IRELAND. Headquarters Staff, military and political, late 19th century.

A very good, large group portrait of 26 military and political officers, 14½ x 10½ ins, on photographer’s card of Robinson, 65 Grafton St. Dublin. This is an intriguing group which merits detailed research. It is hard to date because of the lack of readily identifiable medals, but it is most likely taken in the early or mid 1890s. The officer standing at the left end wears the Egyptian medals. The two central figures each wear the breast star of the Order of St Patrick. Th right hand of these is His Serene HIghness Prince Francis Joseph Leopold Frederick of Teck [1870 – 1910] who was serving as a lieutenant in the 1st (Royal) Dragoons from 1890. Of the eight aides de camp two are lancers, two hussars, one a Gordon Highlander, and one a Grenadier Guard. The seated hussar officer wears splendid Hessian boots and still carries the 1821 pattern sword. The senior post in Ireland, that of Lord Deputy, was held in the 1890s by Lord Houghton and Earl Cadogan. The photograph is lifting from the card top left without damage and there is a very small area of loss top right.    feb3/2

H.S.H. Prince Francis of Teck was the son of the Duke of Teck and Princess  Mary of Cambridge, and younger brother of H.R.H. Princess Mary of Wales, later Queen Mary. He was born at Kensington Palace and educated in England, serving in the army until 1902 whdn he retired as a major after serving in Egypt.

We are, so far, uncertain of the identities of any of the other figures but the Hon Osbert Lumley, 11th Hussars and Kenneth MacLaren, 13th Hussars were Aides de Camp to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in the 1890s, as was James Orr-Ewing of the 16th Lancers.