The Marriage of Prince Arthur of Connaught
The Royal Union with Princess Louise of Prussia
Prince Arthur of Great Britain, the Duke of Connaught, was Queen Victoria’s favorite son. In fact, his mother thought her son so honorable and decent that she did not see the need for him to marry; he was so good already that he didn’t need a wife to straighten him out. Nevertheless, he fell in love with the sweet Princess Louise of Prussia and they had a happy and content marriage that produced three children whose descendants are still alive today, most notably in the Swedish and Danish royal families.
The Engagement of Prince Arthur of Connaught and Princess Louise of Prussia
In 1872, Prince Arthur of Connaught (1850–1942) visited his older sister Princess Victoria, who was married to Crown Prince Frederick of Prussia, the future Emperor Frederick III of Germany. While in the Prussian court, Prince Arthur met Prince Frederick’s cousin’s daughter, the eleven-year-old Princess Louise (1860–1917).
Princess Louise of Prussia had had a difficult life. Her father Prince Friedrich Karl was viciously militant and had separated from her mother Princess Marianne, who was a close friend of Princess Victoria. Princess Louise therefore had a harsh home life that made her very shy and timid, but she was also very sweet and Princess Victoria hoped that she would marry Prince Arthur.
And a few years later, in 1878, the couple did get engaged. Queen Victoria was initially wary of the engagement because she hated Princess Louise’s father and thought that the Prussian royal family in general was haughty and unpleasant. But after meeting the shy princess Queen Victoria was pleased to have her marry Prince Arthur. Princess Louise for her part was only too happy to leave her unhappy home and family in Prussia and live in England.
Queen Victoria insisted that although the bride was Prussian that the wedding take place in England. The couple happily married on March 13, 1879, in St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
The Married Life of Prince Arthur of Connaught and Princess Louise of Prussia
The couple’s first home was in Bagshot Park in Surrey, but they moved around a bit as Prince Arthur of Connaught progressed in his military career. He loved being in the military and did well, always praised as a good soldier and leader. In fact, he loved the military so much that he turned down the opportunity to inherit the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha because he did not want to leave the military or England.
While Prince Arthur served in the military, Princess Louise was the perfect army wife. Sometimes she was able to go with him on his appointments, and sometimes she stayed home in England with their children. Prince Arthur did have some extra-marital affairs, but he was discreet about them and Princess Louise endured them quietly. Nevertheless, they seem to have had a happy marriage based on love and contentment.
The Children of Prince Arthur of Connaught and Princess Louise of Prussia
Although the Connaughts were good people who loved their three children, they were perhaps not the most devoted parents. Prince Arthur was often away serving in the military. And Princess Louise was a somewhat neglectful mother, perhaps because of her own unhappy childhood, and her emotional distance made her children somewhat shy and timid too.
All three children made happy marriages. Their son Prince Arthur and their daughter Princess Patricia of Connaught married nobility, and their other daughter Princess Margaret of Connaught married Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden. Although Princess Margaret died before her husband became King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden, her daughter later became Queen Ingrid of Denmark and her grandson is the present King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.
The Marriage of Prince Arthur of Connaught and Princess Louise of Prussia
Prince Arthur of Connaught and Princess Louise of Prussia were contentedly married for thirty-eight years. Their legacy lives on in their descendants, most notably in their royal descendants in the Swedish and Danish royal families.
Sources:
Eilers, Marlene A. Queen Victoria’s Descendants. Falkoping, Sweden: Rosvall Royal Books, 1997.
Kiste, John van der. Queen Victoria’s Children. Gloucester: Alan Sutton Publishing, 1986.
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught
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Princess Louise of Prussia, Duchess of Connaught
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