Monster of Glamis
The Monster of Glamis (allegedly born October 21, 1821), sometimes referred to as the Horror of Glamis, was allegedly a deformed member of the Bowes-Lyon family, kept in seclusion in Glamis Castle, Scotland.
It is difficult to determine whether the 'Monster' is factual or not. Much of the available information comes from James Wentworth Day's The Queen Mother's Family Story, published in 1967.
Birth
The alleged "monster" of Glamis was Thomas Bowes-Lyon, rightful Lord Glamis, first child of George Bowes-Lyon and Charlotte Grimstead, later the Dowager Lady Glamis. They were the great-great-grandparents of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, who became Queen Consort in 1936. Thomas was recorded in Robert Douglas's Peerage of Scotland as "born and died, October 21, 1821".
The legend of his survival appears to have started in local villages as the result of an account by the midwife (whose name was not recorded). The deformed child was alleged to have been in rude health when the midwife left, causing suspicion when his death was announced a day or two later. The child Thomas has no gravestone, a matter which tends to support the initial rumours. (Thomas had been baptised as a Christian on birth.)
He was said to have been nursed through infancy in secret and later confined in one of Glamis Castle's many (and several are known) secret rooms. This part of the story of Thomas did not become current until the 1960s, when family accounts were first published.
Mentions in fiction
- In the story Vengeance for a Lonely Man (London, Headline, 1992.) by Simon Green, the plot and some events seems to be inspired heavily by the tale of The Monster and to a lesser extent Glamis Castle itself.
- The short story The Horror at Chilton Castle by Joseph Payne Brennan also has striking similarities to the tale of the Monster.
- In the comic book series The Invisibles, the character of the Moonchild is said to be the Monster of Glamis.
- in Haunted by Kelley Armstrong, the story of the Monster of Glamis is linked to the demon Dantalian, trapped within the walls of Glamis Castle.
- in the novel "Death at Glamis Castle" by Robin Paige the Monster of Glamis tale is stirred up during a murder investigation.
- In the 1940s, French surrealist author Maurice Sandoz wrote "The Maze," a novel clearly based on the legend of the Glamis monster. In this story, however, the "monster" is a kindly, long-lived Scottish nobleman who had the misfortune to be born in the shape of a toad (or frog). His existence is kept secret, and he manages his affairs and property through a series of nephews. In 1953, the novel was filmed by director William Cameron Menzies as The Maze.
- In M. J. Trow's Lestrade and the Gift of the Prince, "John", Earl Beardie, is the bastard son of Queen Victoria and her ghillie John Brown.[1]
References
- The Queen Mother's Family Story - James Wentworth-Day (Robert Hale, London, 1967).
External links
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