Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale (d. 1892)
Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale (Albert Victor Christian Edward; 8 January 1864 – 14 January 1892) was the eldest child of the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) and grandson of the reigning British monarch, Queen Victoria. From the time of his birth, he was second in the line of succession to the British throne, but did not become king as he died before his father and grandmother.
Albert Victor was known to his family, and many later biographers, as "Eddy". When young, he travelled the world extensively as a naval cadet, and as an adult he joined the British Army, but did not undertake any active military duties. After two unsuccessful courtships, he became engaged to be married to Princess Victoria Mary of Teck in late 1891. A few weeks later, he died during an influenza pandemic. Mary later married his younger brother, who became King George V in 1910.
Albert Victor's intellect, sexuality, and mental health have been the subject of speculation. Rumours in his time linked him with the Cleveland Street scandal, which involved a homosexual brothel; however, there is no conclusive evidence that he ever went there, or was indeed homosexual. Some authors have argued that he was the serial killer known as Jack the Ripper, but contemporaneous documents show that Albert Victor could not have been in London at the time of the murders, and the claim is widely dismissed.
1864Jan, 8
Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale
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Events on 1864
- 29Apr
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Theta Xi fraternity is founded at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the only fraternity to be founded during the American Civil War. - 5May
Battle of the Wilderness
American Civil War: The Battle of the Wilderness begins in Spotsylvania County. - 7May
Battle of the Wilderness
American Civil War: The Army of the Potomac, under General Ulysses S. Grant, breaks off from the Battle of the Wilderness and moves southwards. - 7May
City of Adelaide (1864)
The world's oldest surviving clipper ship, the City of Adelaide is launched by William Pile, Hay and Co. in Sunderland, England, for transporting passengers and goods between Britain and Australia. - 7Sep
William Tecumseh Sherman
American Civil War: Atlanta is evacuated on orders of Union General William Tecumseh Sherman.