Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany (1853-1884)

Prince Leopold George Duncan Albert of Great Britain and Ireland was born on the 7th April 1853 at Buckingham Palace to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1819-1861) and Victoria of Great Britain and Ireland (1819-1901). Leopold was a sickly child, developing the disease Haemophilia. In 1881, he was invested as the Duke of Albany, Earl of Clarence and Baron Arklow. However he did attend Oxford University for four years, from 1872 to 1876 and left with degree in civil law. On the 27th April 1882, he married Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont (1861-1922) at WIndsor Castle. They had two children together: Alice (1883-1981) and Charles Edward (1884-1954), the latter of whom was born a few months after Leopold's death. He died at the young age of 30 at his French residence in Cannes on the 28th March 1884.

The Death of Prince Leopold

ALAS! noble Prince Leopold, he is dead!Who often has his lustre shed:Especially by singing for the benefit of Esher School,Which proves he was a wise prince. and no conceited fool.Methinks I see him on the platform singing the Sands o’ Dee,The generous-hearted Leopold, the good and the free,Who was manly in his actions, and beloved by his mother;And in all the family she hasn’t got such another.He was of a delicate constitution all his life,And he was his mother’s favourite, and very kind to his wife,And he had also a particular liking for his child,And in his behaviour he was very mild.Oh! noble-hearted Leopold, most beautiful to see,Who was wont to fill your audience’s hearts with glee,With your charming songs, and lectures against strong drink:Britain had nothing else to fear, as far as you could thinkA wise prince you were, and well worthy of the name,And to write in praise of thee I cannot refrain;Because you were ever ready to defend that which is right,Both pleasing and righteous in God’s eye-sight.And for the loss of such a prince the people will mourn,But, alas! unto them he can never more return,Because sorrow never could revive the dead again,Therefore to weep for him is all in vain.’Twas on Saturday the 12th of April, in the year 1884,He was buried in the royal vault, never to rise moreUntil the great and fearful judgment-day,When the last trump shall sound to summon him away.When the Duchess of Albany arrived she drove through the Royal Arch,–A little before the Seaforth Highlanders set out on the funeral march;And she was received with every sympathetic respect,Which none of the people present seem’d to neglect.Then she entered the memorial chapel and stayed a short time,And as she viewed her husband’s remains it was really sublime,While her tears fell fast on the coffin lid without delay,Then she took one last fond look, and hurried away.At half-past ten o’clock the Seaforth Highlanders did appear,And every man in the detachment his medals did wear;And they carried their side-arms by their side,With mournful looks, but full of love and pride.Then came the Coldstream Guards headed by their band,Which made the scene appear imposing and grand;Then the musicians drew up in front of the guardroomAnd waited patiently to see the prince laid in the royal tomb.First in the procession were the servants of His late Royal Highness,And next came the servants of the Queen in deep mourning dress,And the gentlemen of his household in deep distress,Also General Du Pla, who accompanied the remains from Cannes.The coffin was borne by eight Highlanders of his own regiment,And the fellows seemed to be rather discontentFor the loss of the prince they loved most dear,While adown their cheeks stole many a silent tearThen behind the corpse came the Prince of Wales in field marshal uniform,Looking very pale, dejected, careworn, and forlorn;Then followed great magnates, all dressed in uniform,And last, but not least, the noble Marquis of Lorne.The scene in George’s Chapel was most magnificent to behold,The banners of the knights of the garter embroidered with gold;Then again it was most touching and lovely to seeThe Seaforth Highlanders’ inscription to the Prince’s memory:It was wrought in violets, upon a background of white flowers,And as they gazed upon it their tears fell in showers;But the whole assembly were hushed when Her Majesty did appear,Attired in her deepest mourning, and from her eye there fell a tear.Her Majesty was unable to stand long, she was overcome with grief,And when the Highlanders lowered the coffin into the tomb she felt relief;Then the ceremony closed with singing “Lead, kindly light,”Then the Queen withdrew in haste from the mournful sight.Then the Seaforth Highlanders’ band played “Lochaber no more,”While the brave soldiers’ hearts felt depressed and sore;And as homeward they marched they let fall many a tearFor the loss of the virtuous Prince Leopold they loved so dear.- See more at: http://www.mcgonagall-online.org.uk/gems/the-death-of-prince-leopold#sthash.OLuc8XLP.dpuf