ROYAL RUMOURS: WERE THEY KILLED?

ROMANOV RIDDLE Dynstaty came to an end in 1918 Kenya in the 40s was a playground for aristocracy, who were notorious for their love of drink, drugs and sex. But on January 24, 1941, Josslyn Victor Hay, the 22nd Earl of Erroll, was found dead on the outskirts of the capital Nairobi. The question of who pulled the trigger sparked controversial theories – but the crime remains unsolved. It inspired 1987 movie White Mischief, starring Charles Dance and Greta Scacchi. The killer was named as Sir Henry “Jock” Delves They ruled Russia for more than three centuries. But the Romanov dynasty came to a brutal end on July 17, 1918 when the entire royal family, along with their servants, were shot by a Bolshevik firing squad and dumped in a mass grave. Rumours soon began to circulate that Tsar Nicholas II’s daughter Anastasia may have survived, fleeing with the crown jewels sewn into the lining of her corset. When the grave was found 60 years later, archeologists only discovered nine bodies, not the 11 believed to have been Broughton, who was believed to have killed the Earl in a fit of jealousy over his affair with his wife Diana – but he was later acquitted. Another theory is that Diana put the gun to his head because Joss refused to marry her. And a more far-fetched view is that the assassination was carried out by MI6 because the peer had fascist leanings. killed, and were unable to identify Anastasia. It fuelled speculation that she was still alive. Recently, Russian scientists claimed to have found the remains of Anastasia and one of her sisters in another grave nearby. But many are still not convinced and believe the princess survived. They think her descendants could one day try to reclaim the Russian crown... He was a bisexual prince whose antics were a constant source of embarrassment to the Palace. Prince George, Duke of Kent, who was fifth in line to the throne, would have put other playboys to shame with his drug-taking, drinking and habit of dressing in drag. So when, on August 25, 1942, a plane carrying the 39-year-old prince was mysteriously crashed into the side of a hill in the Highlands, not everyone KENYA KILLING Mystery surrounds the Earl of Erroll’s death in 1941 Well known for his eccentric behaviour and passion for spending large amounts, which left him in debt, Bavaria’s King Ludwig II was loved by his people – but hated by his government. He was declared mad and unfit to govern in 1886 after a team of experts took issue with his strange habits, such as dining outdoors in all MAD KING - Ludwig II’s death is shrouded in mystery thought it was just an accident. The RAF flying boat, destined for Reykjavik in Iceland, crashed without warning shortly after taking off from a naval base, killing all 14 men on board when it exploded on impact. Theories include the prince being murdered by British intelligence amid fears his lifestyle, which included cocaine addiction and bedding both men and women, was about to be exposed. weathers and constructing grandiose fairytale castles. Then, just three days after he was dethroned, Ludwig went for a walk on the banks of a lake in the palace garden and disappeared. His body was later pulled out of the lake and his death was recorded as suicide by drowning, even though no water was found in his lungs and he was a strong swimmer. Many believe he was murdered by his own government, and it remains an enduring mystery. The identity of Jack the Ripper has intrigued criminologists for the last 129 years. More than 500 people have been suspected of being the infamous Victorian serial killer, who murdered at least five women in 1888. Among them was the once future King of Britain, Prince Albert Victor, who was known to frequent brothels in

London’s East End. The On the morning of the January 21, 1936, the people of Britain woke to the startling news that King George V, who had guided them through the Great War, was dead. The Palace said he had lost his long-fought battle against lung disease. But in 1986 it emerged that PRINCE GEORGE Tragedy or treason? theory is that after he got a prostitute pregnant, the Royals had Queen Victoria’s physician Dr Gull brutalise her at a mental institution until she forgot everything. The illegitimate child was then left with another prostitute, but she blabbed about the relationship to other street girls - after which each was quickly disposed of in the grisly Ripper murders. King George, the Queen’s grandfather, was involuntarily euthanised with a fatal dose of morphine by Lord Daw son of Penn, the King’s physician. Dawson said he acted to preserve the King’s dignity, and so the death at 11.55pm would be in time to be announced in the morning papers. But the revelations have led some to say the official cause of death should be recognised as murder.