How Did Lord Carnarvon Die in Egypt in 1923

Carnarvon, Carter and Tutankhamun Revisited

The hidden truths and doomed relationships

From William Cross, FSA Scot

Author of “Lordy! Tutankhamun’s Patron As A Young Man” And “The Life & Secrets of Almina Carnarvon”

William Cross author of Lordy! Tutankhamun’s Patron As A Young Man, the story of the early life of Lord George Carnarvon and the biographer of his wife Almina, 5th Countess of Carnarvon provides an fresh appraisal of the often topsy- turvey relationship between Almina’s first husband, George and his side- kick Howard Carter, co-discovers in 1922 of the Tomb of Tutankhamun in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. What are the last remaining untold truths about their comradeship, the supposed master-servant relationship between the rich patron and the archeologist, both lonely, cheerless figures with the tempers of Nile crocodiles? What elements of their personal stories have been suppressed? Why are there anomalies ( read lies ) in the historical account of the time-line of these men and the great discovery of King Tutankhamun? Will ‘s researches for a new book has unearthed the ingredients of another tale to rock the old world Establishment.

http://tutankhamun-revisited.yolasite.com/Strange-Co-incidences.php

THE BOOK IS AVAILABLE ( WHILE STOCKS LAST) ON AMAZON OR DIRECT FROM WILLIAM CROSS

IT WAS NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL

Almina, Countess of Carnarvon ignored the accounts of her husband’s death from insect bites and curses; no historian or commentator ever noted her input on the Egyptian years until long after her death....but she was none the less fascinated by the published material on her husband and Howard Carter. She was blase about some, but overtly hostile to others remarking..that the narratives were often inaccurate. She declared "it was nothing like that....no, nothing like that at all"......

Now, at long last the truth can be revealed in this book "Carnarvon, Carter and Tutankhamun Revisited: The hidden truths and doomed relationships".

Lord Carnarvon's Death Certificate

Has Many Errors

In the rush to dispose of the mortal remains of Lord Carnarvon of Tutankhamun fame, the death certificate was botched.

The death certificate of George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, certified on 5 April 1923 by Fletcher Barrett, MB BS (London), a Cairo physician, contains numerous errors including blunders over the 5th Earl’s name, date of birth and the duration of his last illness. Lord Carnarvon’s name is given as Henry George Stanhope instead of George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert. Lord Carnarvon’s date of birth is given as 22 June 1865 instead of 26 June 1866. The duration of the final illness is given as 8 days instead of the 19 days i.e between 18 March and 5 April 1923. Moreover the evidence suggests the mishap with the mosquito must have been on before 14 March 1923, since Carnarvon left Luxor ( for Cairo ) that day. The cause of death is given as “Pneumonia”. Legend records of course that this was the consequence of blood-poisoning caused by the bite of an insect, probably a mosquito, at Luxor during the excavations.

LORD CARNARVON DIED OF THROAT CANCER

According to Almina, 5th Countess, wife of Lord Carnarvon who nursed him to the end, the Earl died in the final stages of throat cancer.

I AM A NURSE! MY PLACE IS AT MY HUSBAND'S SIDE

At 4.20pm on a cold but clear Monday afternoon in the middle of March of 1923, the small, yet sprightly figure of Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon boarded an aeroplane chartered from the Daimler Hire Company at a cost of £350 for the 3,500 miles journey from the London [ Croydon] Air Station to Cairo in Egypt. The air machine was a special three-seater De Havilland bi- plane.

Almina’s heroic mercy flight to Egypt on the 19th March 1923 was in order for her to be at Lord Carnarvon’s bedside. The stricken Earl lay unconscious in the fashionable Continental Hotel in Cairo suffering from the advanced stages of terminal throat cancer.

THE MYSTERY SPECIALIST

Accompanying Almina on her epic 3500 mile journey were two men, Captain Frank L Barnard, an experienced air pilot, and a mystery man usually unnamed or variously described as a “medical specialist” or a “ Harley-street specialist”, he was Dr George C Sneyd FRCS IREL, who had been the chief surgeon at Almina's war time hospital in London's Bryanston Square.

ENOUGH DRUGS PACKED TO TREAT A HOSPITAL

There was no scrutiny made or customs checks performed on the contents of Dr Sneyd’s luggage, or the identity of a number of small containers which were carried with a collection of medical instruments and drugs quickly collected from the surgeon’s consulting rooms at 55a Welbeck Street, London W1. Almina’s own possessions were not inspected either, she carried a horde of surplus medicines from her wartime hospital that could be accessed. The Countess was prepared to assist Sneyd beyond nursing care, including surgery if required, and packed her nurse’s whites and the dainty little white shoes she always wore for theatre operations.

I AM A NURSE.....

Before the ( international) Reuters leak in Cairo of Carnarvon being struck down, the news of the Earl's health scare had stirred a flurry of eager reporters into hanging about 1, Seamore Place, Almina’s palatial home in Mayfair, she had inherited from Baron Alfred de Rothschild. Her words to awaiting reporters were poignant

“ I am a nurse myself and my place is at my husband’s side. I’m going on by air today”.

In the years following the running of nursing homes and hospitals Almina stored a great many different kinds of medicines, items used in medical procedures and surgical equipment, Tony Leadbetter- Almina's godson who lived with her for 30 years- well remembers these were kept in cupboards at Orchard Grove ( Almina’s home in Somerset from 1943-49) and were often dispensed.

One news report indicates that after the premature landing at Beauvais in France “the medical specialist” flew on from Le Bourget to Lyons to meet up with Almina and hence make an attempt at a new flight path to Egypt.

Almina later thanked Dr Sneyd for his help and supplying the drugs she needed with a holiday to Maderia in 1924. In later years Sneyd was a regular caller on Almina in Somerset, he became a GP in Bridgewater, a stone’s throw from ‘Orchard Grove’ Almina’s thatched cottage at the village of Bicknoller from 1943-1949.

After further struggles with the travel arrangements to Egypt Almina finally arrived In Cairo on 26th March 1923.

She found Lord Carnarvon exhausted unconscious, breathing badly, running a high temperature, incontinent, and 'talking in tongues'. He never regained consciousness again.

A uncompromising figure, Almina cleared everyone out of the rooms occupied by her husband's staff, expelling several doctors and nurses. She put herself in sole control of the dying patient at the Continental Hotel.

Almina was experienced in handling the terminally ill. Her duty was that of a hospital matron of many years standing to ease her charge into oblivion. This dedication ensured Lord Carnarvon had a peaceful end.

NOTES

[i] Captain F L Barnard (1896-1927). Franklyn (Frank) Leslie Barnard. Notable British Pilot and air racer. Killed in a flying accident at Filton Aeordrome, just north of Bristol. Barnard received the OBE for taking Sir Samuel Hoare by air to Egypt. Hoare was Air Minister in 1926 when the air route from Britain to India was first opened.

[ii] Croydon Aerodrome had been built around several aerodromes used for defence in the Great War. The Civil Aviation Board announced in May 1923 that Croydon would be expanded, the site was used until the later developments made at Northolt, Heathrow and Gatwick.

[iii] The plane left London at 4.30pm aiming for Paris, but because of the lateness in leaving (and Almina’s indisposition) they landed at Beauvais at 6.55pm. The plan was to go to Egypt via Rome, Brindisi and Athens then across the Mediterranean, in total 3500 miles.

CONTACT THE AUTHOR WILLIAM CROSS

williecross@aol.com

Lord Carnarvon's Death 1923

Lady Almina's Mercy Flight to Egypt