|
General Probyn,
1897
His full title at this
time was General The Right Honorable Sir Dighton Probyn
VC GCB GCSI GCVO ISO. Although his life in India was full
of daring deeds and adventure his later life was spent in
England as part of the Royal Household in the service of
the Royal family until the end of his life in 1924. He was
equerry to the Prince of Wales from 1872, Comptroller to
the Prince of Wales 1877-91, Keeper of the King's Privy
Purse 1901-10 and Comptroller to Queen Alexandra 1910-24.
He was praised for his 'competence, his fidelity and his
faculty for rigorous finance'. In course of time he was
given responsibility for the gardens at Sandringham where,
according to Edward Duke of Windsor 'My Father watched with
unconcealed misgivings while Sir Dighton created at Sandringham
costly rock gardens, complete with rustic wooden shelters,
all dedicated with respectful adoration to The Beloved Lady
, as he affectionately referred to my grandmother.' Little
is written about Probyn and he did not leave any autobiographical
work to help us but he wrote about 50 letters to his friend
and protege, Major W R Birdwood, later Field-Marshal Lord
Birdwood from 1899 until his death. Birdwood had been an
officer in the 11th but was 32 years his junior. He referred
to Queen Alexandra only rarely but said '..poor dear thing,
she is indeed good to me but I have been with her now for
over 50 years - just 51 years - and she has never on one
single occasion said one single cross or unkind word to
me during this time.'
His devotion to the Queen did not preclude romance. He was
married to Letitia Thelluson, a first cousin, from 1873
to 1900. There were no children. Later he was believed to
be on the verge of matrimony to Charlotte Knollys, the Queen's
principal Lady-in-Waiting. Apparently Charlotte was very
ugly. Near the end of his life he was afflicted with a medical
problem that he wrote about to Birdwood 2 years before his
death: 'My head is bent down into my chest and I positively
cannot move it up or down, or to right or left...my easiest
position is at the desk writing: and as that is my chief
occupation, if I am to have an ailment I could not have
a more fovourable one...'
He died on 20th June 1924 at the age of 91. Queen Alexandra
placed a cross of flowers on his coffin with a hand written
note: 'For my beloved General Probyn, with thanks for all
he has been to me all these years - 52 years. We shall miss
him so much, but he will draw us up to Heaven, where he
is sure to go. God bless. From his devoted ALEXANDRA.'
|
INDEXES