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On February 26, 1887 the Duke of Cambridge formally opened the new development of Charing Cross Road which had been built by the Metropolitan Board of Works after years of wrangling. The new highway cut a swathe through Soho’s tangle of small roads, yards and alleys that made the journey from Oxford Street to “the western centre of London” so tortuous. To mark the occasion the Board, meeting two weeks later, had considered changing the name of the new road to honour the prince but decided against it on the grounds that there were too many streets named after Cambridge already, so instead agreed to settle on naming this junction after him. Prince George (March 26, 1819 – March 17, 1904) was Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Tipperary, and Baron Culloden. Born in Hanover, Germany, he was the grandson of George III, his father, Adolphus Frederick, was the first Duke and the King’s seventh son. He was also a cousin of Queen Victoria. He inherited his father’s title as well as his property, Cambridge Cottage on Kew Green. The 2nd Duke was an army officer by profession. At the beginning of the Crimean War, he commanded the 1st Division and by the end of it had taken part in all the major battles; his leadership, however, was not particularly distinguished. That aside, after the war he received several promotions and served as Commander-in-Chief of the British Army from 1856 to 1895. Arrogant and old-fashioned he worked with Queen Victoria to defeat or minimise almost every reform proposal of the British Army, such as setting up a general staff. Despite efforts to rein in control by making him report to the Secretary of State for War, he continued to exercise considerable independence in discipline, appointments, and promotions, in all of which he favoured social standing and seniority rather than ability. As a result the Army became a moribund and stagnant institution. Its weaknesses were dramatically revealed by the poor organisation at the start of the Second Boer War. He was reported to have said: “There is a time for everything, and the time for change is when you can no longer help it.” He was no less rigid in opposing reforms in other areas. In civilian life he did various charitable works, and raised money for among other things the London Hospital. As the president of Christ’s Hospital (a school) in the City of London he rallied against “competitive examinations” and when the governors modernised the curriculum in 1891 he complained of “that abominable scheme”.
