John Charles Francis, born on 12 July 1905 in Villa York, was the last child of George V and Queen Mary. However, in 1935, at an official event celebrating the 25th anniversary of George V's reign, his name was not mentioned, and a later Windsor genealogy contained no introduction to him at all. George V and the Queen have long been criticized for this, and they have been accused of not having their children in Hiding in order to avoid embarrassment caused by seizures. In the history books, John is also described as an "unfortunate secret", an example of the lack of love in the Windsor royal family.
Prince John, 1913
John, with his blonde hair and round face, appeared to be a healthy, happy child, but suffered from respiratory illnesses from birth because of dystocia. In the years that followed, John had a form of autism in which he could not fully understand the emotional communication between people, so his reactions were often very different from those of ordinary people. There is an episode that is well known: After returning from hunting, George kisses Mary, but afterwards john is heard saying, "She kissed Daddy, that ugly old man!" As he grew older, the welsh family became more and more famous, and he always liked to be funny, and even smeared glue on the doorknob. His father's harsh reprimand sounded like a wind in John's ears, and he still went his own way. When he was trained by his father, his brothers and sisters were all nervous, but he was smiling from beginning to end. U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt once described a luncheon at Buckingham Palace. At that time, the adults had finished eating, John and several other royal children came in, George greeted his young son, and John muttered a word, but his hands were only busy with his own business. According to Roosevelt's recollection, George almost triumphantly predicted that John, the boy, would also oppose him in the future. However, even if John's behavior was worrying, it was far from enough to hide the little prince.
The York House at Sandringham Manor was John's early home
John's behavior is easily reminiscent of his early childhood experiences. The little prince was born just in time for George and Mary to take on more royal duties. When John was only three months old, they visited India and left their parents for more than half a year. Upon their return, they rushed to Madrid to coordinate the ill-fated marriage between George's cousin Victoria Eugenia and King Alfonso XIII of Spain. Shortly thereafter, they traveled to Oslo to attend the enthronement ceremony of John's godfather, King Haakon VII of Norway.
Before their son was one year old, they had only four months to stay with him at home. Their heavy royal duties continued throughout the first years of John's birth. If he rebelled against them more than the other children, it might be because he lacked the necessary affection, especially if he might have autism. However, before George ascended the throne in 1910, John's physical condition was already very worrying.
Marie of Turk with her children at Abergerdet Castle in Aberdeenshire
At the age of four, the little prince had his first seizure. At that time, medical understanding of this condition was limited. Now, we know that epilepsy is associated with neuronal activity inside the brain, but the word "neuron" (formed in the 1890s) was little known at the time of john's first episode of his condition. Epilepsy has been documented since around 4000 BC, but its treatment was still in its infancy. Decades of practice have been with bromide to suppress spasms, and the first modern drug, luminar (phenobarbital), was not developed until 1912. As a rule, people with epilepsy are thrown into psychiatric hospitals and subjected to many insults and ridicule.
As episodes of illness became more frequent, George and Mary decided to send John to Wood Farm, a decision often seen as a key piece of evidence of their indifference to the child and their intention to hide him in the shadows. But the situation at that time was that the ideal therapy advocated by the industry's top experts for epilepsy was to allow patients to breathe fresh air, keep their mood calm and relaxed. Therefore, the two royal parents did not hesitate to use their influence and financial resources to provide the best treatment for their children according to the guidance of doctors. At Wood Farm, John lived a happy and carefree life.
Prince John, dressed in a black striped tunic and wearing a hat with feathers on his head, is photographed on one of his early shopping trips
Unfortunately, on the afternoon of January 18, 1919, the little prince left forever. Years later, someone shouted loudly and eloquently criticized George and Mary, saying that they were ashamed because of John's epilepsy, so they pretended that he no longer existed. In fact, there is evidence that John was always an integral part of George and Mary's family life, and that the lifestyle he was endowed with was also considered good care for people with epilepsy at the time. As parents, they are likely to worry that if his condition becomes widely known, social discrimination may have an impact on their son. However, in the absence of any effective inhibitory drugs at the time, John's seizures made him miserable and obviously more in need of extensive care. Obviously, his family loved him, valued him, wanted him to be safe, and their love for John made many people feel the same way. At his funeral, so many people came to attend that they even stood outside the church, where his tomb was covered with a thick layer of flowers. John was never hidden behind the scenes, and he has always been a very important part of Sandringham's royal life. Everyone wanted to send the prince on his last journey, as if to bid farewell to their own children.
(Source: A Century-Old Legend of the British Royal Family)