Whatever Happened To Prince John?

(NAPSI)—You may think it’s a legend out of ancient times, but in little more than living memory there was a royal prince—who vanished (at least as far as the press and public were concerned). 

The Story of the Missing Prince

Even an ardent Anglophile and enthusiastic follower of the British Royal Family might be surprised to hear a story about the little-known prince and the hushed rumors and speculation that surrounded his death for many years.

The fifth son and youngest of six, Prince John (Queen Elizabeth’s uncle)was born in 1905. His parents were King George V and Queen Mary. At the time of his birth, his father was heir apparent to the reigning monarch, King Edward VII. In 1910, the Prince of Wales succeeded to the throne and Prince John became fifth in the line of succession to the British throne.

But a childhood illness would play a hand in the fate of the young prince and his story would become something of a well-hidden family secret.

At the tender age of four, Prince John was discovered to have epilepsy, and as his condition worsened, he was sent to live out of the public eye at Sandringham House to be cared for by his governess. His mother gathered local children to befriend the prince, but he was otherwise hidden from the public from early childhood. The young prince died of a severe seizure in 1919 at Sandringham and was buried at nearby St. Mary Magdalene Church. His illness was only disclosed after his death.

Did The Royals Try To Hide An “Upsetting” Secret…

Royal historians who have since delved into the sad story of Prince John have speculated that the Royal Family tried to hide the Prince away, and this was a great display of inhumanity. 

His governess wrote that the family didn’t want to let John be with his brothers and sisters because his frequent attacks “upset them so much.” Prince Edward, who was 11 years older than his brother and had barely known Prince John, callously stated in a letter to his mother that he saw this death as “little more than a regrettable nuisance.” He later apologized to her for being “cold hearted and unsympathetic.”

…Or Were They Just Protecting The Family?

Some accounts, however, are very much to the contrary. They state he was a full-fledged member of the family, making frequent public appearances until after his 11th birthday, when his condition became untenable.

You Decide

Now, you can determine the truth about this royal conundrum for yourself based on a two-part drama series about Prince John: “The Lost Prince.” It shows the vastly different way illnesses such as epilepsy were treated and acknowledged a century or so ago as compared to today. 

How To See The Story

The series is available on True Royalty TV as of September 14, through Amazon Channels, The Roku Channel, Xfinity TV, Sling TV, Contour and via www.trueroyalty.tv.

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