Lord Carnavon and the Curse of Tutankhamun
Onthisday, on 26 June 1866 George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert
was born at Highclere Castle in Hampshire in the United Kingdom.
Family
His parents were Henry Herbert, the 4th. Earl of Carnavon and
Lady Evelyn Stanhope.
His maternal grandparents were George Stanhope, 6th. Earl of
Chesterfield and Lady Anne.
Love and Marriage
Lord Carnavon married to Almina Victoria Maria Alexandra Wombwell.
She was the illegitimate daughter of millionaire banker, Alfred de
Rothschild of the famous Rothschild family. This wedding took place on
26 June 1895. They would have 2 children.
Hobby's
Carnavon first was best known as an owner of race horses and a reckless
driver of early cars. His grandson the 7th. Earl of Carnavon was a racing
manager to Queen Elizabeth II from 1969 and one of the Queen's closest
friends.
Egypt
Lord Carnavon was an enthusiastic amateur Egyptologist, he and his wife
often spent their winters in Egypt, where they bought antiquities for their
collection in England.
In 1914, Lord Carnavon received the concession to dig in the Valley of
Kings. Howard Carter lead the work there. These works were interrupted
during World War I. But in 1917 they started again.
Another famous person fascinated by Egypt was Queen Elisabeth of
Belgium, the wife of King Albert I of Belgium. She followed the
expedition of Lord Carnavon closely.
On 4 November 1922 Lord Carnavon and Carter discovered the entrance
of the tomb of King Tutankhamun. Later Queen Elisabeth of
Belgium and her son Leopold (who became later King Leopold III of
Belgium) traveled to Egypt to see the discovery of Lord Carnavon and Carter.
Death
On 19 March 1923, Carnavon suffered a severe mosquito bite. On 5 April
he died in the Continental Savoy Hotel in Cairo caused by blood poisoning
progressing to pneumonia.
On 14 April 1923, Lady Almina Carnavon removed his remains to England.
He was buried at Beacon Hill, Burghclere in Hampshire.
After the death of Lord Carnavon, the government of Egypt took over the
ownership of the artefacts in the East Valley of the Kings.
The Curse of Tutankhamun
The Curse of Tutankhamun or the Mummy's curse became popular and
was fuelled by author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's suggestion that the death
of Lord Carnavon was caused by elementals created by Tutankhamun's
priests to guard the royal tomb.
Lord Carnavon had been portrayed in several movies, video games and
television productions.
Inter alia in The Mummy.
His country house: Highclere Castle also became famous as the decor of
Downton Abbey.
Source pictures: Wikipedia
was born at Highclere Castle in Hampshire in the United Kingdom.
Family
His parents were Henry Herbert, the 4th. Earl of Carnavon and
Lady Evelyn Stanhope.
His maternal grandparents were George Stanhope, 6th. Earl of
Chesterfield and Lady Anne.
Love and Marriage
Lord Carnavon married to Almina Victoria Maria Alexandra Wombwell.
She was the illegitimate daughter of millionaire banker, Alfred de
Rothschild of the famous Rothschild family. This wedding took place on
26 June 1895. They would have 2 children.
Hobby's
Carnavon first was best known as an owner of race horses and a reckless
driver of early cars. His grandson the 7th. Earl of Carnavon was a racing
manager to Queen Elizabeth II from 1969 and one of the Queen's closest
friends.
Egypt
Lord Carnavon was an enthusiastic amateur Egyptologist, he and his wife
often spent their winters in Egypt, where they bought antiquities for their
collection in England.
In 1914, Lord Carnavon received the concession to dig in the Valley of
Kings. Howard Carter lead the work there. These works were interrupted
during World War I. But in 1917 they started again.
Another famous person fascinated by Egypt was Queen Elisabeth of
Belgium, the wife of King Albert I of Belgium. She followed the
expedition of Lord Carnavon closely.
On 4 November 1922 Lord Carnavon and Carter discovered the entrance
of the tomb of King Tutankhamun. Later Queen Elisabeth of
Belgium and her son Leopold (who became later King Leopold III of
Belgium) traveled to Egypt to see the discovery of Lord Carnavon and Carter.
Death
On 19 March 1923, Carnavon suffered a severe mosquito bite. On 5 April
he died in the Continental Savoy Hotel in Cairo caused by blood poisoning
progressing to pneumonia.
On 14 April 1923, Lady Almina Carnavon removed his remains to England.
He was buried at Beacon Hill, Burghclere in Hampshire.
After the death of Lord Carnavon, the government of Egypt took over the
ownership of the artefacts in the East Valley of the Kings.
The Curse of Tutankhamun
The Curse of Tutankhamun or the Mummy's curse became popular and
was fuelled by author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's suggestion that the death
of Lord Carnavon was caused by elementals created by Tutankhamun's
priests to guard the royal tomb.
Lord Carnavon had been portrayed in several movies, video games and
television productions.
Inter alia in The Mummy.
His country house: Highclere Castle also became famous as the decor of
Downton Abbey.
Source pictures: Wikipedia
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