Her Royal Highness Princess Patricia of Connaught (17 March 1886 – 12 January 1974) was the younger daughter of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, the third son of Queen Victoria. Her mother was Princess Louise Marguerite of Prussia. Her elder siblings were Prince Arthur of Connaught and Princess Margaret of Connaught, later Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden. She was christened Victoria Patricia Helena Elizabeth. She was named Victoria after Queen Victoria, and Patricia, the Saint of her birth. Informally, she was known as Patsy.
She resided in Canada with her father, the Duke of Connaught, during his term as Governor General from 1912 to 1916. During the illness of the Duchess of Connaught, Princess Patricia acted as hostess at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, ON. She endeared herself to Canadians through her simple, natural manners, her lack of stiff etiquette, and her love of our Canadian games and outdoor sports. The Princess won all hearts by her charm.
On her marriage to then-Captain, The Honourable Sir Alexander R.M. Ramsay, GCVO, KCB, DSO, RN, the Princess was granted authority to relinquish her titles and adopt the new title of Lady Patricia Ramsay. She was not obligated to renounce her royal title. Rather, she wished to have a social status and rank closer to that of her husband. She made this decision with the concurrence of the Duke of Connaught and King George V. Despite her loss of royal title, she remained a member of the British Royal Family, remained in the line of succession, and attended all major royal events including weddings, funerals, and the coronations of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II in 1937 and 1953, respectively.
Lady Patricia was a Lady of the Imperial Order of the Crown of India, a member of the Royal Order of Victoria and Alberta and a Dame of Justice of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. She was also awarded the Canadian Forces Decoration in recognition of her services to the Canadian Army and to the Patricia’s in particular.
Princess Patricia was appointed Colonel-in-Chief of the Regiment on 22 February 1918, an appointment which she retained until her death on 12 January 1974. Lady Patricia Ramsay and Admiral Alexander Ramsay are buried at Frogmore Royal Burial Ground.