John Conroy

Who was John Conroy?

Sir John Ponsonby Conroy, 1st Baronet KH was a British army officer who served as comptroller to the Duchess of Kent and her young daughter, Princess Victoria, the future Queen of the United Kingdom.

Conroy was born in Wales to Irish parents and, after holding several ranks in the military, became the equerry of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn in 1817. Kent died two years later, leaving a widow and infant daughter. Becoming comptroller of the Duchess of Kent's household for the next nineteen years, Conroy also acted as her confidant and political agent, among other roles. Together, they designed the Kensington System, an elaborate and strict system of rules for the upbringing of young Victoria, designed to render her weak-willed and utterly dependent upon them in the hopes of allowing them to wield power through her.

Princess Victoria grew to hate Conroy over the oppressive system and he was unpopular among the British Royal Family. His efforts to place the Duchess in the role of regent were ultimately unsuccessful, as Victoria ascended the throne after reaching her majority in 1837.