Circa 1900
Head: 14mm x 13mm
Yellow gold interlaced ‘WA’ cypher of Prince Arthur William, the Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, set with twenty turquoises and thirteen seed pearls surmounted by an enamel set gold coronet of a royal duke. Cased
Prince Arthur, 1st Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, (1850-1942) was the third son and seventh of the nine children of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. He had a long and distinguished career in the British Army that included service in South Africa, Canada, Ireland, Egypt and India. Promoted to Field Marshal in 1902, in 1904 he was given the newly created post of Inspector-General of the Forces and was tasked with reporting on the status of the British Army. He was subsequently unwillingly sent to Malta as Commander-in-Chief; he resigned the position in 1909. Having ended his military service he was appointed Governor General of Canada in 1911.