Almina’s Disappointment with Lord Carnarvon
Naturally Victor was Lord Carnarvon’s best man at his wedding to Almina Wombwell in 1895. Almina (who was barely aged 17 when engaged and only aged 19 at her marriage) was inexperienced with men, although her mother, Marie Boyer, guided her into keeping herself alluring and mysterious but coy. She loved clothes and shoes it was said spent upwards of five hours a day trying on and taking off her trousseau.
But Almina was disappointed in Lord Carnarvon’s coldness and remoteness. Even once married, Carnarvon showed little familiar interest in her, and merely issued orders, only Victor showed her any kind of attention as a young girl on the threshold of seeking a man’s love and for a glimmer of romance.
Prince Victor Duleep Singh usually accompanied the Earl and Almina around their world, including trips to Scotland for the shooting rounds (a passion he always shared with Carnarvon), the London season rituals, and he travelled or met up with them on the Continent for the horse racing.
Almina soon stepped out as the 5th Countess of Carnarvon and quickly gained confidence, including finding sanctuary below stairs at Highclere. She knew she could be a dazzling hostess, a show wife and proved this in the first year of being Chatelaine of Highclere, by entertaining the Prince of Wales and his party, to great admiration. Almina also realised Lord Carnarvon’s faults were deeply rooted, he was incapable of loving. Victor helped explain everything since he’d been there at Carnarvon’s side for almost already two decades. There were in effect three people inside the marriage. Almina offered no objections to having Victor around, she encouraged him and asked him to stay as long as he wished. Carrnarvon enjoyed having his friend at hand too.
For more information e-mail William Cross, FSA Scot author of
“ The Life and Secrets of Almina Carnarvon”
A candid biography of Almina, 5th Countess of Carnarvon
George Carnarvon Forced to Marry To Pay Off His Debts
George, Lord Porchester became the 5th Earl of Carnarvon in 1890.
By 1893, as Lord Carnarvon’s huge debt mounted, his creditors required him to seek an early bail out plan. He was forced to marry someone with money. But in no state for matrimony, physically or emotionally he agreed to make Almina Wombwell his Countess, simply because she had access to Rothschild money.
Carnarvon liked leering at the images of actresses, or music hall type, and was content being a passive voyeur. As a boy of nine, gazing on the beautiful dead body of his beloved mother had probably arrested his desire towards real women. He found Almina repugnant, he was tall and thin, and she was small and foreign and endlessly spoke French. Almina was swept into the marriage deal not knowing the Earl’s incapacity, or that his manner and temper were vicious and thus could not predict the inevitable doom to follow. The Earl rudely shunned Almina almost as soon as they became engaged – he announced he was leaving Britain on a long yachting holiday with his chum, Victor Duleep Singh, to South America.