In 1923 the Fifth Earl of Carnarvon
died from a flea bite after financing the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. At
the same time the lights went out in Cairo. Thus the curse of Tutankhamun was
born. If truth be told, the Fifth Earl of Carnarvon had been long cursed before
then.
In this fascinating book, William
Cross traces and analyses the relationship, between Prince Victor Duleep Singh
and George Herbert, fifth Earl of Carnarvon and their respective wives. It’s a
strange story, not an edifying one, but though meticulously recording their
faults in forensic detail, the author is remarkably non-judgemental. Well, I’m
not. Though devoted to each other, Victor and George were arrogant,
self-indulgent liars and cheats. In Billy
Bunter (someone Victor comes to resemble in later life,) you have ‘Herbert
Vernon Smith, the bounder of Greyfriars.’ Well, Herbert Vernon Smith is Francis
of Assisi compared to these two.
Prince Victor Duleep Singh in later life
As a rather beautiful child
His development over the years
Prince Victor was the great grandson
of The Lion of Punjab— founder of the great Sikh empire and godson to Queen
Victoria. He was also one of life’s great chancers and blew what he had in
brothels, gambling dens and casinos. It began in Eton, the two boys finding
solace and comfort in each other to the eventual alarm of their parents. By
then it was too late. Their addiction to moneylenders had already begun, their
addiction to other activities also. Not yet twenty-one George Herbert Carnarvon
contracted syphilis of the mouth.
Meanwhile, in an attempt to discourage
their relationship, Prince Victor was persuaded to join the army and, in
1888,as a lieutenant in the 2nd Dragoons, was posted off to Canada.
He left in a cloud of disgrace his manifold bills paid for by the army to avoid
further scandal.
For those worried by the alleged
peccadillos of Prince Andrew, the Cleveland Street Scandal involving leading
aristocrats and the Duke of Clarence illustrates the fact that nothing changes
in the lives of the powerful and wealthy, or at least vacuous rich. Prince Victor
and George Herbert left the country barely in time.
By 1893 the George Herbert
Carnarvon was hopelessly in debt and in desperate need of a rich wife. Scarred
by smallpox, venereal disease and in very poor health, he had one advantage.
The lucky woman who married him would assume the title of countess. Enter
Almina Wombwell, daughter of Marie Boyer who happened to be the mistress of Baron Alfred de Rothschild, who
in turn was godfather to Almina and possibly even her father.
Almina, her reward
Lord Carnarvon and Almina at the races
Money talks and thus began a
loveless marriage. George Herbert Carnarvon was sickly, incapable and had
little interest in women. His bosom companion Prince Victor was also in need of
a ‘show marriage’ and found it in Lady Coventry. The queen was not amused by
the possibility of an Indian marrying into blueblood, but was assured by Lady
Coventry that she wouldn’t be sleeping with him.
For those who want to find out how
and by whom Almina became pregnant, and gave birth to the sixth Earl of
Carnarvon; and how the Countess Almina ended up in a terraced house in Bristol
where she died in 1969 – the year of Woodstock and Altamont, you will have to
buy and read this excellent book.
4 comments:
Hmmm intriguing. how a woman could allow herself to get pregnant by a man who has had syphilis of the mouth is beyond me. So the book may be worth a read just to figure out what she did...
Who saud ut was George Herbert ? :) : )
Now you have me wondering who sired her children.
The father was Queen Victoria's worst nightmare, the Indian Prince Victor Dulip Sing. It's still not openly acknowledged for the can of worms it would open ref dynastic inheritance
Post a Comment