Historical Record of the First, or Royal Regiment of Foot

His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, Appointed 21st August, 1801

During the early part of this century the Royal Regiment of Foot had the honour of being commanded by a Prince who was distinguished alike for his social and military virtues,—namely, Field Marshal His Royal Highness Edward Duke of Kent and Strathearn, the father of Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen Victoria.

Prince Edward, fourth son of His Majesty King George III., was born on the 2nd of November, 1767. In the eighteenth year of his age he proceeded to Germany for the completion of his studies, and resided successively at Lunenburg and Hanover, and was appointed, on the 30th of May, 1786, Colonel of the Hanoverian Guards. During the succeeding year he removed to Geneva, and while pursuing his studies at this place, His Majesty conferred upon him the Colonelcy of the 7th Royal Fusiliers. Early in 1790 he returned to England; and after passing a few days with his family he embarked, in obedience to the King’s command, for Gibraltar, in order to acquire a knowledge of garrison duty under Major-General O’Hara. While at Gibraltar he commanded for several months the 2nd, or Queen’s Regiment, until the arrival of the 7th Royal Fusiliers, as a reinforcement to the garrison, in August, 1790. In 1791 he sailed with his regiment from Gibraltar for Quebec; and while serving in Canada he was promoted to the rank of Major-General. From North America he proceeded, during the winter of 1793-4, through the United States to Boston, where he embarked for the West Indies, and joined the army under General Sir Charles Grey, at the commencement of the siege of Fort Bourbon, in the island of Martinique, and commanded the detached camp at La Coste, above Point à Petre. During the several attacks His Royal Highness’s conduct excited the admiration of the army: his life was frequently exposed to the most imminent peril; and his aides-de-camp, Captain, afterwards General Sir Frederick, Wetherall, and Lieutenant Vesey, were wounded near his Royal Highness’s person.150 In compliment to the gallantry evinced by His Royal Highness on this occasion, the lower fort, called Fort Royal, was subsequently named Fort Edward.

After the capture of Martinique, the army proceeded to St. Lucie; and His Royal Highness commanded the grenadier brigade, which, in conjunction with the light infantry brigade, under Major-General Thomas Dundas, formed the storming-party which carried Morne Fortuné. From St. Lucie the army proceeded to the island of Guadaloupe; and the flank companies were detached under Prince Edward and Major-General Dundas, who succeeded in gaining possession of Morne Marscot and Fleur D’Epée, commanding Point à Petre. His conduct again excited admiration, and His Royal Highness received the thanks of Parliament. After the capture of the French West India Islands151, His Royal Highness returned to North America, and was shortly afterwards appointed Commander of the Forces in Nova Scotia and its dependencies. On the 12th of January, 1796, he was promoted to the rank of Lieut.-General; and, having returned to England on account of ill health, he was created, on the 23rd of April, 1799, Earl of Dublin, in Ireland, and Duke of Kent and Strathearn, in Great Britain; in the following month he was promoted to the rank of General, and appointed Commander-in-Chief of all the forces in British North America. On his return to North America his arrival was greeted by all ranks; and during his stay in that country he introduced numerous improvements in the system of conducting public business. In August, 1800, His Royal Highness returned to England; and in the following year he was appointed to the Colonelcy of the Royal Regiment of Foot. In 1802 he was appointed Governor of the important fortress of Gibraltar, whither he immediately proceeded; and while attempting to effect the removal of several long-existing abuses and irregularities, His Royal Highness experienced that opposition which has attended every attempt to remedy evils, when the private interests and privileges of individuals are concerned. The Duke of Kent returned in 1803 to England, where he continued to reside upwards of fifteen years. He was promoted to the rank of Field-Marshal on the 5th of September, 1805; he was also elected a Knight of the Garter; constituted a Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath; and appointed Keeper and Ranger of Hampton Court Park.

During the period His Royal Highness resided in England the Royal Regiment of Foot experienced the advantage of his constant care and anxiety for its interests, and of his influence in the kingdom. It was recruited with facility, and he had the satisfaction of having four battalions on foreign service, amounting to 5000 men, at the same time in three different quarters of the globe. The attachment of His Royal Highness to his corps was evinced on all occasions, and he frequently expressed himself in terms of exultation at its achievements. His concern was not, however, limited to his regiment, as there was scarcely a public charity in the metropolis which did not derive benefit from his patronage, personal eloquence, and contributions, and over many he presided. His private acts of benevolence, in the cases of widows and orphans who were known to His Royal Highness as deserving objects of relief, were very numerous, and the instances of his charity and philanthropy were attested by the grateful acknowledgments of those who had no claim on His Royal Highness’s bounty beyond the circumstance of a husband, father, or other relative, having performed faithful service under his command. The provision made by His Majesty’s Government for His Royal Highness had not been equal to his necessary expenditure to support the dignity of a Prince of the royal blood, particularly for the periods he was on foreign service; and in 1816 economical views induced him to proceed to the Continent. In May, 1818, he was married at Coburg, according to the Lutheran rites, to Her Serene Highness Victoria Maria Louisa, youngest daughter of the late reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg. Shortly after the solemnities the royal pair proceeded to England, and were remarried at Kew Palace on the 11th of July, 1818, according to the rites of the Church of England. In a few weeks after this ceremony the Duke returned with his bride to the Continent; in the succeeding year they revisited England; and on the 24th of May, 1819, the Duchess gave birth, at Kensington Palace, to a daughter, named Alexandrina Victoria, Her present Majesty.

In a few months after this happy event this amiable Prince, whose social, private, and public virtues endeared him to his family and friends, and procured him a place in the affections of the British people, was attacked by pulmonary inflammation, produced by accidental cold, and he died at his temporary residence at Sidmouth on the 23rd of January, 1820. The remains of His Royal Highness were removed from Sidmouth and deposited in the royal vault at St. George’s Chapel, in Windsor Castle, on the 12th of February, 1820, with the usual honours and solemnities observed at the funerals of the members of the Royal Family.