[38] Sir Charles Russell was retained to watch the proceedings in the case on behalf of Albert Victor. Traill is also the ancestor of Victoria writer Daisy Goodwin! The Prince, who was the son of King Edward VII and was once second in line to the throne, wrote to the surgeon: 'I have taken those capsules regularly, four a day. Henry Broadhurst, 1901, quoted in Cook, p. 100. 'There is still a slight sign of glete, but so slight, that it is hardly percep[tive] and only when I get up of a morning.'. Major Miles quoted in Aronson, p. 81, Cook, p. 123 and Harrison, p. 92. So before the year 1891 was up, Albert proposed, surprising Mary out of her socks. Despite the fact that Albert was poised to be the King of England one day, Princess Alix didnt share his crush and turned down his offer of engagement flat. Did Albert's brother Prince Ernst have syphilis & marry Harriet Duchess The thing is, Alberts bedroom life was just getting started. In 1885 and 1886, just as he was finishing his career at Cambridge, Prince Albert started up a lengthy correspondence with his doctor. Mary was the daughter of Queen Victoria's first cousin Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck. Husbands hiding things from wives, mothers from children, and generation from generation. Stephen, a cousin of the writer Virginia Woolf, suffered from the bi-polar disorder that ran through their family and was often in a mentally fragile state. 212214. They began their studies there two months behind the other cadets as Albert Victor contracted typhoid fever, for which he was treated by Sir William Gull. I have at no time associated His Royal Highness the late Duke of Clarence, with the Whitechapel murderer or suggested that the murderer was of royal blood, Stowell wrote to The Times. [62] In the style of the time, a great many animals were shot for sport. He was christened Albert Victor Christian Edward in the private chapel of Buckingham Palace on 10 March 1864 by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Charles Longley, but was known informally as "Eddy". Case in point: For a time, people actually thought that he was the notorious Jack the Ripper, the terrifying assailant who was terrorizing the night workers of the Whitechapel district in London during Alberts life. By the time Prince Albert was supposed to head to Cambridge, even his devoted tutor despaired of his book smarts, once sniping, I do not think he can possibly derive much benefit from attending lectures at CambridgeHe hardly knows the meaning of the wordsto read. Ouch. Oh, and in case youre wondering, his grandmother was freaking Queen Victoria of England. In order to silence her voice and protect the integrity of both the Prince and the Crown, the concept of Jack the Ripper was dreamt up. He was the first child of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, and his wife Alexandra of Denmark. Although Catherine's successor Queen Anne Boleyn suffered an infamously dark fate, Aragon's own life was somehow even more tragic. [20] He was introduced to Oscar Browning, a noted don who gave parties and "made pets of those undergraduates who were handsome and attractive",[21] and became friendly with Dalton's godson, Alfred Fripp, who later became his doctor and royal surgeon. His tutor John Neale Dalton couldnt seem to get anywhere with the young boy, and even once called his mind abnormally dormant, especially in comparison to his younger brother George. Dr Stowell also said that it was this insanity that compelled him to become Jack the Ripper and murder a string of vulnerable women in the East End. In the late 20th century, allegations began circulating that Prince Albert Victor was Jack the Ripper and had murdered his victims due to insanity brought on by a case of syphilis. In the late 1800s, an influenza epidemic was sweeping through Europe, and Prince Albert got supremely and tragically unlucky. Now, this would have been enough for the rumor mill to churn on for weeksbut it also took an incredibly dark turn. Lord Arthur Somerset to Reginald Brett, 2nd Viscount Esher, 10 December 1889, quoted in Aronson, p. 170, Cook, pp. Yet even so, there was a strange energy about him that, as one commenter put it, made people whisper, He will never come to the throne. Well, he never didand the reasons why are tragic. Most of the extensive travelling was done by train,[61] although elephants were ridden as part of ceremonies. How old was Bertie when Prince Albert died? Could royalty have been the Ripper? What killed Prince Albert? - HistoryExtra 221, 230. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. So when Stephen heard of the princes passing, he did not respond well. No clan is left untouched, and even families that seem happy and normal on. His medical record looks strangely whitewashed and scrubbed. Yet by the time of his premature death in 1892, he had disappointed his family and been linked to a sexual scandal. St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle (2008). Meanwhile, although Prince Albert Victor was ostensibly Stephens student, he was also his devastatingly beautiful boss. He said: 'These must be the first documents ever to reveal a member of the Royal Family had contracted a sexually transmitted disease, most probably from a prostitute. Another theory suggested that one of the Ripper victims was pregnant with Prince Albert Victors unborn child. A pair of alternative history novels King and Joker (1976) and Skeleton in Waiting (1990), written by Peter Dickinson, are the adventures of a fictitious royal family descended from an Albert Victor who survived and reigned as King Victor I. Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale (Albert Victor Christian Edward; 8 January 1864 14 January 1892) was the eldest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) and grandson of the reigning British monarch, Queen Victoria. Did Queen Victoria remarry after Albert's death? He also claimed the Royal Family knew he was responsible for at least two of the murders. Bob Clark's Sherlock Holmes mystery Murder by Decree was released in 1979 with "Duke of Clarence (Eddy)" played by Robin Marchal. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. The Prince's mental health deteriorated as a result of the fatal disease, eventually leading to him being insane. Then suddenly, it all went so wrong. "The King Who Never Was". "[69] In 1894, she married Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, another of Albert Victor's cousins. Sadly, the Holy Father was on Team Dad too, and told her he would never condone her defection or marriage. Although he didnt say with whom, his next letter made it very clear. [114][115] It was later alleged, among others by Stephen Knight in Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution, that Albert Victor fathered a child with a woman in the Whitechapel district of London, and either he or several high-ranking men committed the murders in an effort to cover up his indiscretion. Stephen was clearly emotionally attached to Prince Albert, and some experts even suggest he harbored intimate feelings toward the prince, which the royal heir may have even returned. He was a grandson of Queen Victoria, next in line to the throne after his father, and full of strapping good looks that drove England wild. And even Prince Alfred, who was almost killed in an assassination attempt during his first tour of Australia. These two crazy kids were so frantic to marry each other, they didnt take no for an answer. In Episode 4, Alberts brother Ernest began a series of treatments using mercury. In short, it seemed like Albert was in for a life of comfort and joybut thats not at all what he got. Now freshly discovered letters claim he turned to killing after contracting syphilis from a prostitute and going insane. When did Prince Albert die? [98], The nation was shocked. Maud told her that "he is buried with your little coin around his neck" and Louise said that he is "yours in death". He developed pneumonia and died at Sandringham House in Norfolk on 14 January 1892, less than a week after his 28th birthday. Prince Albert Victor, horoscope for birth date 8 January 1864, born in Queen Victoria's grandson and heir to the British throne, the handsome Prince Albert Victor - or 'Eddy' - had an illustrious future ahead of him. Most of us can only dream of the life Prince Albert Victor was born into. Why last night's VD-laced episode of Victoria should worry modern Shops put up their shutters. [23] In 1888, he was awarded an honorary degree by the university. The first letter was written while he was training to be an army officer in 1885 while the second was written on Sandringham-headed notepaper over a year later. 42 Hlne travelled personally to intercede with Pope Leo XIII, but he confirmed her father's verdict, and the courtship ended. "Victorian Scandal Revealed". Into that world he refused to be initiated. After Albert's death, Victoria spent the first weeks of her widowhood with the Duchess as her only companion. 1. All Rights Reserved. Around this time, seedy scandal struck again. The royal, known as Eddy, was first implicated in the Ripper killings in 1970 by the British Physician Dr Thomas Stowell. Did Prince Albert have syphilis? With the court looking into Lydias fate, Buckingham Palace worked overtime trying to cover up yet another one of Alberts youthful indiscretions. 199200 and Hyde. Five of the smaller figures were only completed with "a greater roughness and pittedness of texture" after his return to Britain in the 1920s.[106]. Though Knights information had allegedly come from the grandson of Albert Victor and his anonymous wife, this theorymuch like Dr. Thomas Stowellsfailed to prove a single thing. [22] In August 1884, he spent some time at Heidelberg University studying German, before returning to Cambridge. The New York Times ridiculed him as a "dullard" and "stupid perverse boy", who would "never be allowed to ascend the British throne". And remember, there were many. Aronson, p. 110; Cook, p. 9; Cornwell, pp. Top 10 Interesting Jack The Ripper Suspects - Listverse Although historians have worked hard to rehabilitate Prince Alberts image today, he can never seem to shake off all the controversies he courted. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. Albert Victor was known to his family, and many later biographers, as "Eddy". But compared to other mourners, Alexandra got off incredibly easy. Pope-Hennessy, James; Vickers, Hugo (ed.) The prince, Knight claimed, had wed a Catholic woman from Whitechapel and fathered a secret child. Cook, pp. Patients were treated using mercury as an elixir or in an ointment, often while enclosed in a metal chamber. Do letters prove member of the royal family was Jack the Ripper? Prince Albert and Mary had a whirlwind courtship, even by royal standards. [64], On his return from India, Albert Victor was created Duke of Clarence and Avondale and Earl of Athlone on 24 May 1890, Queen Victoria's 71st birthday.[66]. [20] Leaving Cambridge in 1885, where he had already served as a cadet in the 2nd Cambridge University Battalion, he was gazetted as an officer in the 10th Hussars. The prince showed little interest in the intellectual atmosphere, and he was excused from examinations, though he did become involved in undergraduate life. Today, there may be no English prince as controversial, scandalous, or ultimately as tragic as Prince Albert Victor. Albert's brother sadly did not marry had looser morals with married and unmarried women spreading syphilis through aristocratic circles. [36], In December 1889, it was reported that the Prince and Princess of Wales were "daily assailed with anonymous letters of the most outrageous character" bearing upon the scandal. Over the years, there have been many theories surrounding the identity of Jack the Ripper. See, just after he had completed his duties as tutor, Stephen suffered a traumatic head injury that left him more mentally imbalanced than before. [76] When Albert Victor died, his sisters Maud and Louise sympathized with Hlne and treated her, not his fiance Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, as his true love. Even though he had an illustrious future to look forward to, things quickly went awry for the Prince. In Episode 4, Albert's brother Ernest began a series of treatments using mercury. In Balmoral Castle, he proposed to Alix, but she did not return his affections and refused his offer of engagement. According to the people who stumped for this grisly theory, Prince Albert was the perfect suspect: He already had a (potential) history of visiting houses of ill repute, and he had enough royal clout to get coppers off his trail. It is not known whether he had any sexual experiences at Cambridge, but partners of either sex would have been available. [1] When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. According to History, there's a theory Victoria's grandson, Prince Albert Victor, was Jack the Ripper. [28] He passed his examinations, and in March 1887, he was posted to Hounslow where he was promoted to captain. This did not go his way. [15] At Bachelor's Cottage, Sandringham, Albert Victor was expected to cram before arriving at university in the company of Dalton, French instructor Monsieur Hua, and a newly chosen tutor/companion, James Kenneth Stephen. For starters, although Dr Stowell claimed to have used Sir William Gulls medical notes as a basis for his article, this was never proven. Although there is evidence that Prince Albert enjoyed the company of a hot male tutor or two, he also wasnt immune to feminine wilesits just that he had horrible luck when it came to women. Yep, he took Alberts bride from his cold, dead hands. Shortly after igniting their affair, Prince Albert and Lydia Miller crashed and burned in one tragic end; poor Lydia took her own life, taking her own life after she drank carbolic acid. Helene was beautiful, had a great pedigree, andbest of allshe actually returned his feelings. Prince Albert Victor had it all. The Prince Albert was popularised in modern piercing in the early 70's by Jim Ward, an influential body piercer based in Los Angeles . In the second letter, he asked his surgeon - named only as Roche - to send him more pills. [8], Separating the brothers for the remainder of their education was considered, but Dalton advised the Prince of Wales against splitting them up as "Prince Albert Victor requires the stimulus of Prince George's company to induce him to work at all. Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer who brutally murdered at least five ladies of the night in London's East End in 1888. ". In the second letter, he asked his surgeon - named only as Roche - to send him more pills. 2023 Secret Chamber Tours LTD. But two confidential letters sent by the prince - the Duke of Clarence and Avondale - to his surgeon show he was suffering badly from gonorrhoea, most likely caught from a prostitute. . Although Prince Albert got some warm, fluttery feelings when he thought about his pretty cousin (ew), her response was ice cold. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life. He was given more public engagements, visited Ireland and Gibraltar, and opened the Hammersmith suspension bridge. This theory first came to light in 1962, in a book written by Phillippe Julien. [112] He admitted, however, that "the allegations of Prince Eddy's homosexuality must be treated cautiously. [84] Similarly to the Cleveland Street scandal, only overseas newspapers printed Albert Victor's name, but regional British newspapers did quote the radical London newspaper The Star[85] which published: "It is a fact so well known that the blind denials of it given in some quarters are childishly futile. This theory was then also taken up by Dr Thomas Stowell. Some suggest Albert may have suffered from the deafness that also afflicted his mother, or even petit mal seizures that delayed his intellectwhich makes the next part of his life more than a little ironic. But Eddy, as he was nicknamed, will go down . [120] Biographer Andrew Cook continued attempts to rehabilitate Albert Victor's reputation, arguing that his lack of academic progress was partly due to the incompetence of his tutor, Dalton; that he was a warm and charming man; that there is no tangible evidence that he was homosexual or bisexual; that he held liberal views, particularly on Irish Home Rule; and that his reputation was diminished by biographers eager to improve the image of his brother, George.[121]. This was actually an incredibly touching gesture: The bouquet just so happened to be her bridal wreath. There is much speculation surrounding Prince Albert Victors later life and final years not least because of his rumoured connection to Jack the Ripper and the Whitechapel Murders. In a statement to police, Albert Victor's lawyers admitted that there had been "some relations" between him and Mrs. Haddon, but denied the claim of fatherhood. "[71] Nothing came of Queen Victoria's suggestion. As one commenter put it, it was, a scandal of the first magnitudeon the lips of every clubman.. [42] This is contested by other commentators, one of whom refers to him as "ardently heterosexual" and his involvement in the rumours as "somewhat unfair". Rumours in his time linked him with the Cleveland Street scandal, which involved a homosexual brothel; however, there is no conclusive evidence that he ever went there, or was indeed homosexual. The theory alleged the Prince -. In 1889, the royal family started looking for potential brides for their son and heir, and landed on Prince Alberts sweet, beautiful cousin Princess Alix of Hesse. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. 14 Royal Facts About Prince Albert | Mental Floss The marriage did not produce any issue, though Ernest apparently fathered at least three illegitimate children in later years. The letters reveal a scandalous detail. Eventually, Prince Albert succumbed to his illness, passing in Sandringham House on January 14, 1892. As the most commanding mistress in the French court, she bettered the lives of many and became a beloved figure. Sensible, sweet Mary was extremely excited to wed the prince, except she didnt exactly know all the information. Historian Helen Rappaport investigates Published: January 7, 2020 at 10:11 am Enjoying HistoryExtra.com? According to Dr Stowell, Prince Albert Victor contracted syphilis in the West Indies. After her proposed match with Alix fell through, Victoria suggested to Albert Victor that he marry another first cousin, Princess Margaret of Prussia. [4], Though he learned to speak Danish, progress in other languages and subjects was slow. The exact nature of his "dissipations" is not clear, but in 1994 Theo Aronson favoured the theory on "admittedly circumstantial" evidence that the "unspecified 'dissipations' were predominantly homosexual". In 1889, one of the most infamous scandals England had ever seen broke out, and Prince Albert was right in the middle. "[83] It was labelled "a scandal of the first magnitude on the lips of every clubman",[83] and compared to the Tranby Croft affair, in which his father was called to give evidence at a trial for slander. Except, uh, Gilbert was so obsessed with getting every detail right, he bankrupted himself before he could finish his masterpiece and had to flee the country. "[82], In late 1891, the Prince was implicated as having been involved with a former Gaiety Theatre chorus girl, Lydia Miller (stage name Lydia Manton), who committed suicide by drinking carbolic acid. As Prince Albert grew up, he started exhibiting disturbing behavior. [117] Other fanciful conspiracy theories are that he died of syphilis or poison, that he was pushed off a cliff on the instructions of Lord Randolph Churchill, or that his death was faked to remove him from the line of succession. "[44], While English newspapers suppressed mention of the Prince's name in association with the case, Welsh-language,[45] colonial, and American newspapers were less inhibited. Howard, Philip (11 March 1975). The two princes were given a strict programme of study, which included games and military drills as well as academic subjects. Casebook: Jack the Ripper - Prince Albert Victor In both The Bloody Red Baron (volume 2 of Anno Dracula series) by Kim Newman and the novel I, Vampire by Michael Romkey, he has become a vampire. 13 Biggest Mysteries Surrounding the British Royal Family The princes missives indicate he was taking regular medicine for gleet. Whats that, you ask? Richard Davie, of Nottingham-based IAA, said the letters lend weight to the suggestion Prince Albert (pictured) was a suspect. Oh Albert, keep it safe or keep it in your pants. [51], The rumours persisted; sixty years later the official biographer of George V, Harold Nicolson, was told by Lord Goddard, who was a twelve-year-old schoolboy at the time of the scandal, that Albert Victor "had been involved in a male brothel scene, and that a solicitor had to commit perjury to clear him.
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