Prince John of the United Kingdom

Who was Prince John of the United Kingdom?

Prince John of the United Kingdom was the youngest child and fifth son of King George V and his wife, Queen Mary. At the time of John's birth, his father was the Prince of Wales and heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom, Edward VII. In 1910, George succeeded to the throne upon Edward's death and John became fifth in the line of succession.

In 1909, John was discovered to be afflicted by epilepsy and was also believed to suffer from some form of mental retardation or even autism. As his condition deteriorated, he was sent to live at Sandringham House and was kept away from the public eye. There, he was cared for by his governess, "Lala" Bill and befriended local children whom his mother had gathered to be his playmates. Prince John died at Sandringham in 1919, following a severe seizure, and was buried at nearby St Mary Magdalene Church. His illness was released to the wider public only after his death.

Prince John's seclusion has subsequently been brought forward as evidence for the inhumanity of the royal family. However, records show that the Prince was in some ways given favourable treatment by his parents, in comparison to his siblings, and his mother had love and concern for him.