Lord George Carnarvon of Tutankhamun Fame
There are myths and legends and lies ( including damned lies
) surrounding the life and times and death of George Edward
Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon ( formerly Lord Porchester
) of Highclere Castle, famed as the co-discoverer with his
devoted lover Howard Carter of the Tomb of the boy King Tutankhamun in
Egypt in 1922
Before the centenary let us hope the historical record is corrected
and the truths told...
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1866
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26 June, 1866 George Edward
Stanhope Molyneux Herbert was born to an aristocratic family at the family
seat of Highclere Castle, Hampshire, England.
|
Lie! George was
born at 66, Grosvenor Street, London on 26 June,
1866 He was however baptized at Highclere on 5 August
1866 [ Sources;:
The Times; British Newspaper Archives, General Register Office and Find
My Past website.]
|
1895
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June 26, 1895 Lord Carnarvon
married Almina Victoria Maria Alexandra Wombwell. They subsequently had a son
called Henry George Alfred Marius Victor Francis Herbert and a daughter
called Lady Evelyn Herbert
|
Lie ! Almina’s son Henry
George Alfred Marius Victor Francis Herbert was fathered by Prince Victor
Duleep Singh, the eldest son of Maharaja Duleep Singh of Lahore and a heritage
figure among British Sikhs as Britain’s first ever Sikh settler. [
Sources : Highclere Castle -headed notepaper and letter written by DS a guide
at Highclere and commissioned by the 7th Earl of Carnarvon as the first biographer of
Almina, Countess of Carnarvon- the original letter is held by TL the
godson of Almina, Countess of Carnarvon. See also the books “The
Life and Secrets of Almina Carnarvon” and “ Lordy! Tutankhamun’s Patron As A
Young Man” by William Cross.]
|
1901
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Lord Carnarvon suffered a very
serious motoring accident in Germany which left him significantly disabled
and in poor health
|
Damned Lie! Especially
when this accident is cited as the reason that Carnarvon first visited Egypt,
from 1901. Lord Carnarvon was involved in a very serious
motoring accident in Germany, but this was not until 1909, by which time
he had teamed up with Howard Carter. Carnarvon ( as Lord Porchester ) first
visited Egypt from 1889 ( thereafter often with Prince Victor Duleep
Singh – where Victor’s mother’s family lived). The trips by Carnarvon to Egypt
included several visits with Almina - for his health- well
before 1901. Lord Carnarvon and Almina joined Prince Victor Duleep Singh and
his wife Lady Anne Coventry for the Prince’s honeymoon to
Egypt in 1898.
[ Sources : British
Newspaper Archives; UKpressonline and The Times. See also books on the Carnarvons
by William Cross]
|
907
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Lord Carnarvon had become
a keen amateur archaeologist and in this year was introduced to
Howard Carter by Gaston Maspero, the Director-General of the Department of
Antiquities at Egypt's Antiquities Service. This meeting started their
successful partnership excavating at Thebes in Egypt
|
Lie! Carter
worked for Lord Carnarvon from 1907. The two men met in 1905-6. Carter
was a middle man and dealer of various antiquities on and off the international
black market.
[ Source: Research by
William Cross, FSA Scot – biographer of Almina, Countess of Carnarvon ]
|
1914
|
Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon
receive a licence to dig in the Valley of the Kings from the Egyptian
Antiquities Service. Carnarvon acts as the financier.
|
Lie! Authorisation
for Lord Carnarvon to dig in the Valley of the Kings was only granted by the
Egyptian King in 1915 ( through offices of Daressy,
Acting Director General of the Antiquities Service. ) The digging - which
was interrupted by the Great War was financed by Almina
though her benefactor Baron Alfred de Rothschild. Lord Carnarvon only used
some of the financial legacy from Alfred ( after 1918) to restore digging
operations from 1919 onwards. [ Source: Research by William Cross, FSA Scot –
biographer of Almina, Countess of Carnarvon.]
|
1922
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Howard Carter visits Highclere
Castle and Lord Carnarvon gives him just one more season of funding to find
the tomb
|
Lie! At the time of
Carnarvon’s meeting with Carter over future season’s Carnarvon was
already dying. He knew that the following year would be his last on earth
and almost certainly told Carter of being in extremis.
[ Sources : Almina
Carnarvon ‘s godson. Research by William Cross, FSA Scot – biographer of
Almina, Countess of Carnarvon.]
|
1922
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26 November 1922: Carter makes the
famous "tiny breach in the top left hand corner" of the tomb
doorway accompanied by Lord Carnarvon and his daughter Lady Evelyn Herbert.
Carnarvon asks him if he can see anything, Carter replies: "Yes, wonderful
things"
|
Lie! Carter replied
to Carnarvon’s question with " Yes, Yes, it is wonderful" [
Sources : Howard Carter's diaries and Almina’s Carnarvon’s
account – from her husband and daughter, Lady Evelyn.]
|
1923
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5 April 1923: Lord Carnarvon dies
in Cairo of pneumonia and septicaemia after nicking a mosquito bite with his
cut-throat razor. This sparks speculation by the press about the Curse of the
Pharaohs.
|
Damned Lie! Lord
Carnarvon died from a terminal illness ( throat cancer). Besides this fact (
from evidence given to a friend by Almina, Countess of Carnarvon, the
octogenarian in question survives ) there are numerous other errors on Lord
Carnarvon’s death certificate. Almina’s heroic attendance
from England to be at Carnarvon’s bedside – as a nurse trained in the use
of morphine as a war time nurse in military hospitals ( and able to
access such drugs thorough her network of many medical friends )
begs the question of whether Almina ensured that Carvarvon slipped
away painlessly with the administration of morphine. How could she
have done this with others watching over the dying Carnarvon? Commenting on this Almina’s
godson said “ Almina considered herself superior to everyone. She would
have simply ordered everybody ( including her family members ) out
of the room where Lord Carnarvon lay ill. She was his wife she was
entitled to ask – even demand - to be left to tend her husband last hours.”
[ Sources : Research by
William Cross, FSA Scot and interviews with TL the godson of Almina, Countess
of Carnarvon.]
ALL THESE POINTS ARE
DISCUSSED IN THE LIFE AND SECRETS OF ALMINA CARNARVON : A CANDID BIOGRAPHY
OF THE 5TH COUNTESS OF CARNARVON OF TUTANKHAMUN FAME ” BOOK MIDDEN
PUBLISHING ( 2011) AND “ LORDY! TUTANKHAMUN’S PATRON AS
A YOUNG MAN” BY WILLIAM CROSS BOOK MIDDEN PUBLISHING ( 2012).
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