Who was the real Robert Traill? Eddy, as he was affectionately known, was rumored to have contracted syphilis from a prostitute in the West Indies. He wrote, I can quite understand the Prince of Wales being much annoyed at his son's name being coupled with the thing but that was the case before I left it we were both accused of going to this place but not together they will end by having out in open court exactly what they are all trying to keep quiet. By 1964, one biographer called his end a merciful act of providence because it allowed the more responsible King George V to reign. "[52] In fact, none of the lawyers in the case was convicted of perjury or struck off during the scandal, but Somerset's solicitor, Arthur Newton, was convicted of obstruction of justice for helping his clients escape abroad, and was sentenced to six weeks in prison. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? Dancy Mason is the Editor-in-Chief at Factinate. However, while sifting through the list of suspects, one of the most shocking names you might encounter is that of Prince Albert Victor. Although he didnt say with whom, his next letter made it very clear. Howard, Philip (11 March 1975). Despite this, his name will seemingly continue to be linked with enthusiasts for years to come. She was suddenly in the lurch, having lost both a husband and a potential crownand she came up with a heartbreaking tribute. After two unsuccessful courtships, he became engaged to be married to Princess Victoria Mary of Teck in late 1891. Prince Albert Victor had it all. Its hard to really express just how bad Prince Albert Victors reputation was in England in the late 1800s, and how much it worsened as the years wore on. In the first, Albert contracted syphilis from a prostitute during a trip to the West Indies. In the end, even though the prince was healthy, strapping, and had just turned 28 years old, the writing was on the wall. See e.g. "[48] Lady Waterford also believed Somerset's protestations of his own innocence. Prince Albert and Mary had a whirlwind courtship, even by royal standards. They acquired tattoos in Japan. Yet just six weeks after Prince Albert and Marys betrothal, catastrophe struck. Sensible, sweet Mary was extremely excited to wed the prince, except she didnt exactly know all the information. 'OK, so he had gonorrhoea at the time but so did most men who visited prostitutes. He published an article which accused Prince Albert Victor of being Jack the Ripper, based mainly on the findings of the Princes physician, Sir William Gull. Just as plans for both his marriage to Mary and his appointment as Viceroy of Ireland were under discussion, Albert Victor fell ill with influenza in the pandemic of 18891892. 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. Anybody with a cursory knowledge of British royal family history knew of a prince who fit the bill: Queen Victorias grandson, Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale. [1] 196, 200. [81] A week after the first letter, he asked Erskine, "I wonder if you really love me a little? '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.'. Two DC Comics series published as part of its Elseworlds imprint feature Prince Albert ("Eddy") as a minor character: Gotham by Gaslight and Wonder Woman: Amazonia. Madame de Pompadour didn't just share King Louis XV's bed, she also shared his power. Hitchens, Christopher (8 November 1990). Mercury was regularly used in 19th-Century medicine, especially for the treatment of syphilis. The story, based largely on the same sources as Murder by Decree, is also the basis for the play Force and Hypocrisy by Doug Lucie.[122]. Juliens bold theory linked Prince Albert Victor with the horrifying murders committed by Jack the Ripper. [60] In Bangalore he laid the foundation stone of the Glass House at the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens on 30 November 1889. Citizens inundated Prince Alberts parents with anonymous, frantic letters decrying their sons possible role in the mess, and the authorities even started pricking their ears up at the accusations. 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. Did Prince Albert's brother Ernest have syphilis? [49] In surviving private letters to his friend Lord Esher, Somerset denies knowing anything directly about Albert Victor, but confirms that he has heard the rumours, and hopes that they will help quash any prosecution. After that, it wasnt long before society whispered that the prince was also a regular visitor; not a good look in the hetero-normative Victorian era. Did Prince Albert Have Syphilis? Albert Victor writing to his brother, George, quoted in Pope-Hennessy, p. 198. He was the second son born to Ernest III, Duke . In order to buff up on his subjects, his family selected a new tutor and companion for him, the handsome and sensitive poet James Kenneth Stephen. Like every good little royal, Alberts parents expected him to study at a prestigious college, and he was all set to go to Cambridge. To say their relationship was complicated would be an understatement. [77] Hlne later became Duchess of Aosta. In 1885 and 1886, just as he was finishing his career at Cambridge, Prince Albert started up a lengthy correspondence with his doctor. Prince Albert Victor natal chart (Placidus) natal chart English style (Equal houses) natal chart with Whole Sign houses. 8081. 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. Although his family covered up so many of his secrets, in death his scandals came right back into the light. Even more scandalously, the apple of his eye was reportedly none other than the commoner chorus girl Lydia Miller. The marriage did not produce any issue, though Ernest apparently fathered at least three illegitimate children in later years. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from Life to Compact Cars and Trucks to A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius. Well get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics youre interested in. Aronson, p. 110; Cook, p. 9; Cornwell, pp. 20 days later, Stephen himself died of forced starvation. And until now it had always been thought that Prince Albert's unexpected passing on. [53] In 1913, Newton was struck off indefinitely and sentenced to three years' imprisonment for obtaining money by false pretences. [46] According to one American press report, when departing the Gare du Nord in Paris in May 1890, Albert Victor was cheered by a waiting crowd of English, but hissed and catcalled by some of the French; one journalist present asked him if he would comment "as to the cause of his sudden departure from England". The first letter was written while he was training to be an army officer in 1885, He describes suffering from 'glete', a term used to describe the discharge caused by gonorrhoea, writing: 'I have taken those capsules regularly, four a day. The Leafs complete the comeback and defeat the Lightning in overtime of Game 4 to take a 3-1 series lead. I wish I could say it didnt get more twisted than this, but it totally does. Take that, nerds. GP appointments crisis laid bare as figures show family doctors are cramming in up to 60 patients per day. However, one of the main reasons behind the theory and also providing the evidence that Stowell mentioned in his article was his health and mental condition. His family crowded around his bed, praying for his recovery at first but then praying for his soul. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Hlne travelled personally to intercede with Pope Leo XIII, but he confirmed her father's verdict, and the courtship ended. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. He describes suffering from 'glete', a term used to describe the discharge caused by gonorrhoea, in the mornings. In 1864, he came into the world in the royal residence of Frogmore House as the eldest son of Albert, Prince of Wales and his wife Princess Alexandra of Denmark. They say all publicity is good publicity, but I think the royal family would majorly disagree with you on that one. [34][35] Letters exchanged between the Treasury Solicitor, Sir Augustus Stephenson, and his assistant, Hamilton Cuffe, make coded reference to Newton's threats to implicate Albert Victor. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. Subscribe to the MASTERPIECE email newsletter for weekly show news, schedule updates, and features on shows including Tom Jones. He wrote: 'I think I had better go on taking them for a bit. Almost all of Prince Eddy's archival record has been destroyed. Another theory suggested that one of the Ripper victims was pregnant with Prince Albert Victors unborn child. Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale, His godparents were Queen Victoria (his paternal grandmother), King. 7,000 troops from 40 countries hold full-scale rehearsal as RAF base is Latin translation of 'long live Queen Camilla, long live King Charles' will greet royal couple as they enter Rare 12th century coin that depicts Malcolm IV of Scotland will go on show in Dunfermline to mark the King's Do not sell or share my personal information. Now quite insane, he decided to take revenge on the prostitutes of London and for a few years, he carried out the string of vicious killings we associate with the Ripper murders. 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. Samuel West played "Prince Eddy" in The Ripper (1997), having previously played Albert Victor as a child in the 1975 TV miniseries Edward the Seventh. Patients were treated using mercury as an elixir or in an ointment, often while enclosed in a metal chamber. Following his grandmother Queen Victoria's wishes, he was named Albert Victor, after herself and her late husband, Albert. Mary of Teck writing to Queen Victoria, quoted in Pope-Hennessy, p. 226. 199200. 193199. He developed pneumonia and died at Sandringham House in Norfolk on 14 January 1892, less than a week after his 28th birthday. [72] At first, Queen Victoria opposed any engagement because Hlne was Roman Catholic. This page was last edited on 18 April 2023, at 22:59. Wrong. 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. Yeahthis went weird (and steamy) places. The Prince also appears as the murder victim in the first of the Lord Francis Powerscourt crime novels Goodnight Sweet Prince, and as a murder suspect in the novel Death at Glamis Castle by Robin Paige. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Moreover, no attempts were made to restrain Prince Albert Victor until after the Double Event (the murders of Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes on the same night). Although Catherine's successor Queen Anne Boleyn suffered an infamously dark fate, Aragon's own life was somehow even more tragic. See, just after he had completed his duties as tutor, Stephen suffered a traumatic head injury that left him more mentally imbalanced than before. He says that despite the fact that the Royal family knew about the murders and who was behind them, they chose to do nothing. I am perfectly well in every other respect, and really do not see why this should go on as it does'. 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. [67][68] He persisted in trying to convince Alix to marry him, but he finally gave up in 1890 when she sent him a letter in which she told him "how it grieves her to pain him, but that she cannot marry him, much as she likes him as a Cousin. No, really. Traill is also the ancestor of Victoria writer Daisy Goodwin! Meanwhile, although Prince Albert Victor was ostensibly Stephens student, he was also his devastatingly beautiful boss. Drawn together during their shared period of mourning, Prince George later married Mary himself in 1893. It is said that the fatal disease led to a decline in the Prince's mental health, eventually causing him to become insane. In fact, he even suggested that the Prince was the Ripper himself a shocking claim indeed. Published: 13:09 BST, 25 February 2016 | Updated: 01:29 BST, 26 February 2016, Prince Albert Victor (pictured), who was Queen Victoria's grandson, was identified many years ago as potentially being the mystery man behind the Whitechapel murders. In the very same newspaper, it was mentioned that Prince Albert Victor had been at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 30. Not only had rumors circulated about the prince's sexuality, but he also died of illness (influenza, not syphilis) in 1892, at just 28 years old. Diary of Mary of Teck, quoted in Pope-Hennessy, p. 210. The mystery has led to numerous theories as to the true identity of the killer and spawned countless books, TV documentaries and films. Still, that doesnt mean it was an idyllic relationship. She had become an alcoholic and seemed deranged. In addition, it was confirmed thatPrince Albert Victor wasnt even in Londonwhen most of the Ripper murders took place! Albert Victor was known to his family, and many later biographers, as "Eddy". In Gary Lovisi's parallel universe Sherlock Holmes pastiche, "The Adventure of the Missing Detective" in Sherlock Holmes: The Hidden Years, Albert Victor is portrayed as a tyrannical king, who rules after the deaths (in suspicious circumstances) of both his grandmother and father. Sign up to get the latest news on your favorite dramas and mysteries, as well as exclusive content, video, sweepstakes and more. For starters, although Dr Stowell claimed to have used Sir William Gulls medical notes as a basis for his article, this was never proven. [2] As a grandchild of the reigning British monarch in the male line and a son of the Prince of Wales, he was formally styled His Royal Highness Prince Albert Victor of Wales from birth. [32], The resultant Cleveland Street scandal implicated other high-ranking figures in British society, and rumours swept upper-class London of the involvement of a member of the royal family, namely Prince Albert Victor. All I can say is: live fast, die young, and leave one bad reputation. The prince, Knight claimed, had wed a Catholic woman from Whitechapel and fathered a secret child. "[113], Rumours that Prince Albert Victor may have committed, or been responsible for, the Jack the Ripper murders were first mentioned in print in 1962. Blanche Beresford, Marchioness of Waterford to Reginald Brett, 2nd Viscount Esher, 31 December 1889, quoted in Aronson, p. 168 and Cook, pp. That summer, officers raided a male night house in Cleveland Street, and the workers inside named one of Prince Alberts equerries as a regular client. Letter from Dalton in the Royal Archives, 6 April 1879, quoted in Cook, p. 52. In 1889, one of the most infamous scandals England had ever seen broke out, and Prince Albert was right in the middle. It was practically the eve of Alberts wedding, and he was still wearing his ex-girlfriends keepsake. In order to keep this shameful offense under wraps, the royal family had conspired to kill any person who knew about it. Although not directly related to their fling, the fateful event immediately triggered an inquest into her demiseand once more, Prince Albert was right in the center. The sculptor Albert Gilbert created the princes effigy, a stunning piece of work that depicts Albert surrounded by angels. Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark historyor the chilling secret shared by her and Louis. Only, he seems to have enjoyed his time there a little too much. The best revenge might be living well, but that doesn't mean we can always turn the other cheek. Ernest had suffered from a venereal disease in his late teens and early twenties, most likely as the consequence of living a wild, promiscuous lifestyle. In Balmoral Castle, he proposed to Alix, but she did not return his affections and refused his offer of engagement. That was very much the end of that. In 1890, Prince Albert Victor started suffering from a mysterious but powerful illness, and a series of doctors tried to treat him around the clock for something they variously named a fever or gout. However, historians think there might have been a risqu culprit behind his sickness: Yet another bout of venereal disease. Making distraction rewarding since 2017. I'm an astrology expert and it's obvious why Meghan Markle is skipping King Charles' coronation. As one commenter put it, it was, a scandal of the first magnitudeon the lips of every clubman.. Years later, Margery traveled to England and claimed that she had given birth to Alberts son. Whether or not the rumors were true, though, Prince Albert simply wasnt able to stop getting in trouble. She became queen consort on George's accession. Although Prince Albert got some warm, fluttery feelings when he thought about his pretty cousin (ew), her response was ice cold. Prince Albert Victor, who was Queen Victoria's grandson, was identified many years ago as potentially being the mystery man behind the Whitechapel murders. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. Albert Victor's intellect, sexuality, and mental health have been the subject of speculation. Not in the slightest. Recycling royals: How Charles will re-use chairs made for the coronations of his mother in 1953 and 'How can I fix this?' He died young and unexpectedly at the age of 42 in December 1861. 133135; Harrison, pp. According to Dr Stowell, Prince Albert Victor contracted syphilis in the West Indies. However, once again, no solid evidence to support this theory has ever come to light and it is probable that this theory is nothing more than purely fanciful speculation. Perhaps the biggest indicator of Albert's continued presence on Victoria is the timeline. The family decided that this was the right thing to do. Roskill, Mark (1968). Cook, pp. To be fair, despite his dismal school record and lack of encyclopedic knowledge, Prince Albert Victor had a lot of other things going for him besides his royal titles. The British royal family was staunchly Protestant, and many of Alberts relations would be aghast at the thought of him entertaining the possibility of loving a Catholic. [31] At the time, all homosexual acts between men were illegal, and the clients faced social ostracism, prosecution, and at worst, two years' imprisonment with hard labour. After all, even though Albert was supposed to be Englands most eligible bachelor, he was also dragging a helluva lot of baggage behind him. I still continue to have this tiresome glete which comes on at times, although at present it has stopped', He added: 'It is very anoying (sic) as I really thought it had stopped for good. In 1864, he came into the world in the royal residence of Frogmore House as the eldest son of Albert, Prince of Wales and his wife Princess Alexandra of Denmark. His absence at sea, and on travels and duty with his regiment, kept him out of the general eye at times, there was a sallowness of hue, which much increased the grave aspect not only in the metropolis, but throughout the country, somehow, it was always said, 'He will never come to the throne.'[108]. Mercury was regularly used in 19th-Century medicine, especially for the treatment of syphilis. [55] This is not true;[56] the trip had actually been planned since the spring. For days, he struggled to survive, and his family waited on tenterhooks. 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. While on tour, Prince Albert Victor met and struck up an affair with a married woman named Margery Haddon, the wife of a civil engineer in India. My mom never told me how her best friend died. Despite the palaces best efforts, everybody who was anybody knew about Prince Alberts involvement with the fallen Lydia Miller. 10:35 p.m. [37] The Prince of Wales intervened in the investigation; no clients were ever prosecuted and nothing against Albert Victor was proven. And even Prince Alfred, who was almost killed in an assassination attempt during his first tour of Australia. 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. Queen Victoria's grandson and heir to the British throne, the handsome Prince Albert Victor - or 'Eddy' - had an illustrious future ahead of him. 42 Romantic Facts About Prince Albert, Victorias Royal Consort, These Jerks Had No Idea Who They Were Messing With, These Nightmare Weddings Made Us Say I DONT!, These People Shared The Worst Moments Of Their LivesAnd Theyre Utterly Brutal, The Truth Always Comes Out: Dark Family Secrets Exposed. Oh, and in case youre wondering, his grandmother was freaking Queen Victoria of England. Gull passed away in 1890 two years after the Ripper murders, yet two years before Prince Albert Victors death. Schoolchildren aged 11 are being given history lessons in Did Jack the Ripper have a copycat rival? 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. Within weeks, Stowell was dead. [65] Haddon breached the conditions and was incarcerated for a year. While Juliens theory may be compelling, its main opposition came from the fact that Julien never provided any solid proof to substantiate his claim. Queen Victoria's beloved husband, Prince Albert, died on 14 December 1861 at the age of 42. (20 January 1934). "[71] Nothing came of Queen Victoria's suggestion. In the former, he is the British monarch during the First World War. 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.

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