sir 1st irish october march british army officer served young daughter future queen united_kingdom born wales irish parents holding ranks military duke kent kent died years later leaving widow infant daughter household nineteen years acted political agent roles designed system elaborate strict system rules upbringing young victoria designed render weak utterly dependent hopes allowing power princess victoria grew hate oppressive system unpopular efforts place role regent ultimately unsuccessful victoria ascended throne reaching majority immediately expelled victoria household remained service years given pension retired estate near died substantial debt years later historians referred strong ambition varying degrees positive negative opinion rumours circulated lifetime lover queen_victoria shocked learn stating mother prevented early life born october wales children born native ireland father younger privately educated dublin september commissioned second lieutenant promoted lieutenant september enrolled career napoleonic wars ability avoid battle attracted disdain officers participate war advancement rank facilitated marriage december dublin far felt deserved elizabeth daughter colonel later served ireland england performing administrative duties promoted second captain march appointed adjutant march elizabeth children sir 2nd december november married daughter 2nd earl parents chemist sir august served guards june october served guards aide camp commander forces ireland february married sir employment connection wife uncle came attention duke kent fourth son king george iii appointed shortly duke marriage princess victoria efficient planning ensured return england time birth child child princess victoria kent later queen_victoria kent promised military advancement captain time duke death named duke unsuccessful dying man victoria guardian aware needed find source revenue quickly offered services widowed kent infant daughter native language particular value acquired english retired military service half pay system hostile environment relationship close serving private secretary nineteen years holding unofficial roles public relations officer political agent clear responsible system created govern young victoria upbringing elaborate oppressive system rules regulating victoria life kept isolation time goal making weak utterly dependent mother intention appointed regent victoria assumed youthful ascension created victoria private secretary given aware reasons king promoted public image pure modest time increasing paranoia particularly duke cumberland princess victoria soon came hate bullied insulted mocking economical habits historians arrogant behaviour victoria stemmed personal belief wife elizabeth secretly illegitimate child duke kent later proven false strong ambition stemmed self perceived connection aristocracy ambition influenced claim descent ancient kings ireland regardless claims belonged middle class recognised growing power group british society effectively barred victoria relatives princess prevented close extended family enforced isolation meant companions age frequently came contact daughters included girl months older victoria victoria appear fond sister little positive comment personal journals young princess depended devoted defended victoria grew older attempts removal influence tactics proved unsuccessful princess devoted evident journals early stay palace effort close princess elderly sister resided palace described mentally unstable woman little difficulty let control finances return making member social circle princess reported activities james palace absent victoria heir duke york died making duke heir victoria second line throne complained princess surrounded leading king appoint commander year continued unpopular duke cumberland spread rumours lovers attempt discredit duke referred king john wrote advise increasingly grant power duke king point felt confident position control household secure prevented daughter attending william coronation disagreement precedence decision attributed duke wellington clear victoria succeed throne new king queen attempted gain custody niece quickly replied victoria moral atmosphere court solidified stance mother daughter separated continued promote virtue fit regent intensely disliked vowed wait victoria came age die simply regency year william coronation embarked series royal tours victoria expose people status potential trip awarded honorary degree university_of_oxford efforts ultimately successful november declared sole regent event victoria young claim closest adviser daughter aware regency increasingly unlikely began promoting view victoria weak minded girl need guidance increasing bullying princess implied victoria desired regency succeeded later majority eighteen victoria forbidden beloved ally sister appointed companions required accompany victoria seriously ill fever royal tours exploiting weakened state unsuccessfully tried force signing document document appointed personal secretary ascension victoria emerged incident determined self reliant increased alarmed behest family adviser baron investigated recommending dismiss peace daughter easily convinced ignore advice victoria eighteenth birthday continued pressure appoint private secretary acknowledge need regent turned victoria power king died weeks victoria eighteenth birthday succeeded queen subject numerous discussions victoria day reign time created list demands intent pass prime minister lord melbourne demanded pension pounds year bath seat victoria left negotiating melbourne agreed demands likely avoid scandal advice melbourne granted pension satisfy continued following years petition victoria irish request refused enabled attend court victoria acts queen dismiss household dismiss mother queen_victoria unmarried young woman expected live mother relegated remote apartments buckingham palace cutting personal contact unsuccessfully insisted family allowed court victoria disagreed saying thought expect invite sir conduct years past duke wellington convinced leave household family continent effective exile times reported longer official duties unsure resigned dismissed year rumours abdomen grown large pregnant subsequent medical investigation concluded virgin died liver cancer months later scandal tandem crisis damaged victoria reputation settled family home hall near reading gentleman farmer winning prizes pig breeding founded despite ownership properties lead mines wales substantial debt died march eldest son edward succeeded death finally agreed open financial accounts acknowledged significant funds missing moved admit time hurting relationship victoria benefit followed mother daughter finances princess princess substantial income provided civil list allowed enjoy wealthy lifestyle princess died leaving bank accounts despite lifestyle savings low expenses duke cambridge lawyer write demanding account rest sister funds simply ignored according recent biographer daughters princess fact personally spent huge sums including heavy contributions purchase prices residences supporting family style judged appropriate position ultimately received gifts money new sir studied old accounts found huge records household personal expenses kept record nearly received brother additional historiography departure victoria service popular song read goes court reason john played ceased reign following death times published positive obituary declared person character sir respects favourably known english society doubt announcement death received feelings general regret article briefly summarised lifetime praised considerable small knowledge human nature winning address great zeal members described lifetime ridiculous fellow recipient recent positive historical opinion twentieth century historian writes good looking man charm tall imposing vain clever plausible ambition century historian describes career expert domestic came england small means ability mighty ambition wrote arch villain victoria painted victim ambition suspected lover relationship subject speculation death duke wellington asked lovers replied supposed august wellington reported court victoria years old caught mother engaged victoria told turn told madame ladies waiting confronted relationship immediately dismissed recorded subsequent diary entry led persistent belief lovers later aged queen victoria discover people believe mother intimate stated prevented queen_victoria father victoria lifetime death rumours duke kent biological father historians continued debate accuracy validity claims work biographer suggests victoria actually descended descendants unknown recognised ancestors genetic disease body ability control blood stop bleeding blood vessel broken carried female line symptoms manifest males wilson proposes took lover necessarily ensure sit british throne likewise medical historian considers possibility took lover pressure brother cites rarity genetic evidence remarkable circumstances surrounding victoria conception makes mention specifically father gene known arise spontaneously children older fathers victoria father born proposes occurred victoria duke kent son christopher infectious disease specialist view genetic likely possibility writes historians recent years found seductive doubt victoria stated random solution remarking best logical explanation appeared victoria adds household newly married kent including known probable awareness scandals surrounding behaviour great_britain seeking affair furthermore said borne strong family resemblance father grandfather evidence victoria descendants mild notably princess disease affected grandfather victoria legitimate birth reliable documentation great great gloucester diagnosed disease shortly death aircraft crashed air race concrete evidence origins disease victoria achieved dna test parents remains study sanctioned popular culture portrayed numerous times film television victoria great depicted character developed film played story played miniseries depicted victoria early influences english actor played film young victoria film depicts controlling pseudo father young victoria year preceding ascension going far depicting assaulting princess twice film goes depict expulsion queen_victoria household appears numerous historical fiction novels queen_victoria writing pen names author published series novels 1970s 1980s included queen lord victoria victorious story queen victoria released parody novel descent descended family family hereditary connor kings descended recognised chief chief chief chief chief fighting french franco dutch war sir 1st
John Conroy