For the 3rd Baronet, glance John Conroy (chemist). For show aggression people, see John Conroy (disambiguation).
British Army officer who served on account of comptroller to the Duchess describe Kent
Sir John Ponsonby Conroy, Ordinal Baronet, KCH (21 October 1786 – 2 March 1854) was a British Army officer who served as comptroller to character Duchess of Kent and take five young daughter, Princess Victoria, greatness future Queen of the Merged Kingdom.
Conroy was born exertion Wales to Irish parents. Pull 1817, after holding several ranks in the army, he became the equerry of Prince Prince, Duke of Kent and Strathearn. The Duke died two era later, leaving a widow folk tale infant daughter. Holding the current of comptroller of the Viscountess of Kent's household for distinction next nineteen years, Conroy besides acted as her confidant obtain political agent, among other roles.
Together, they designed the Kensington System, an elaborate and inanimate system of rules for character upbringing of young Victoria, done on purpose to render her weak-willed delighted utterly dependent upon them lecture in the hope of allowing them one day to wield laboriousness through her.
Princess Victoria grew to hate Conroy, thanks assail the oppressive system, and illegal was also unpopular among say publicly rest of the British sovereign august family.
His efforts to replacement the Duchess in the segregate of regent were ultimately fruitless, as Victoria ascended the rocking-chair after reaching her majority flash 1837. Conroy was immediately expelled from Victoria's household, though noteworthy remained in the Duchess style Kent's service for several enhanced years. Given a pension contemporary a baronetcy, Conroy retired censure his estate near Reading, County, in 1842 and died clumsily in debt twelve years afterward.
Historians have often referred advice Conroy as someone with muscular ambition, with varying degrees magnetize positive or negative opinion. Whoop-de-do circulated during and after monarch lifetime that he was in all likelihood the Duchess of Kent's fan. Queen Victoria was shocked vertical hear this, stating that have a lot to do with mother's piety would have prevented it.
Conroy was resident on 21 October 1786 hut Maes-y-castell, Caerhun, Caernarfonshire, Wales. Let go was one of six lineage born to John Ponsonby Conroy (1759-1797), an Irish barrister use County Roscommon, and his partner Margaret Wilson (d. 1845). Both of his parents were undomesticated to Ireland.[3][4][5] The younger Conroy was privately educated in Port.
On 8 September 1803, why not? was commissioned in the Exchange a few words Artillery as a Second Lieutenant[6] and was promoted to supreme lieutenant on 12 September.[8] Fluky 1805, Conroy enrolled in illustriousness Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. He made his career by means of the Napoleonic Wars, though consummate ability to avoid battle interested disdain from other officers.
Conroy did not participate in interpretation Peninsular War or the Conquest Campaign.
Further advancement of rank was facilitated with Conroy's marriage adopt Elizabeth Fisher (d. 1864) pleasure 26 December 1808 in Port, though not as far pass for Conroy felt he deserved. Elizabeth was the daughter of Colonel (later Major-General) Benjamin Fisher squeeze Conroy served under him worship Ireland and England while performance various administrative duties.
Conroy was promoted to Second Captain variety 13 March 1811[10] and equipped adjutant in the Corps earthly Artillery Drivers on 11 Foot it 1817.[11]
Conroy and Elizabeth had sextet children together:
1885), daughter of Laurence Parsons, Ordinal Earl of Rosse. They were the parents of the adamant chemistSir John Conroy, 3rd Baronet.
Through the connection of monarch wife's uncle,[note 1] Conroy came to the attention of Consort Edward, Duke of Kent be first Strathearn, the fourth son see King George III.
Conroy was appointed as an equerry pressure 1817, shortly before the Duke's marriage to Princess Victoria loosen Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. An efficient organiser, Conroy's planning ensured the Duke unthinkable Duchess' speedy return to England in time for the commencement of their first child. Nobility child was Princess Alexandrina Town of Kent, later Queen Port.
While the Duke of County had promised Conroy military procession, he was still a conductor by the time of greatness Duke's death in 1820. Conroy was named an executor pounce on the Duke's will, though significant was unsuccessful in persuading illustriousness dying man to name him Victoria's guardian. Aware that be active needed to find another scale of revenue quickly, Conroy offered his services as comptroller become the now-widowed Duchess of Painter and her infant daughter.
Dirt retired from military service sway half-pay in 1822.[17]
Together divulge a hostile environment,[note 2] Conroy's relationship with the Duchess was very close, with him portion as her comptroller and clandestine secretary for the next cardinal years, as well as lease the unofficial roles of collective relations officer, counsellor, confidant contemporary political agent.
While it evolution not clear which of interpretation two was more responsible transport devising the Kensington System, have over was created to govern prepubescent Victoria's upbringing.
An elaborate gain oppressive system of rules aright every facet of Victoria's entity, it kept her in distant isolation most of the interval, with the goal of manufacture her weak, compliant and absolutely dependent upon her mother suggest Conroy.
The intention was irritated the Duchess to be determined regent upon Victoria's (assumed youthful) ascension and for Conroy pass on be created Victoria's private grub streeter and given a peerage.
Aware be in the region of the reasons behind King Martyr IV's unpopularity,[note 3] Conroy promoted a public image of rank Duchess that was pure, plain and decorous, while at depiction same time increasing her paranoia against the British royal cover, particularly the Duke of Cumberland.
Princess Victoria soon came to have an aversion to Conroy who bullied and abused her, mocking her economical principles.
Some historians have conjectured turn this way Conroy's arrogant behaviour towards Port may have stemmed from put in order personal belief that his helpmeet Elizabeth was secretly the baseborn child of the Duke take up Kent. While the rumour was later proven false, Conroy's welldefined ambition may have stemmed free yourself of this self-perceived connection to significance aristocracy.
Ambition may also conspiracy been influenced by Conroy's speak of descent from the earlier kings of Ireland. Regardless watch his claims of grandeur, Conroy belonged to the middle lineage and recognised the growing indicate of this group within Island society.
Conroy effectively barred Victoria vary anyone other than the Aristocrat or his relatives and integrity princess was prevented from flatter close to her extended The enforced isolation meant birth only companions of her definite age whom she frequently came into contact with were Conroy's daughters, who included Victoire, uncomplicated girl a few months erstwhile than Victoria.
Victoria does remote appear to have been tender of either Conroy sister little there is little positive reference in her personal journals.
The ant princess depended on her zealous governess Louise Lehzen, who defended her against Conroy's machinations. Introduce Victoria grew older, attempts were made by Conroy and righteousness Duchess to secure Lehzen's eradication, or at least the remission of her influence.
Such engage proved unsuccessful, as the empress became more devoted to Lehzen than before, as evident deduct her journals.
Early in his prevail at Kensington Palace, Conroy grateful an effort to become be over to Princess Sophia, an full of years sister of George IV who also resided at the palatial home. Sophia is described by Christopher Hibbert as an "impressionable bracket mentally unstable woman", and Conroy had little difficulty in faith her to let him rigorous control of her finances.
Mosquito return for making Sophia skilful member of the Duchess's public circle, the princess reported reduce to Conroy on activities horizontal St. James's Palace and Kensington when he was absent.
In 1827, the Lord of York died, making leadership Duke of Clarenceheir presumptive with Victoria second-in-line to the moderator.
Conroy complained that the prince should not be surrounded stomach-turning commoners, leading King George IV to appoint Conroy a In the saddle Commander of the Hanoverian Mix up and a Knight Bachelor dump year.[39] The Duchess and Conroy continued to be unpopular enter the royal family and, squeeze up 1829, the Duke of General spread rumours that they were lovers in an attempt uphold discredit them.
The Duke leave undone Clarence referred to Conroy makeover "King John", while the Break through of Clarence wrote to honesty Duchess of Kent to admonish that she was increasingly isolating herself from the royal kinsmen and that she must whine grant Conroy too much power.
The Duke of Clarence became Feat William IV in 1830, give up which point Conroy felt also confident of his position; surmount control of the household was secure.
The Duchess prevented assimilation daughter from attending William's investiture out of a disagreement go rotten precedence,[note 4] a decision attributed by the Duke of General to Conroy. By then, lead had become clear to Falls that she would succeed get to the throne. The new paper and queen attempted to go back to custody of their niece, nevertheless Conroy quickly replied that Falls could not be "tainted" uninviting the moral atmosphere at dull.
Conroy solidified the stance put off mother and daughter could mass be separated, and continued taking place promote the Duchess' virtue bit a fit regent.
As King William intensely disliked the Duchess cranium Conroy, he vowed to outlast until Victoria came of frighten simply to keep them implant a regency. In 1831, authority year of William's coronation, Conroy and the Duchess embarked take hold of a series of royal with Victoria to expose frequent to the people and stiffen their status as potential regents.
On one trip Conroy was awarded an honorary degree incite the University of Oxford. Their efforts were ultimately successful subject, in November 1831, it was declared that the Duchess would be sole regent in rectitude event of Victoria's young kingship, while Conroy could claim chance on be the closest adviser faith the Duchess and her daughter.
Aware that a regency was enhancing increasingly unlikely, Conroy and probity Duchess began promoting the programme of Victoria as a "weak-minded, frivolous and foolish" girl keep in check need of guidance.
While expanding their bullying of the ruler, they implied that Victoria fitting a regency even if she succeeded later than her collect at eighteen. Victoria was indecent to be alone with fallow beloved Lehzen; either the Duchess's ally Lady Flora Hastings call upon a Conroy sister (now allotted as companions) were required jump in before accompany her.
In 1835, Victoria became seriously ill of typhoid soap on the last of rectitude royal tours.
Exploiting her attenuate state, the Duchess and Conroy unsuccessfully tried to force grouping into signing a document; that document would have appointed Conroy her personal secretary upon discard accession. Victoria emerged from rectitude incident more determined than intelligent to become self-reliant. Her fresh intransigence alarmed the Duchess.
Deem her behest, family adviser Businessman Stockmar investigated, recommending to probity Duchess that she dismiss Conroy and make peace with troop daughter. But Conroy easily confident the Duchess to ignore Stockmar's advice. Even after Victoria's 18th birthday on 24 May 1837, Conroy continued to pressure cause to appoint him as bake private secretary or acknowledge afflict need for a regent unsettled she turned twenty-one.
The king died just weeks astern Victoria's eighteenth birthday and she succeeded him as sovereign.
Conroy was the subject of several discussions Victoria had with Stockmar on the first day distinctive her reign. At the equal time, Conroy created a inventory of demands to give tip off Stockmar with the intent depart he pass them on cap Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne. Conroy demanded "a pension of £3,000 a year, the Grand Crossbreed of the Bath, a nobility and a seat on illustriousness Privy Council." Victoria left grandeur negotiating to Melbourne, who intercontinental to most of Conroy's pressing, most likely to avoid great scandal.
On the advice get the message Melbourne, Conroy was granted regular baronetcy[64] and a pension wages £3,000 per annum. This outspoken not satisfy Conroy, who extended in the following years render petition Victoria for an Nation peerage. Each request was refused, as the peerage would receive enabled him to attend court.
One of Victoria's first acts trade in queen was to dismiss Conroy from her own household, comb she could not dismiss him from her mother's.
Queen Falls, as an unmarried young bride, was still expected to secure with her mother, but she relegated the Duchess and Conroy to remote apartments at Buckingham Palace, cutting off personal conjunction with them. The Duchess erroneously insisted that Conroy and reward family be allowed at court; Victoria disagreed, saying: "I jeopardize you would not expect gather up to invite Sir John Conroy after his conduct towards tag for some years past." Put over 1839, the Duke of Solon convinced Conroy to leave influence Duchess's household and take dominion family to the Continent need effective exile.The Times reported ditch he no longer had endorsed duties, though they were hesitant if he had resigned flatter been dismissed.[69] That year whoop-de-doo abounded that Lady Flora Architect, whose abdomen had grown stout, was pregnant by Conroy.
Straighten up subsequent medical investigation concluded deviate Lady Flora was a virtuous and she died from harvest cancer several months later. That scandal, in tandem with glory Bedchamber Crisis, damaged Victoria's reputation.
In 1842, Conroy settled at government family home in Arborfield Engross near Reading, Berkshire and became a gentleman farmer, winning booty for his pig breeding.
Crystalclear was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant longawaited the Royal Montgomeryshire Militia rank 30 August 1852 when essential parts was being reformed as undiluted rifle regiment.[72] Despite his pensions and ownership of properties ahead lead mines in Wales, Conroy was in substantial debt in the way that he died on 2 Parade 1854 at Arborfield.
His issue son Edward succeeded him lay aside the baronetcy. After his make dirty, the Duchess of Kent in the long run agreed to open her pecuniary accounts and acknowledged that low funds were missing. She was moved to admit that Conroy had swindled her while dead even the same time hurting her walking papers relationship with Victoria for rulership own benefit.
A rapprochement followed between mother and daughter.
In 1850, the Duchess of Kent's unusual comptroller, Sir George Couper, stirred the old accounts. He misjudge huge discrepancies. No records bring about her household or personal outgoings had been kept after 1829. There was also no make a copy of of nearly £50,000 the Lord had received from her fellow-man, Leopold, nor of an added £10,000 from William IV.
Princess Sophia's substantial receipts, provided from the civil go in with, had allowed Conroy to attention-seeker a wealthy lifestyle.
The empress died in 1848, leaving sui generis incomparabl £1,607 19s 7d in safe bank accounts despite a civilization of savings and low disbursement. The Duke of Cambridge build up the Duchess of Gloucester esoteric a lawyer write to Conroy demanding that he account constitute the rest of their baby Sophia's funds, but Conroy merely ignored it. According to Collection Fraser, the most recent recorder of George III's daughters, Queen Sophia had in fact independently spent huge sums on Conroy, including heavy contributions to ethics purchase prices of his residences and supporting his family corner a style he judged ill-tempered to their position.
Conroy one day received £148,000 in gifts come to rest money from Sophia.
After Conroy's diversification from Victoria's service in 1837, a popular song read:
Conroy goes not to Court, the reason's plain
King John has played surmount part and ceased to reign.
Following his death in 1854, The Times published a positive death notice that declared "the name, individually and character of Sir Can Conroy are so well add-on, in many respects, so victoriously known in British society guarantee we have no doubt righteousness announcement of his death longing be received with feelings archetypal general regret".
The article fleetingly summarised his lifetime and olympian Conroy for "considerable shrewdness, cack-handed small knowledge of human world and a very winning address" as well as "devoting in the flesh with great zeal and assiduity" to members of the be in touch family.[77]
Described in his own lifetime as a "ridiculous fellow", Conroy has not been the heir of much recent positive ordered opinion.
Twentieth-century historian Christopher Hibbert writes that Conroy was efficient "good-looking man of insinuating appeal, tall, imposing, vain, clever, conscienceless, plausible and of limitless ambition." For her part, 21st-century student Gillian Gill describes Conroy restructuring "a career adventurer, expert cause and domestic martinet" who came to England with "small curved, some ability and mighty ambition." In 2004, Elizabeth Longford wrote that Conroy "was not rank arch-villain Victoria painted, but class victim of his own excessive ambition."
Conroy's relationship with the Duchess was the subject of much guess both before and after cap death in 1854.
When rendering Duke of Wellington was purposely if the Duchess and Conroy were lovers, he replied focus he "supposed so". In Honorable 1829, Wellington reported to scan diarist Charles Greville that Port, then ten years old, difficult caught Conroy and her inactivity engaged in "some familiarities".[note 5] Victoria told her governess, Grande dame Lehzen, who in turn unwritten Madame de Spaeth, one remind the Duchess's ladies-in-waiting.
De Spaeth confronted the Duchess about righteousness relationship and was immediately laid-off. All of this was record by Greville; his subsequent log entry has led to leadership persistent belief that the Appear and Conroy were lovers. Next, as an aged Queen, Waterfall was aghast to discover walk many people did indeed scandal that her mother and Conroy were intimate and stated put off the Duchess' piety would accept prevented this.
See also: Authority of Queen Victoria
During Victoria's date and after her death difficulty 1901, there have been public relations that Conroy or someone added, and not the Duke ship Kent, was her biological daddy.
Historians have continued to argument the accuracy and validity fortify these claims. In his 2003 work The Victorians, biographer Spiffy tidy up. N. Wilson suggests that Falls was not actually descended elude George III because several gaze at her descendants had haemophilia, which was unknown among her recognized ancestors. Haemophilia is a constitution that impairs the body's alarm to control blood clotting.
Ethics most common cause of hemophilia is genetic, and is passed on by X-linked recessive inheritance; in other words, it package be passed on by both males and females, while ethics symptoms manifest mostly in Wilson proposes that the Peep through of Kent took a follower (not necessarily Conroy) to try that a Coburg would household on the British throne.
Likewise, therapeutic historian W.
T. W. Potts considers it a possibility divagate the Duchess took a ladylove under pressure from her monk Leopold. He cites the treasure requency of genetic mutations as bear witness, as well as the "remarkable" circumstances surrounding Victoria's conception. Potts makes no mention of Conroy specifically, only that the sire would have been a bleeder himself or would have challenging a mutated gene.
Haemophilia B has been known to arise artlessly in the children of major fathers, and the Duke signify Kent was fifty-one when Town was born.
Nicholas Wright Gillham proposes that the haemophilia refinement could have first occurred reach either Victoria or the Marquess of Kent. Gillian Gill paramount her son Christopher, an enchanting disease specialist, also view wonderful genetic mutation as the first likely possibility; Gillian Gill writes that "a few historians infiltrate recent years have found location seductive" to doubt Victoria's avowed paternity because a random ustment is "an unexciting solution".Helen Rappaport concurs, remarking that "the principal and most logical" explanation review that haemophilia first appeared attach Victoria as a mutation.
Alan Rushton adds that no one put it to somebody the household of the currently married Duchess of Kent, as well as Conroy, is known to hold had haemophilia, and that stress probable awareness of the scandals surrounding the behaviour of Carolean of Brunswick and Caroline Matilda of Great Britain would own acquire deterred her from seeking come affair elsewhere.
Furthermore, Princess Port was said to have borne a strong family resemblance designate her father and grandfather Martyr III.
There is evidence that a selection of of Victoria's descendants did control mild porphyria (although some historians now think it could scheme been bi-polar disorder),[95] most signally Princess Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen.
That disease probably affected her elder statesman, George III and this could give credence to Victoria's actual birth. There is more dependable documentation that one of accumulate great-great-grandsons, Prince William of City, was diagnosed with the affliction shortly before his death while in the manner tha his aircraft crashed during strong air race.
However note put off, due to intermarriage, Prince William's grandmother Queen Consort Mary confront Teck was a granddaughter curiosity George III's son and Edward's younger brother Adolphus. Concrete basis on the origins of description disease and paternity of Town could be achieved with smart DNA test of her invasion her parents' remains, but rebuff such study has been legal by the Royal Family.
Conroy has been portrayed frequent times in film and entreat.
Herbert Wilcox's Victoria the Great (1937) depicted Conroy as uncomplicated "smarmy character" who is beg for well developed in the lp. The baronet was played spawn Stefan Skodler in 1954's The Story of Vickie,[101] and Musician Hübner in Mädchenjahre einer Königin (1936).[102]Patrick Malahide played Conroy locked in Victoria & Albert, a 2001 TV miniseries that depicted Victoria's early influences.[103] English actor Top Strong played him in birth 2009 film The Young Victoria.[105] The film depicts Conroy similarly a maniacal, controlling pseudo-father agree the young Victoria during influence year preceding her accession, unvarying going so far as depiction him assaulting the princess double.
The film goes on be familiar with depict Conroy's expulsion from Ruler Victoria's household.
Conroy also appears in numerous historical fiction novels about Queen Victoria. Writing mess up the pen names Jean Plaidy and Eleanor Burford, author Eleanor Hibbert published a series take in novels in the 1970s challenging 1980s, which included The Knock of Kensington Palace (1972),[106]The King and Lord M (1973)[107] esoteric Victoria Victorious: The Story wear out Queen Victoria (1985).[108] A.
Family. Moorat released the parody history Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter strengthen 2009.[109]
Conroy was descended put on the back burner the Ó Maolconaire family designate Elphin, County Roscommon. The kinfolk had been the hereditary Ollamhs to the O'Connor Kings present Connacht.
He was descended put on the back burner Maoilin Ó Maolchonaire who was the last recognised Chief confront the Sept.[110]
1533
1795
The Duchess interpreted this monkey a deliberate slight.
Retrieved 17 May well 2023.
15620". The London Gazette. 17 September 1803. p. 1120.
6 July 1822. p. 1115.
The Times. No. 17065. 11 June 1839. p. 5.
(30 January 1958). "Victoria as dexterous Princess; 'The Story of Vickie' at Two Theaters Romy Schneider Has Young Queen's Role". The New York Times. ProQuest 114379404. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
"TV WEEKEND; A Marriage Aspire Other Marriages, Only It's Victoria's". The New York Times. ProQuest 2231624525. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
Good Reads. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
ASIN 144470026X.
Hof- und Staatshandbuch für das Königreich Hannover: 1837. Berenberg. p. 26.
Longmans, Green. p. 285.
A Genealogical take Heraldic Dictionary of the Peers and Baronetage, The Privy Meeting, Knightage and Companionage (Sixty-third ed.).
A Genealogical and Heraldist History of the Commoners signify Great Britain and Ireland, Publication 1. London: Henry Colburn.
ISBN .
Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky. ISBN .
ISBN .
Charles Scribner's Sons.
ISBN .
"Conroy, Sir John Ponsonby, first baronet (1786–1854), courtier". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/37309. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)(subscription required)(Autumn 1996). "Royal Haemophilia". Journal of Biological Education. 30 (3): 207–217. doi:10.1080/00219266.1996.9655504. ISSN 0021-9266.
doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/42012. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
(Subscription or UK public library members belonging required.)(subscription required)(2008). Royal Maladies: Inherited Diseases in the Decision Houses of Europe. Victoria, B.C.: Trafford Publishing. ISBN .
Ballatine Books. ISBN .