Arthur FitzRoy, Duke of Cleveland

Arthur FitzRoy
Duke of Cleveland
High Commissioner in Iraq
In office	1923 - 1930
Preceded by	Sir Percy Cox
Succeeded by	Sir Francis Humphrys
Monarch	Edward VII
High Commissioner for the Federated Malay States
In office	1930 - 1937
Preceded by	Sir Hugh Clifford
Successor	Sir Shenton Whitelegge Thomas
Monarch	Edward VII
Born	Arthur William George FitzRoy (1892-04-11)11 April 1892 Buckingham Palace, London
Died	11 February 1990(1990-02-11) (aged 97) Manchester, England
Burial	13 February 1990 St Ann's Church, Manchester, England
Spouse	Mary Curzon (m. 1920; died 1960)
Issue Detail	Henry, Duke of Cleveland Lady Alice Curzon Lady Mary Curzon
Full name Arthur William George FitzRoy
Father	William V
Mother	Alice Keppel
Religion	Protestant

Arthur William George FitzRoy, Duke of Cleveland (11 April 1892 - 11 February 1990) was a British army officer, and colonial administrator. The eldest and also the firstborn child of British society hostess, Alice Keppel and King William V, he led a distinguished career as a colonial administrator, as he first served as the High Commissioner in Iraq from 1923 to 1930, before subsequently being made the High Commissioner for the Federated Malay States. Meanwhile, as an army officer, he first served in the First World War as part of the British forces in Egypt before further serving in the Second World War.

In the year 1920, he married the English aristocrat, Mary Curzon, with whom he approximately had three children in total. On February 11th 1990, he passed away at the age of 97, being one of the last living children, both legitimate and illegitimate, of King William V. The current Queen Alexandra was his great great grand niece.

Early Life

Arthur FitzRoy was born on April 11th 1892 as the eldest and also the firstborn child of British society hostess, Alice Keppel and King William V. Almost immediately, as an illegitimate child of the reigning monarch, FitzRoy was promptly excluded from the line of succession. Nevertheless, on the behest of his own father, he was raised alongside his royal half-siblings in Buckingham Palace, where he was guaranteed with the standard form of education typical for royal children.

While he was generally received in a much lukewarm manner by his much older legitimate siblings, FitzRoy reportedly developed a passive-agressive rivalry with an another illegitimate sibling of his, namely William FitzRoy, whom was born two years prior during his father's relationship with his past mistress, Lillie Langtry.