>

==Early life==
{{Expand section|date=January 2011}}

Princess Louise Margaret was born on 25 July 1860 at [[Marmorpalais]] (Marble Palace) near  [[Potsdam]], [[Kingdom of Prussia]], as the fourth child and third surviving daughter of [[Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia (1828-1885)|Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia]] (1828–1885) and  [[Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau|Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt]]  (1837–1906). Her father was a distinguished military commander and a nephew of German Emperor [[William I, German Emperor|William I]]. Her mother was a noted musician and painter, and a great-granddaughter of King Frederick William II of Prussia.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Weir |first=Alison |title=Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy |publisher=Random House |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-4464-4911-0 |location=New York |pages=311}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Gelardi |first=Julia P. |title=Prince Arthur & Princess Louise Margaret 1879 |publisher=Independent |year=2024 |pages=5–7}}</ref>

The Princess, known informally to her family as "Mimi", grew up primarily in Berlin. She had a relatively lonely childhood due to the significant age gap with her older sisters and younger brother. As a child, she was considered to be delicate in health, and developed into a rather shy young woman. She received her education from an English governess.

Louise Margaret's parents had a notoriously unhappy marriage. Prince Friedrich Karl, who was known for his alcoholism and domineering behaviour, reportedly beat his wife after the birth of a fourth daughter (Louise Margaret herself). The couple became estranged and lived apart, though they never formally separated. Queen Victoria recorded in her journal that the Prince had "behaved so brutally to his wife."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Miller |first=Ilana D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rnzjEAAAQBAJ&q=estramged&pg=PR14 |title=Queen Victoria After Albert: Her Life and Loves |date=2023-11-09 |publisher=Pen and Sword History |isbn=978-1-3990-9974-5 |language=en}}</ref> This difficult family environment is noted by biographers as a potential motivation for Louise Margaret to seek marriage and distance herself from her royal residence in Berlin.

She met her future husband, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, in 1878 when she was eighteen, leading to their engagement.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gelardi |first=Julia P. |title=Prince Arthur & Princess Louise Margaret 1879 |publisher=Independent |year=2024 |pages=5–7}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Van der Kiste |first=John |title=Queen Victoria’s Daughters-in-Law |publisher=Pen and Sword Books |year=2023 |isbn=978-1-3990-4567-4 |pages=42–44}}</ref>

==Marriage==
{{see also|Wedding dress of Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia}}

On 13 March 1879, Princess Louise Margaret married [[Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn]] at [[St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle|St. George's Chapel]]  [[Windsor Castle|Windsor]].<ref name=nyt>{{Citation
  | title = Royal Marriage Bells
  | newspaper = The New York Times
  | location = London
  | date = 13 March 1879
  | url = https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1879/03/14/81750261.pdf
  | access-date = <!-----6 January 2010----->
  | archive-date = 19 February 2021
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210219160807/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1879/03/14/81750261.pdf
  | url-status = live
  }}</ref> Prince Arthur was the seventh child and third son of [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Queen Victoria]] and [[Albert, Prince Consort|Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Todd|first=Herbert George|title=Armory and Lineages of Canada|publisher=The Armorial Register Limited|year=2016|isbn=978-0-9568157-9-8|pages=8|language=en}}</ref> A 2003 book claims that it was a love match, with the princess also keen to get away from her royal residence in Berlin and from her father's bullying.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|last=Rappaport|first=Helen|title=Queen Victoria: A Biographical Companion|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2003|isbn=1-85109-355-9|location=Santa Barbara, CA|pages=45}}</ref>

The wedding was described as grand and the couple received a great number of expensive gifts; the Queen's gifts included a diamond tiara and a pearl and diamond pendant.<ref name="nyt" /> Many members of Britain and Germany's royal families attended.<ref name="nyt" /> Queen Victoria herself was wearing the [[Koh-i-Noor|Koh-i-Noor diamond]] and a long white veil.<ref name=":3" /> After her marriage, Princess Louise was styled ''Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Connaught and Strathearn'', and her name was Anglicised as Louise Margaret.

The couple had three children: [[Princess Margaret of Connaught| Princess Margaret]] (1882–1920), [[Prince Arthur of Connaught|Prince Arthur]] (1883–1938), and [[Princess Patricia of Connaught|Princess Patricia]] (1886–1974). Princess Margaret married Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden and was the grandmother of [[Carl XVI Gustaf|King Carl XVI Gustaf]] of Sweden.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Panton|first=James|title=Historical Dictionary of the British Monarchy|publisher=Scarecrow Press|year=2011|isbn=978-0-8108-7497-8|location=Lanham, MD|pages=58}}</ref> Prince Arthur served as the governor-general of [[South Africa]].<ref name=":1" />

==Duchess of Connaught==
[[File: Louise, Duchess of Connaught, 1908.jpg|thumb|left|Louise, Duchess of Connaught, [[John Singer Sargent]], 1908]]
The Duchess of Connaught spent the first twenty years of her marriage accompanying her husband on his various deployments throughout the British Empire. The Duke and Duchess of Connaught acquired [[Bagshot Park]] in Surrey as their country home and after 1900 used [[Clarence House]] as their London residence. She accompanied her husband to Canada in 1911, when he began his term as governor-general. In 1916, she became colonel-in-chief of the [[199th Battalion Duchess of Connaught's Own Irish Rangers, CEF|199th Canadian (Overseas) Infantry Battalion (The Duchess of Connaught's Own Irish-Canadian Rangers), CEF]] after [[Harry Trihey]], the regiment's principal organizer and first commanding officer during World War I, secured her as patron.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Bunbury|first=Turtle|title=The Glorious Madness – Tales of the Irish and the Great War: First-hand accounts of Irish men and women in the First World War|publisher=Gill & Macmillan Ltd|year=2014|isbn=978-0-7171-6614-5|language=en}}</ref> In 1885, she became chief of the 64th (8th Brandenburg) Regiment of Infantry "Field Marshal General Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia", Prussian Army.

==Death and legacy==
The Duchess of Connaught died of [[influenza]] and [[bronchitis]] at Clarence House.<ref name=":0" /> She became the first member of the [[British royal family]] to be cremated. This was done at [[Golders Green Crematorium]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Mates|first=Lewis H.|title=Encyclopedia of Cremation|publisher=Routledge|year=2005|isbn=978-0-754-63773-8|location=New York|pages=129|language=en}}</ref> The procedure of burying ashes in an urn was still unfamiliar at the time, and her urn was transported in an ordinary coffin during the funeral ceremonies. King George V still ordered four weeks of mourning dress and a military guard of honor during the funeral.<ref name=":2" /> Her ashes were placed in the Royal Vault at [[St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle]] and eventually buried at the [[Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/about-st-georges/royal-connection/royal-burials/royal-burials-chapel-since-1805/|title=Royal Burials in the Chapel since 1805|work=College of St George - Windsor Castle|accessdate=5 March 2023|archive-date=2 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802212735/https://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/about-st-georges/royal-connection/burial/burials-in-the-chapel-since-1805.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The Duke of Connaught survived her by almost twenty-five years. 

The Duchess of Connaught's net estate in the United Kingdom was valued at £123,008; she left £25,000 to her daughter Princess Margaret and £50,000 to her daughter Princess Patricia of Connaught, noting that £25,000 had already been settled on Princess Margaret upon her marriage. The residuary estate was left to her son Prince Arthur of Connaught.<ref>The Times. (Saturday, 4 August 1917). Page 11, "Will of The Duchess of Connaught: Estate of £125,000". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 11 February 2025, from https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-will-of-the-duchess-of-connaug/165202896/.</ref>

The maternity hospital adjacent to the [[Cambridge Military Hospital]] at Aldershot was named in her honor as the [[Louise Margaret Maternity Hospital]]. She laid the foundation stone of this hospital, which was constructed for the wives and children of the [[Aldershot Garrison]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Vickers|first=Paul H.|title=Aldershot Through Time|publisher=Amberley Publishing Limited|year=2012|isbn=978-1-4456-2648-2|language=en}}</ref>

==Titles, styles, honours and arms==
===Titles and styles===
*25 July 1860&nbsp;– 13 March 1879: ''Her Royal Highness'' Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia<ref>{{cite web|title=The London Gazette, Issue 24743, Page 4467|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/24743/page/4467|date=15 July 1879|access-date=25 May 2021|archive-date=24 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924005716/https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/24743/page/4467|url-status=live}}</ref>
*13 March 1879&nbsp;– 14 March 1917: ''Her Royal Highness'' The Duchess of Connaught and Strathearn<ref>{{cite web|title=The London Gazette, Issue 26947, Page 1696|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/26947/page/1696|date=14 March 1898|access-date=25 May 2021|archive-date=28 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928131907/https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/26947/page/1696|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Honours===
[[File:Die Herzogin von Connaught geb. Prinzessin Luise Margarete von Preußen, 1904.jpg|thumb|Louise Margaret in academic dress, 1904]]
;Orders and decorations
*'''CI''': [[Order of the Crown of India|Companion of the Crown of India]], ''March 1879''
*'''VA''': [[Royal Order of Victoria and Albert]], 1st Class, ''1893''
*'''DStJ''': [[Venerable Order of Saint John|Lady of Justice of St. John]], ''1888''
*'''RRC''': [[Royal Red Cross|Member of the Royal Red Cross]], ''1883''
* {{flag|Empire of Japan}}: [[Order of the Precious Crown|Grand Cordon of the Precious Crown]], ''8 May 1890''<ref>{{cite book|author=刑部芳則|title=明治時代の勲章外交儀礼|url=http://meijiseitoku.org/pdf/f54-5.pdf|year=2017|publisher=明治聖徳記念学会紀要|language=ja|page=157|archive-date=28 March 2021|access-date=17 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210328221535/http://meijiseitoku.org/pdf/f54-5.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

;Academic
*[[Doctor of Music]], [[Trinity College Dublin]], ''1904''

===Arms===
{| border="0" align="center" width="60%"
|-
!width=50% |[[File:Coat of Arms of Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia, Duchess of Connaught.svg|center|200px]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;" |Coat of arms of Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia, Duchess of Connaught
|}

==Issue==
{| class="wikitable"
!Image!!Name!!Birth!!Death!!Notes
|-
|align=center| [[File:Margaret of Connaught.jpg|90px]] ||[[Princess Margaret of Connaught]]||15 January 1882||1 May 1920||married, 15 June 1905, Crown Prince [[Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden|Gustaf Adolf of Sweden]]; had issue (including [[Ingrid of Sweden|Ingrid, Queen of Denmark]])
|-
|align=center| [[File:Prince Arthur of Connaught Garter.jpg|90px]] ||[[Prince Arthur of Connaught]]||13 January 1883||12 September 1938||married, 15 October 1913, [[Princess Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife]]; had issue
|-
|align=center| [[File:Princess Patricia.jpg|90px]] ||[[Princess Patricia of Connaught]]||17 March 1886||12 January 1974||married, 27 February 1919, Captain Sir [[Alexander Ramsay (Royal Navy officer)|Alexander Ramsay]], renouncing her title and becoming Lady Patricia Ramsay; had issue
|}

==Ancestry==
{{ahnentafel
|collapsed=yes |align=center
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|1= 1. '''Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia'''
|2= 2. [[Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia (1828–85)|Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia]]
|3= 3. [[Princess Maria Anna of Anhalt-Dessau]]
|4= 4. [[Prince Charles of Prussia]]
|5= 5. [[Princess Marie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1808–1877)|Princess Marie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach]]
|6= 6. [[Leopold IV, Duke of Anhalt]]
|7= 7. [[Princess Frederica of Prussia (1796–1850)|Princess Frederica of Prussia]]
|8= 8. [[Frederick William III of Prussia]]
|9= 9. [[Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz|Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz]]
|10= 10. [[Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach]]
|11= 11. [[Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia (1786–1859)|Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia]]
|12= 12. [[Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Anhalt-Dessau]]
|13= 13. [[Princess Amalie of Hesse-Homburg]]
|14= 14. [[Prince Louis Charles of Prussia]]
|15= 15. [[Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz|Duchess Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz]]
}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{NPG name|name=Princess Louise, Duchess of Connaught}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-hou|[[House of Hohenzollern]]|25 July|1860|14 March|1917|}}
{{S-hon}}
{{Succession box|title=[[Viceregal consort of Canada]]|before=[[Alice Grey, Countess Grey|The Countess Grey]] | after=[[Evelyn Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire|The Duchess of Devonshire]]|years=1911–1916}}
|-
{{s-end}}

{{Prussian princesses by birth}}
{{British princesses by marriage}}
{{Princesses of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha by marriage}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Louise Margaret Of Prussia, Princess}}
[[Category:1860 births]]
[[Category:1917 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Potsdam]]
[[Category:People from the Province of Brandenburg]]
[[Category:House of Hohenzollern]]
[[Category:House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (United Kingdom)]]
[[Category:Canadian viceregal consorts]]
[[Category:British duchesses by marriage|Connaught and Strathearn]]
[[Category:Princesses of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha by marriage]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of the Crown of India]]
[[Category:Dames of Justice of the Order of St John]]
[[Category:Members of the Royal Red Cross]]
[[Category:Ladies of the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert]]
[[Category:Grand Cordons of the Order of the Precious Crown]]
[[Category:Burials at the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore]]
[[Category:Women in 19th-century warfare]]
[[Category:Wives of British princes]]
[[Category:Deaths from influenza]]
[[Category:Infectious disease deaths in England]]
[[Category:Royal reburials]]
[[Category:Wives of knights]]