Lord Carnarvon

Photograph of Highclere Castle © Mike Searle under a Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike license

I have not read this book because customer reviews don't rate it's accuracy which for me is vital. However, for those who are interested in, rather than studying Ancient Egypt, the familial connection may be of interest. This is the book by Fiona Herbert, whom you'll just have watched in the video above, about the famous partnership of Carter and Carnarvon. So far as I am aware it's not available in America but English readers can click on the picture for the link to it on Amazon UK.

Lord Carnarvon was one of the first drivers in Britain. His surviving reputation is both as a cautious driver, but also as one taken with speed. A motoring accident in 1901 changed his life. He was bowling along a straight forest road in Germany, heading towards the town of Bad Schwalbach to meet his wife, Almina. His chauffeur, Edward Trotman was in the passenger seat. Carnarvon came over a rise and to his horror saw a steep, hidden dip opening up in front of him. At the bottom were two carts pulled by large bullocks.

Carnarvon tried to avoid disaster and pass the carts on the verge but a wheel caught a pile of stones and the car overturned, throwing Edward Trotman free, but trapping Carnarvon. Fortunately he had got the car of the hard road and it overturned into a soft, muddy ditch but his injuries were still serious. Lapsing in and out of consciousness as Trotman moved him from the wreck, Carnarvon's question was whether he had killed anyone. Trotman reassured him that he hadn't.

His injuries included a broken wrist, burns and damage to his palette, but the biggest problem seemed to be a strain placed on his lungs. His health had never been robust and the motoring accident left him permanently weakened. For the rest of his life he would often need to retreat to bed to rest, and immediately after the accident he was very sickly indeed.

HIs doctors advised him against spending winters in the damp and cold of England and from then on, Carnarvon took to spending the winter season in Egypt.

The money troubles affecting the present owners of HIgherclere Castle wouldn't have been unfamilar to Lord Carnarvon himself. Heritage Key added sub-headings to my article about Lord Carnarvon, one of which descibres him as "Rich and Horsey". Horsey he certainly was - he founded the famous Highclere Stud - but rich he wasn't. He was plauged by debt and was fortunate to marry into money, marrying Almina Victoria Maria Alexandra Wombwell in a lavish society wedding at Westminster Cathedral in 26th June 1895, with Almina becoming the Countess of Carnarvon.

Almina was probably a part of the Roschild banking dynasty - it is believed she was the illegitimate daughter of Alfred Rothschild, although the Highclere site identifies her as the daughter of Captain Frederick Charles Wombwell and Marie Boyer. Certainly Alfred behaved like a doting father, lavishing the couple with a generous dowry which Lord Carnarvon needed to pay off debts. Until Alfred died, the couple apparently regularly tapped him for handouts and it was probably Alfred's money which effectively financed Howard Carter's excavations in the Valley of the Kings, even though Lord Carnarvon is always regarded as the sponsor.

By 1921 money was again tight in the Highclere household and Lord Carnarvon proposed suspending operations in the Valley of the Kings. Howard Carter shamed Carnarvon into financing one final season by saying he would finance the dig if necessary. Clearly that would have been unbearable to Lord Carnarvon - as wily Carter probably knew - as an sense of inpecuniarit could have badly affected Lord Carnarvon's reputation.

Lord Carnarvon's first four years in Egypt were unsuccessful. He is reported to have sat in a "cage" to shield him from insects and the sun while he directed a team of labourers excavating in a small concession near Luxor.

Unfortunately all he had to show for his efforts was one mummified cat. His friends and assiciates persuaded him to team up with Howard Carter. Carter had the connections to secure promising concessions; Lord Carnarvon had the financial resources to fund large scale excavations.

It is important to understand Lord Carnarvon's motivations. While he clearly developed a passion for Egypt, his primary interest was as a collector of Antiquities. In the early 20th century it was customary for finds to be split between the excavation director (and his sponsors like Carnarvon) and the Egytian Government - a finders fee in kind. Items are still on display at Highclere Castle which the 5th Earl brought back with him from Egypt, although they don't include any items from the tomb of Tutankhamun.

George Herbert, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon is buried in a grave on a hill overlooking the Highclere estate. Some people think it's a rather grand setting, fitting of a man partly responsible for finding the second most famous tomb in history but personally I think it's somewhat low key and the fencing is plain ugly.

Photographs of grave © RIk Johnson under a Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike licence

There is a biography of Lord Carnarvon by Lady Burghclere in the Tomb of Tutankhamun by Howard Carter and A.C. Mace. The book was reprinted in 2003 and you might find a copy on Amazon, but Carnarvon's biography should be available free of charge via Google Books. Follow the link and it should take you straight to it.

If you have any extra information or questions about this lens you can contact Kate Phizackerley, the lensmistress, using the contact form I have provided.

You can also follow Kate Phizackerley on Twitter or just follow News from the Valley of the Kings .

Kate has written many Squidoo lenses. If you are interested in reading more of them, please visit this lens where they are all listed by subject and category eg Ancient Egypt, Book Reviews etc..

And if you would like to know more about Kate then please visit her personal lens on Squidoo or Kate's main personal hub and web site.

And finally, I'd like to thank a few developers whose icons I feature on my lenses: Dry Icons for the Portfolio icon; Gopal Raju for the Twitter Bird; Icons-Land for Sweet Angel; Maja Benic for the Contact & Home icons.