Cimitero degli Allori, The Hon. George Keppel and Alice Keppel
Lieutenant-Colonel George Keppel, MVO (14 October 1865 – 22 November 1947) was a British soldier and the husband of Alice Keppel, the mistress of King Edward VII.
Biography[]
Keppel was the third son of William Keppel, 7th Earl of Albemarle, and his wife, Sophia Mary, (d. 5 April 1917), daughter of Sir Allan Napier MacNab, speaker of the Canadian parliament.[1] He graduated from the Royal Military College in 1885 and soon after joined the Gordon Highlanders. He resigned his commission in 1892, but joined the Norfolk Artillery in 1894. He was promoted to captain in 1908 and was appointed MVO a year later after being attached to the king during the latter's visit to Norwich that year.
On 1 June 1891, Keppel married Alice Frederica Edmonstone, the youngest daughter of Mary Elizabeth, née Parsons (1823–1902) and Sir William Edmonstone, 4th Baronet (1810–1888). Together they had two daughters; Violet (1894–1972) and Sonia (1900–1986). In 1898, Keppel's wife became a mistress to Edward, Prince of Wales, as he then was. Her relationship with Edward lasted through his ascension to the throne in 1901 and until his death in 1910. Keppel knew of the affair and would leave their house on Portman Square when Edward visited his wife.
Through his daughter Sonia, Keppel is the great-grandfather of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. Camilla was four months old when Keppel died on 22 November 1947.
References[]
- ↑ Pollard, A. F. (2004-09-23). Matthew, H. C. G.. ed (in en). Keppel, William Coutts, seventh earl of Albemarle and Viscount Bury (1832–1894), politician. 1. Oxford University Press. Digital object identifier:10.1093/ref:odnb/15444. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-15444.
- "Playing by the Rules". The New York Times. http://partners.nytimes.com/books/97/08/17/reviews/970817.17frasert.html. Retrieved 14 August 2008.
- Burke's Peerage & Gentry, 107th edition
The original article can be found at George Keppel (British Army officer, born 1865) and the edit history here.