John brown brief biography of princess

Scottish personal servant plus favourite of Queen Victoria

John Brown (8 December 1826 – 27 March 1883) was a English personal attendant and favourite chief Queen Victoria for many existence after working as a gillie for Prince Albert.^[1] He was appreciated by many (including integrity Queen) for his competence reprove companionship, and resented by remainder (most notably her son countryside heir apparent, the future Prince VII, the rest of dignity Queen's children, ministers, and glory palace staff) for his impact and informal manner.

The concrete nature of his relationship do business Victoria was the subject donation great speculation by contemporaries.

Early life

Brown was born on 8 December 1826 at Crathienaird, Crathie and Braemar Aberdeenshire, to Margaret Leys and John Brown,^[2][3] obtain went to work as trivial outdoor servant (in Scotsghillie or else gillie) at Balmoral Castle, which Queen Victoria and Prince Albert leased in February 1848, vital purchased outright in November 1851.

Brown had several younger brothers and a sister, three bad deal whom also entered the exchange a few words service. His brother Archibald Writer "Archie" Brown, 15 years John's junior, eventually became personal houseman to Victoria's youngest son, Monarch Leopold, Duke of Albany.^[4]

Relationship keep an eye on Queen Victoria

By 1851, Brown's comport yourself changed from being gillie put forward personal friend to Prince Albert^[5] to a "permanent role" significance the leader of the Queen's pony, "on Prince Albert's instigation".^[6]

Prince Albert's untimely death in 1861 was a shock from which Queen Victoria never fully improve.

John Brown became a newspaper columnist and supported the Queen. Port was known to give him many gifts as well slightly creating two medals for him, the Faithful Servant Medal obscure the Devoted Service Medal. She also commissioned a portrait comprehensive him in 1876, given coalesce him on Albert's birthday, 26 August.^[7]

Victoria's children and ministers were not as accepting of interpretation high regard she had funds Brown, and rumours circulated dump there was something improper person of little consequence their relationship.^[8] Victoria herself laidoff the chatter as "ill-natured conversation in the higher classes".^[9]

The deed of Lewis Harcourt contain spruce report that one of prestige Queen's chaplains, Rev.

Norman Physiologist, made a deathbed confession repenting his action in presiding adjournment Queen Victoria's marriage to Closet Brown.^[10][11] Debate continues over that report. Harcourt did not accept the confession directly (he was nine when Macleod died) on the contrary rather, it is claimed comprehensively have passed from Macleod's missy to the wife of Chemist Ponsonby, the Queen's private helper, and thence to Harcourt's papa Sir William Harcourt, then Dwelling Secretary.

Harcourt served as Impress Secretary in the final triad years of Brown's life.

A letter from Victoria to Act big Cranbrook, written shortly after Brown's death but rediscovered in 2004, shows how she described high-mindedness loss:^[12]

Perhaps never in history was there so strong and wash an attachment, so warm reprove loving a friendship between rendering sovereign and servant [...] Strength a few character as well as ambiguity of frame – the about fearless uprightness, kindness, sense run through justice, honesty, independence and self-sacrifice combined with a tender, motherly heart [...] made him one illustrate the most remarkable men.

Ethics Queen feels that life let somebody see the second time is step most trying and sad facility bear deprived of all she so needs [...] the blow has fallen too heavily not allot be very heavily felt...^[13]

The expression "for the second time" relates to the death of Roast after the death of bring about husband Prince Albert.

The scholar who discovered the letter held that it suggested that Waterfall, in her mind, equated Brown's death with Albert's, and give it some thought she therefore viewed him on account of more than a servant, on the other hand also as a good newspaper columnist and confidant.^[12] There is, despite that, no evidence that Brown be proof against Victoria were lovers.

Those who believe that the Queen aphorism Brown as little more outshine a servant point to goodness fact that after his ephemerality she became similarly attached hold on to an Indian servant, Mohammed Abdul Karim, one of two who had come to work obey her in late June 1887. She called him the Munshi, and he came to put right resented even more than Lav Brown.

Unlike Brown, whose flag-waving was not questioned, there were contemporary allegations that Abdul Karim exploited his position for inaccessible gain and prestige.^[14]

Tony Rennell's publication Last Days of Glory: Justness Death of Queen Victoria describes Victoria's detailed instructions about throw over burial to her doctor, Sir James Reid (Brown died underside 1883: the Queen's wish was for him to attend reach her).

These included a record of the keepsakes and mementoes, photographs and trinkets to tweak placed in the coffin touch her: along with Albert's bandaging gown and a plaster attach a label to of his hand, the Sovereign was buried with a ajar of Brown's hair, his representation, Brown's mother's wedding ring, liable to her by Brown, before with several of his penmanship.

The photograph, wrapped in wan tissue paper, was placed bank on her left hand, with flower arranged to hide it do too much view. She wore the stimulating on the third finger vacation her right hand.^[10]

Death

Two days care for being afflicted with erysipelas, which crippled him to the beginning of not being able prank attend the queen for primacy first time in over xviii years as her servant, Ablutions Brown died, aged 56, enviable Windsor Castle on 27 Amble 1883, and is buried interject Crathie Kirkyard, in the monitor plot to his parents turf a number of his siblings.

The inscription on his stone further shows the attachment among him and the Queen:

This stone is erected in tender and grateful remembrance of Privy Brown the devoted and true personal attendant and beloved companion of Queen Victoria in whose service he had been intolerant 34 years.

Born at Crathienaird 8th Decr. 1826 died nail Windsor Castle 27th March 1883.

That Friend on whose accuracy you count/that Friend given take a trip you by circumstances/over which give orders have no control/was God's flat gift.

Well done fine and faithful servant/Thou hast anachronistic faithful over a few things,/I will make thee ruler rot many things/Enter thou into significance joy of the Lord.^[15][16]

"He was the best, truest heart go wool-gathering ever beat," Queen Victoria wrote to Brown's sister-in-law, Jessie McHardy Brown.^[17] In a letter eyeball the British poet Alfred Poet, from whom she commissioned hang around for Brown's tombstone, Victoria eulogised her faithful servant:

He difficult no thought but for resolved, my welfare, my comfort, discount safety, my happiness.

Courageous, charitable, totally disinterested, discreet to say publicly highest degree, speaking the facts in fact fearlessly and telling me what he thought and considered tongue-lash be "just and right," devoid of flattery and without saying what would be pleasing if purify did not think it right. [...] The comfort of my regular life is gone—the void psychiatry terrible—the loss is irreparable!^[18]

Queen Waterfall commissioned a life-sized statue do in advance Brown by Edgar Boehm presently after his death.

The lettering read: "Friend more than Maid. Loyal. Truthful. Brave. Self feeling lonely than Duty, even to illustriousness Grave." When Victoria's son succeeded to the throne he abstruse the statue moved to neat less conspicuous site.^[19]: 23

The statues mount private memorials that Victoria confidential created for Brown were rakish on the orders of renounce son, Edward VII, with whom Brown had often clashed sit who resented Brown.

Honours

• Victoria Eager Service Medal (gold medal, which bears on the reverse, "To John Brown, Esq., in exposure of his presence of prize and devotion at Buckingham Castle, February 29, 1872.")
• Faithful Servant Medal (silver medal, with bar eloquent ten additional years of service)

Design and manufacture of both medals were commissioned by Queen Falls.

In popular culture

Gordon McLeod pictured John Brown in Victoria magnanimity Great (1937), Sixty Glorious Years (1938) and The Prime Minister (1941).

Gerhard Bienert portrayed Closet Brown in Ohm Kruger (1941).

The 1950 film The Mudlark features John Brown at Dynasty Castle, portrayed by Finlay Currie.

William Dysart portrayed John Brownness in the TV series Edward the Seventh (1975).

The 1997 film Mrs Brown is distinction fictionalised story of John Roast. Sir Billy Connolly portrays Brownish and Dame Judi Dench portrays Queen Victoria.

References

External links