Over the years, there have been multiple attempts to paint the British Royal family as uncaring and unsympathetic towards those with illnesses beyond their control. However, what happens when one of their own goes from public life to sheltered life? Prince John of Wales was the youngest child of King George V and his wife, Queen Mary of Teck. Born in 1905 to the then-Prince and Princess of Wales, John was fifth in line to the throne. Also, the public didn’t know that the youngster suffered epileptic seizures.
A common misconception about the British royals is that they sweep illnesses under the rug and don’t care. This could not be further from the truth. The Queen Mother was a patron of a disability charity. In our previous post, we discussed The Queen Mother’s disabled nieces, Nerissa and Katherine Bowes-Lyon, who were placed in a mental asylum.
Prince John Can Be Considered Britain’s Tsarevich Alexei
During Prince John’s short life, he could be considered Britain’s answer to Tsarevich Alexei of Russia, who had Haemophilia. What is incredibly eerie is they died at the same age within about a year of each other.
Prince John died of a seizure in 1919. Alexei died in the assassination of his family in 1918. Both boys were 13.
Both their mothers, Queen Mary and Tsarina Alexandra, were fiercely protective of them. Nonetheless, Alexandra even went so far as to recruit Grigori Rasputin to “cure” her son.
From Public Life To Shut Away
When Prince John was four years old, he was diagnosed with epilepsy. As he got older, the seizures became more frequent and more severe. He went from being out in public to being shut away. In the early 20th Century, something like this was normal for privileged people who didn’t want to showcase their “ill” family members.
Even today, people don’t understand that while the royals are public figures, they are like everyone else. They have families and feelings. Public figures must keep their lives’ mystery under lock and key for a reason. For the royals to keep Prince John’s illness under wraps was acceptable, as explained by the British Epileptic Association for its time. Moreover, the Association says:
There was nothing unusual in what [the King and Queen] did. At that time, people with epilepsy were put apart from the rest of the community. They were often put in epilepsy colonies or mental institutions. It was thought to be a form of mental illness.
The British Epiletic Assiocation – The Biringham Post – 12 Feburary 1998
Prince John died in his sleep of a seizure at Wood Farm at 5:30 p.m. on January 18 1919. He was very close to his governess, “Lala” Bill, who was deeply devoted to his care. Furthermore, his death devastated her.
Edward VIII Didn’t Know John That Well
In conclusion, the then Prince Edward (later Edward VIII) wrote a horrid letter to his mother, Queen Mary, which has been lost to time, regarding his younger brother’s death. Edward barely knew John there was an eleven-year age gap between them. Realising how cruel he sounded, he sent an apology to his mother.
