Highclere Insider -David Sox : The Man Who Knew Too Much
Highclere Insider - David Sox: The Man Who Knew Too Much
An Investigation by William Cross, FSA Scot
In the 1990s, in the aftermath of being snubbed for unprofessional conduct by his colleagues in the Turin Shroud Community, Rev. H. David Sox, author and part time clergyman, took a job as a visitor guide at Highclere Castle (the backdrop to ʻDownton Abbey’).
Sox, an American by birth, soon had his feet under the table and proved a popular figure with tourists and the 7th Earl and Countess of Carnarvon.
The new guide soon saw an opportunity to endear himself to his employers by suggesting a biography of Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon, the 7th Earl’s beloved ʻgranny’ and the widow of the 5th Earl, of ʻOld King Tut’ fame.
Sox’s research went ahead and with access to the Highclere Archives he collected information and interviewed a dozen people who knew Almina. There were skeletons in Almina’s closet, Sox found himself the man who knew too much. One controversy arose around tales of Almina’s only son, Porchey later the 6th Earl of Carnarvon, that his true father was Prince Victor Duleep Singh, a close friend of the 5th Earl and son of the last Maharaja of Lahore.
In a letter written by Sox he confided the paternity issue to Almina’s godson, Tony Leadbetter, implying he had found something in the Highclere Archives about it. But had he? The Carnarvons dithered about what they should do next. In a clever stroke, in order to provoke a result, Sox sent his manuscript around the world to would be publishers. What happened thereafter and the bizarre events ever since, has given rise decades of leaks, questions and prevarication.
William Cross, FSA Scot, author of several books on the Carnarvons, investigates and reveals a trail of lies, deceit and hypocrisy.
ISBN 10 1905914741 ISBN 13 9781905914746
CONTACT WILLIAM CROSS BY EMAIL FOR FURTHER DETAILS
williecross@aol.com
Lady Almina's Mixed Blood?
Lady Almina Carnarvon’s biographer, William Cross, FSA Scot says “Almina Carnarvon must be turning in her grave!! ”
Yes, indeed. Especially with the attention and scrutiny she has received in two recent biographies. Yes, Lady Almina, the remarkable 5th Countess of Carnarvon, of Tutankhamun fame, now has two books available about her, one entitled “ Lady Almina…..” the other “ The Life and Secrets of Almina Carnarvon” albeit these works are poles apart, each telling very different stories about her long and chequered life.
Many questions about the life and times of Lady Almina follow and these are worth airing and discussing. This note, from William Cross, FSA Scot refers to her mixed blood. You will not find this information except here and in " The Life and Secrets of Almina Carnarvon" by William Cross.
Lady Almina Carnarvon’s
Mixed Blood
Lady Almina’s maternal grandmother was of known Spanish- South American decent; her maternal grandfather was a Frenchman. He was an early colonist in Venezuela, in South America, another Spanish-connected piece of Almina’s family’s jigsaw. The French also had longstanding financial interests in the whole of the continent and between the three American continents, North, South and Central America, and one adventurous project actually involved a member of Almina’s grandmother’s family in the building of the Panama Canal. The Rothschilds, ( through which Almina’s mother had only social and business connections) were, of course, with other European bankers, big time investors in these continents and greedy to be leading on such projects as the Panama Canal.
Lady Almina inherited a part of her widely spread genetic legacy from her mother’s family. Her mother’s looks were invariably influenced by the interactions of the family’s earlier couplings. The physical appearance of her mother, Marie Boyer and also of Almina bare out the suggestion that these were women of mixed breeding. It’s clear from the photographs I’ve seen of Marie Boyer and Almina Wombwell ( as she was named before marrying Lord Carnarvon) and there are strong gene traits showing, European, North African and South American influences at play in their physical make up. The photograph of Marie Boyer in “ The Life and Secrets of Almina Carnarvon” offers up some evidence. I have copies of photographs of Marie Wombwell from other sources and these are similarly consistent with the judgement. And it’s apparent that Almina takes after her mother.
William Cross is the Author of “ The Life and Secrets of Almina Carnarvon” : A Candid Biography of Almina, 5th Countess of Carnarvon, of Tutankhamun fame.
His new book “Lady Carnarvon’s Nursing Homes: Nursing the Privileged in Wartime and Peace” will be available from 15 October 2011.
Contact Will for more information, by e-mail:
