Lord George Carnarvon of Tutankhamun : What really happened between 19 March and 5 April 1923?

LORD CARNARVON LYING POLEAXED AT THE CONTINENTAL HOTEL CAIRO : 19 MARCH – 5 APRIL 1923 Extract from : “ Carnarvon, Carter and Tutankhamun Revisited : The hidden truths and doomed relationships “ A NEW BOOK IN 2016 from William Cross, FSA Scot PART 1 ( 3)

In March 1923 whilst the dying Lord Carnarvon lay poleaxed at the Continental Hotel in Cairo, Howard Carter arrived from Luxor and spent several weeks in the city and nearby in order to be immediately at hand in case of a recovery by his only close friend on earth. The recovery never came or lasted for any sustained period of time . Carter was in effect stranded throughout the period that Carnarvon lingered between 19 March- 5 April 1923. Carter records in his diary for 21 March 1923 “ Arrived Cairo. Found Ld. C. very ill with an acute attack of erysipelas and blood poisoning.” On 26 March 1923 Carnarvon’s estranged wife Almina arrived from England after a horrendous journey by air and train and ship. This date is also marked by Carter and a diary entry “ Ld, C developed pneumonia “. A news report suggests that on the 28 March 1923 at midday Carter and Carnarvon “ had a long chat” , but this is not mentioned in Carter’s diary. Such an event of the two men otherwise being able to converse together - had it occurred - would surely have merited a mention by Carter, especially as they had a massive fall- out only a few weeks before. There were things that Carter wanted to discuss with his patron. There is no mention by Carter of the two men ever speaking together again because Carnarvon was in fact knocked out. Moreover the silence by Carter – and other overwhelming evidence shown in this book- provides the further prima- facie indication to support the assertion that Carnarvon was kept in a tranquilised state during these long days –and he was certainly incapable of seeing anyone to chat ; he was being cared for around the clock by a team of doctors, nurses and his doting daughter , Lady Evelyn Herbert , who held the fort for the Carnarvon family until Almina arrived.

As soon as Almina stepped into the foyer of the Continental Hotel she took over : that was the personal style of Almina, 5th Countess of Carnarvon, a skilful, but ruthless woman, certainly no push over, she was someone who had headed and worked hands-ons in two famous nursing homes for the wounded, burnt and dying cases from the battlefields of the First World War. The steady flow of medical bulletins on Lord Carnarvon’s condition -announced by the news agencies – and telegraphed across the world were contrived and fashioned. Previously the agencies had been starved of news by Lord Carnarvon on Tutankhamun because of the Earl’s self interest in a massive monetary deal with The Times newspaper to give them exclusive rights, that unpopular situation had forced a stand off with journalists and editors. The news correspondents in Cairo and Luxor were still putty in the Carnarvon family’s hands and agreed they would publish the family’s clipped reports about the Earl – their direct comments as well as information under the doctors’ names. These reports comprised only what suited the Carnarvon advisers, who feared the worst . There was a lot of money and investment at stake, deals over publishing and film rights. Lady Evelyn was petrified that the truth about her father’s terminal condition would become known. What was being hidden from public knowledge was that Lord Carnarvon was in the advanced stages of throat cancer.

Only Almina knew what to do now - in Cairo she was conducting the entire show - she was in a sense judge, jury and executioner and she had brought a mystery doctor with her from England to ensure Carnarvon’s endgame was handled with dignity and his final dying days were pain free. NB The event of Lord George Carnarvon’s dying days in Cairo is probed in “ Carnarvon, Carter and Tutankhamun Revisited : The hidden truths and doomed relationships “ a new book from William Cross to be published on 4 November, 2016. The above article is a rough draft from the new book which will be sourced with suitable evidence in the End Notes.