When Prince Harry spoke out earlier this month in his battle with the tabloids, he is the first senior member of the British royal family to stand in front of an audience in 130 years. For Prince Harry, the case was a noble cause he helped initiate, but more than a century ago his great-grandfather Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (future Edward VII), was prosecuted. at a court in London. for much more embarrassing reasons. While his case, involving an illegal game of baccarat, may seem absurd to modern sensibility, at the time it was so scandalous that the mother suffered long-term Prince’s son, Queen Victoria, wrote “The monarchy is almost in danger.”
Born in 1841, Albert Edward (known to his family as Bertie) was the eldest son of Queen Victoria and her beloved husband, Prince Albert. In contrast to his upright, stern parents, the Prince of Wales was a cheerful, promiscuous, beautiful (and amazingly knowledgeable) wife, Princess Alexandra, who ignored many jobs. including his long relationship with Alice Keppel (the great). ‘s grandmother Queen Camila).
According to historian Jane Ridleyexcellent biography The Clear Heir: The Life of Edward VII, the Playboy Prince, It was his irreparably wandering eye that brought the prince to the witness stand for the first time. In 1870, he was dragged into a divorce lawsuit Sir Charles Mordaunt, a Warwickshire MP, brought against his wife, Harriet Sarah Mordaunt.
Allegedly mentally ill, Lady Mordaunt admitted to her husband that their child was not his but that of Lord Cole, one of her many lovers. The prince is also known to visit Lady Mordaunt weekly, hiring a cab for supposed afternoon dates. Later, Sir Charles found 18 rather innocuous letters from the prince to his wife, which were later leaked to the press.
Sir Charles seemed determined to destroy not only his wife but also her alleged lovers. In February 1870, Sir Charles stood in front of Westminster Hall and proceeded to implicate the prince. Bertie wrote to Queen Victoria: “He mentioned my name so often – and to compromise me in any way possible – that I fear I now have no choice but to come forward and justify myself. for myself.
And so, on February 23, 1870, the heir to the British throne stood trial for the divorce to vindicate himself. According to historian Michael Scott, it was the first time a Prince of Wales had appeared in court since the 1400s. Sure and obvious when asked if there was “any improper acquaintance or criminal conduct” between him and Phu Mordaunt or not, he replied tersely, “not at all.” “The announcement was received with cheers from the audience,” New York Times reported, “which the Court tried to suppress, but was renewed.”
Despite being heavily reprimanded by his family and government officials, the Prince of Wales appeared unchanged during his first appearance in court. Ridley wrote: “Bertie saw no reason to act differently. “He continues to visit the ladies, he still writes letters, and he still meets his ‘quick’ friends.”
Twenty years later, the playboy prince still lives a sports life. In September 1890 he arrived at Tranby Croft’s estate in Yorkshire, owned by shipping industrialist Arthur Wilson and his famous wife, Mary. He was there for a house party gathering for the nearby Doncaster Race. The rest of the party included nobles, Wilson family members and Bertie’s longtime friend Lieutenant Colonel Sir William Gordon-Cumming, a handsome, arrogant big game hunter who was capable of promiscuous almost legendary as his royal friend.
For the up-and-coming Wilsons, who have been drawn to a blue-blooded family, the Prince of Wales staying at their home for the first time is a big deal, confirming their place in society. So it’s not surprising that they bent down to please the prince, even if it was against their own morals.
According to the definitive Royal Betrayal: The Great Baccarat Scandal of 1890 After a day of races, a 14-course meal and a singing performance by Wilsons daughter Ethel Lycett Green, the prince suggested playing baccarat.
The Prince of Wales has long been a lover of gambling and has been caught up in the current baccarat craze, but there is a glitch. “Due to its heavy reliance on luck and the huge amounts of money involved, baccarat – a game not unlike blackjack – is not only decriminalized in certain polite groups, but also illegal in public. and illegal in private when playing for money. ” write Tara Cobham IN Independence.
Arthur Wilson, like many law-abiding citizens, is morally opposed to the game. But not wanting to refuse his illustrious guest, he told his son Jack to prepare makeshift gambling tables in the smoking motel, while Arthur skillfully went to sleep. The enthusiastic prince was undaunted and announced that he was going to be the banker, providing his own custom counter (chips) for use in the game.
