OBITUARY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 5229, 19 March 1904, Page 7

OBITUARY.

I • THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE. D- 7 • A ' I*ll ES3 ASSOCIATION. ' LONDON, March 17. tTho death i.s announced of the Duke rf Cambridge, cousin of the lave Queen Victoria', aged eighty-five years. TRIBUTES TO DECEASED. (Uconived 31 arch 18, 10.26 p.m.) LONDON, March 18. The King and Queen paid a visit of jondokmeu to the relatives of the late Duke of Cam bridge at Gloucester House. A Court circular has been issued, expressing the Sovereign's groat sorrow at tho Duke’s death. A if Gazette .Extraordinary” orders iho Court into mouPning, and into six M.-eks haJf-mouring from April Bth. Tributes G> pio deceased. Imvo been paid iu bath Houses of Parliament, and - message-* of sympathy have been reodved from all parts*. Tho funeral service will take place at Abbey on Tuesday. At tho Dukols own wish his body will bo buried alongside that of iiis late wife it ive-nsal Green. ’

Ills Roval Highness. George William Frederick'' Charles, tne second Duke of Cambridge, was tho only son of Adolphus Frederick, first Duke of Cambridge, and grandson of King George 111. He was Jborn at Hanover, on March 28th, 1810, and was thus about, two mouths older than bis cousin Queen Victoria, and was for that period presumptive heir to tho British Throne. Ho was educated at Hanover by the Rev J. 1C Wood, a canon of Worcester, On November 3rd, 1837. iho rank of colonel in the British Army was conferred upon him, and he was attached to the staff at Gibraltar from October .Kith, 1838, to April 251 h, 1839. After serving in Ireland with tlie 12th Royal Lancers as second lieutenant colonel, he was appointed, in April. 1842, colon-el ot the- 17th Light Dragoons. Tor two years, 1813-5, lie acted as colonel on the stuff in I he lonian Islands, and was then promoted major-general. In October, 1846, ho took command or the Limerick district, and shortly alcenvariK of the Dublin district, ‘in 1850, his father died, and he succeeded to tlie Dukedom. Being appointed Inspector of Cavalry iu 1852. he held that position »until 1854, adieu upon tho outbreak of the Crimean War, he was placed .-in command of the two brigades of Highlanders and Guards united to form the first division of tho British Army. In .Time of the same year ho was promoted Lieutenant-General, and was present at the battles, of the Alma, Balaclava mid Inkerman, and at the siege of Sebastopol, On 15th July. 1356, ho was appointed General Coinrnnnding-in-chiei; on oth November, 1862, I'ieldMarshal. and by Ickt-crs patent, in 1887, Commander-in-chief.

The period of Ihirty-three years, during which he held-(ho command of the army was marked fry many changes. The Crimean War brought to light great administrative defects, and led to a reeroupiug of the departments which, with, the whole l personnel oi the army, wore brought under the authority of the Secveini V of State for War. A constitutional development .was thus involved, and the relations of the army to the Crown wore gradually modified in some respects. Until 1870, however, the organisation of the military forces was practically unaltered. The startling successes of (he Prussian army in the Austrian anil French campaigns having created a profound impression, drastic changes were introduced by hir Cardwell into the entire fabric of the army. The Vojecls of the reformers of 1870 were,'says in authority, undoubtedly wise; but some Df the methods adopted were open to question, and wore strongly resented by the Duke of Cambridge, whose views were shared by the majority of officers. The reform? of 1870-71 having largely failed to produce the results anticipated by their promoters, further' changes wore Inaugurated in ISBO, and again His Koval; Highness fonnd much to criticise. ' His opinions hare been recorded in the voluminous evidence taken by the various bodies appointed.to inquire into the condition of the army. . Throughout the period of change. His Koval Highness, while protesting, invariably accepted and loyally endeavoured to carry out, the measures which the Government decided. Throughout his long term of office, the Duke of Cambridge, a recent writer points out. evinced a warm, interest in the welfare of the soldier, and great ex-, porience, combined with a retentive niem»ry, made him master of military details. While quick to condemn deviations from the letter of regulations, and accustomed to insist, upon great precision in drill, ho was never a martinet, and his natural kindliness made him ready to bestow praise. Belonging lo the pre-scientific, period of the British Army, he could not Easily adapt himself to the new conditions, and in dispensing patronage, ho. Was somewhat distrustful of oiyginality, while his position asi & member of -the flora I family, tended to narrow his scope for selection. He was thus inclined to bo influenced by considerations of pure Seniority and io underrate the claims of special ability. The army, however, always recognised that in the Duke of Cambridge, it had a Commander-in-Chief fitted to the best interests of the country; and anxious, “in the face of many difficulties, to promote its well-being. He resigned the Co-mmamdership-in-Cliief in November, 1395, being succeeded by Lord Wolseloy.