| Jack The Ripper Royal Conspiracy Theories |
Article Index for Jack The |
Website Links For Jack |
Information AboutJack The Ripper Royal Conspiracy Theories |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT JACK THE RIPPER ROYAL CONSPIRACY THEORIES | |
| jack the ripper | |
| conspiracy theories | |
|
The various theories that the Duke of Clarence either was the Ripper, or prompted others to perform the murders to cover up alleged misdeeds, have been comprehensively dismissed. There is strong evidence that the Prince was elsewhere at the times of the murders and there is no evidence that he was implicated in any other way. CLAIMS OF A ROYAL KILLER The first reference to the Duke of Clarence as a Ripper suspect appears to be in 1962 , when Philippe Jullien author of ''Edouard VII'', a Biography of Prince Albert's father, made a passing reference to Rumour s suggesting that Prince Albert and the Duke Of Bedford were responsible for the murders. Which Duke of Bedford was supposed to be Prince Albert's colleague at the time of the murders was left uncertain. During the Ripper murders, the Duke was sixty-nine-year old Francis Charles Hastings Russell, 9th Duke Of Bedford ( 1819 - 1891 ). He would be shortly succeeded by George William Francis Sackville Russell, 10th Duke Of Bedford ( 1852 - 1893 ) and then by Herbrand Arthur Russell, 11th Duke Of Bedford ( 1858 - 1940 ), both in their thirties at the time. Jullien did not mention his sources of those rumours. His own book is believed to be the first recording them. In 1970 , Dr. Thomas Eldon Alexander Stowell published his article ''A Solution''. Though Prince Albert was not named in the article itself, Stowell clearly presented him as being Jack the Ripper. Stowell claimed that Prince Albert actually died of Syphilis and that the official report of his death by Pneumonia should be dismissed. Stowell further claimed that syphilis had driven Prince Albert insane. In this state of mind he had perpetrated the five "canonical" Jack the Ripper murders. Following Mary Jane Kelly 's murder, Prince Albert was restrained by his own family and so was unable to continue the series of murders. Stowell claimed that his sources for the article were accounts written in private by Sir William Withey Gull . The article was published shortly before Stowell's own death on November 8 , 1970 . His papers were reportedly burned by his family. It has been suggested that Stowell could have served directly or indirectly as Jullien's source. Stowell's article attracted enough attention to place Prince Albert among the most notable Ripper suspects. However, later Ripperologists have noted several problems with this theory. Gull died on January 29 , 1890 , and so could not have been Stowell's source concerning Prince Albert's death. But even if Gull ''was'' the source concerning the murders, records of Prince Prince Albert's activities and whereabouts at the time of the five canonical murders do not confirm his presence in London. Mary Ann Nichols was murdered on August 31 , 1888 . From August 29 to September 7 , 1888 Prince Albert was reportedly in Grosmont , North Yorkshire . Annie Chapman was murdered on September 8 , 1888 . From September 7 to September 10 , 1888 Prince Albert was reportedly in York , also in North Yorkshire . Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes were both killed during the early hours of September 30 , 1888 . From September 27 to September 30 , 1888 Prince Albert was reportedly in Abergeldie , Scotland . Later on the date of the murders Prince Albert is stated to be still in Abergeldie and having dinner with Queen Victoria , who was his grandmother, visiting members of the German Imperial family and William Ewart Gladstone , former Prime Minister Of The United Kingdom . Mary Jane Kelly was murdered on November 9 , 1888 . From November 2 to November 12 , 1888 , Prince Albert was reportedly in Sandringham Norfolk . However, defenders of this theory have suggested that Prince Albert could have been secretly traveling to London or alternatively that the official records had been forged. In 1978 , Frank Spiering published his book ''Prince Jack'' further supporting this theory. Spiering claimed to have found a copy of Gull's private notes in the library of the New York Academy Of Medicine . Supposedly the notes included a confession by Prince Albert himself under a state of Hypnosis . Spiering also suggested that Prince Albert died due to an overdose of Morphine administered to him under directions of Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess Of Salisbury , another Prime Minister Of The United Kingdom and possibly his own father, the later King Edward VII Of The United Kingdom . The New York Academy Of Medicine has since denied possessing the records Spiering mentioned. Consequently Spiering's writings have been widely dismissed as a combination of Stowell's previous theory with Spiering's own Fiction s. Spiering himself has been accused of being more interested in Sensationalism rather than genuine historical research. However the theory had already gained enough support to not be clearly dismissed. CLAIMS THE MURDERS COVERED UP ROYAL INDISCRETIONS Meanwhile other theories had surfaced implicating in the Jack the Ripper murders not only Prince Albert but the Royal family and a number of notable figures associated with it. This idea first came into public attention thanks to the BBC documentary series ''Jack the Ripper''. The series contained five episodes, aired weekly between July 20 and August 17 , 1973 . The series contained testimonies by Joseph Gorman, an obscure London artist who took the name Joseph Sickert, claiming to be the illegitimate son of noted painter Walter Richard Sickert . Sickert is known to have been an acquaintance of Prince Albert. Princess Alexandra , Prince Albert's mother who like Walter was from Denmark , had introduced the two men in the hope that Walter would teach Prince Albert about London social life. Joseph Gorman was also the main source used by author . Gorman later denied that his alleged father was involved in the killings. Gorman's claims have also been dismissed by historians and Ripperologists. This theory has become well known, especially through fictional adaptations of the case, including movies like '' Murder By Decree '' and '' From Hell ''. Joseph Gorman's account makes the following claims, many of which have been criticised as inaccurate:
Joseph Gorman's claims have been dismissed as fantasy by the vast majority of historians. Other authors have made further modifications to this theory. For example, Jean Overton-Fuller promoted Sickert from a knowing accomplice to being Jack the Ripper himself (a theme later followed by crime novelist Patricia Cornwell in her book '' Portrait Of A Killer '' but without the royal connection). Authors Andy and Sue Parlour have used the basic royal conspiracy theory but with Prince Albert getting Ripper victim Mary Jane Kelly pregnant instead of Annie Crook. FICTIONAL PORTRAYALS Through his connection to the above mentioned theories, the Duke of Clarence and Avondale has occasionally been portrayed in fiction. His appearances in film include:
SOURCES
EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|