Lord Adolphus FitzClarence

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Rear-Admiral Lord Adolphus FitzClarence, GCH, ADC, RN (18 February 1802 – 17 May 1856) was a British naval officer.

FitzClarence was born at Bushy Park, Middlesex and was an illegitimate child of Prince William, Duke of Clarence (later William IV) and his mistress, Dorothy Jordan.^[1] He attended a boarding school in Sunbury-on-Thames before being sent to sea at the age of eleven in 1813, aboard HMS Impregnable. He subsequently served as a midshipman aboard HMS Newcastle based in North America and then later in the Mediterranean Sea. On receiving his commission in 1824, he transferred to HMS Euryalus and after being promoted to the rank of Commander in 1832, he later served aboard HMS Brisk and Redwing in the North Sea. When promoted to Captain in 1826, he commanded HMS Ariadne that year, HMS Challenger in 1827 and HMS Pallas in 1828.

On the accession of FitzClarence's father as king in 1830, he took command of the Royal Yacht, HMY Royal George. His father also granted him and his siblings the rank of a younger son/daughter of a marquess by Royal Warrant of Precedence in 1831, enabling him to prefix Lord before his name and he was knighted the following year.^[1] He was also appointed Groom of the Robes in 1830 and a Lord of the Bedchamber in 1833.

On the death of his father and the accession of his cousin, Victoria in 1837, FitzClarence retained command of the Royal Yacht (until he was promoted to a Rear-Admiral in 1853) and his allowance allowed to continue. The queen reported that he 'burst into tears, and said it was unexpected, for they [the FitzClarences] did not dare to hope for anything' (as illegitimate children of a former monarch).^[2] In 1848, he also became a naval aide-de-camp to the queen and retained the office until he died, unmarried, at Newburgh Priory in 1856.^[1]

[edit] Ancestry

v • d • e Ancestors of Lord Adolphus FitzClarence

16. George II of Great Britain               8. Frederick, Prince of Wales                       17. Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach               4. George III of the United Kingdom                             18. Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg               9. Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha                       19. Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst               2. William IV of the United Kingdom                                   20. Adolf Frederick II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz               10. Charles Louis Frederick, Duke of Mecklenburg-Mirow                       21. Princess Christiane Emilie of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen               5. Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz                             22. Ernest Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen               11. Princess Elizabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen                       23. Sophia Albertine of Erbach-Erbach               1. Lord Adolphus FitzClarence                                         24. James Bland               12. Nathaniel Bland                       25. Lucy Brewster               6. Francis Bland                             13. Elizabeth Heaton                       3. Dorothy Jordan                                   7. Grace Phillips

[edit] Notes and references

[edit] Source

• K. D. Reynolds, FitzClarence, Lord Adolphus (1802–1856), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004, accessed 14 Oct 2007

Court offices
Preceded by ?	Groom of the Robes 1830–1833	Succeeded by Francis Seymour
Preceded by The Earl of Denbigh	Lord of the Bedchamber 1833–1837	Succeeded by New court (death of William IV)
Military offices
Preceded by Houston Stewart	Rear-Admiral of the Blue 1853–1855	Succeeded by Peter Richards
Preceded by ?	Rear-Admiral of the White 1855–18??	Succeeded by ?