“The Illustrious Client”

“The Illustrious Client” (ILLU) is one of the cases in the Canon in which Sherlock Holmes was contracted by the British Royal family either directly or indirectly. It is widely believed the illustrious client represented by Colonel Damery was King Edward VII, the son of Queen Victoria, who had just succeeded to his mother’s throne. I also had no reason to question this well-known theory. However, the letter from the Bootmakers of Toronto announcing a special contest about discovering the identity of the illustrious client planted a small question in my mind. That is why I started to write this article.

First, I needed to check whether Edward VII was suitable for the illustrious client or not. According to Sherlockian chronologists, this adventure occurred on September 3 (the Canon, Baring-Gould, Christ, Dakin) or September 13 (Bell, Zeisler) or October 3 (Folsom, Hall), or just some day in September (Brend) 1902.

It is a well known fact that Edward VII’s coronation was scheduled on June 26, 1902, but it was postponed because of his sudden illness. He was finally crowned on August 9, 1902, at Westminster Abbey. Many kings, queens, princes and princesses gathered from all over Europe; in addition, many soldiers from British colonies all over the world attended the coronation parade. The great Imperial festival was concluded with the review of the Fleet in Portsmouth five days after the coronation, that is, August 14. According to Edward VII: His Life and Times by Sir Richard Holmes, “The King was not thoroughly convalescent at the Coronation, and he spent the month following the ceremony of the Royal yacht recruiting his health.” This means Edward VII left England with his yacht after August 14 for one month at least, and he did not return until September 14. As I stated above, there were so many guests that he might have left much later in order to hold parties for them. Anyway, Edward VII was not in England on September 3 or 13, dates proposed by many chronologists as the date of ILLU. In addition, even on October 3, the King would have just returned from his holiday trip, and would have had not had any time to hear General de Melville’s problem right before or after his coronation. My good friend the eminent Sherlockian scholar Mr. John Hall told me in our private communication that Colonel Damery could contact with the King by telegram, and he did not need to be in London. It’s possible the King ordered the Colonel to lend the precious dishes to Holmes by telegram. However, in the last scene of this story, Watson wrote “A brougham was waiting for him. He (Colonel Damery) sprang in, gave a hurried order to the cockaded coachman, and drove swiftly away. He flung his overcoat half out of the window to cover the armorial bearings upon the panel, but I had seen them in the glare of our fanlight none the less. I gasped with surprise.” Why did the Colonel get on such a coach? If it were the King’s coach, why did the King lent it to the Colonel? If he was alone, he could have chosen a hansom cab to conceal his identity. It would be too dangerous to use the King’s coach without it being necessary. If the King was on the sea, and the Colonel used the king’s coach without his permission, it would be a betrayal. The only possibility was that it was the “Illustrious client” himself in the coach. That is the simplest answer. But the King was on the sea. As a result, we must conclude that the “Illustrious client” was not King Edward.

It is an unexpected truth, but it is safe to say that there is only a slight possibility that King Edward VII was the illustrious client.

If not he, who was the illustrious client? There were several possibilities. At least, he was a member of the Royal family. Dr Watson would not have been amazed by just Dukes or Counts. He was over middle-age, as he knew Miss de Melville from her childhood. He had a good collection of Chinese pottery. He knew General de Melville well. These are the bits of evidence we can use to find him.

King Edward had three younger brothers. The oldest one was Alfred Ernest Albert, Duke of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1844-1900). He was already dead when ILLU occurred in 1902, and there is no possibility that it was him, though he was a collector of glass and ceramic ware. The youngest brother, Leopold George Duncan Albert, Duke of Albany (1853-1884) also died long before the case.

The last possibility was Arthur William Patrick Albert, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (1850-1942). He was the only brother of Edward VII alive when ILLU occurred. He joined the Royal Military College in his youth, and served as an army soldier throughout his life. He was promoted to the Field Marshall in 1902. He also served in India (1886-1890). He visited Japan with his wife privately when he was the Governor of India. He might have had a connection with General de Melville during his service in India or at some other place. It is possible he first met Miss de Melville in the community of Indian British army officers. He was fifty-two years old in 1902, long enough for an “old friend, one who has known the General intimately for many years and taken a paternal interest in this young girl since she wore short frocks.” He was the only child of Queen Victoria who did not give her any trouble and was the favorite son. This would mean he was a gentle and reliable person.

Later, the Duke became the Governor General of Canada (1911-16) and many Canadian places are named after him. He is one of the most popular sons of Queen Victoria in Canada. It was a joy for me to find a Japanese and Canadian connection with my “Illustrious Client,” as I started my research motivated by the Canadian competition.

In addition, concerning my country, his son Arthur Frederick Patrick Albert (1883-1938) also visited Japan in 1906 to make Emperor Meiji a knight of the Garter, in 1912 to attend the funeral ceremony of Emperor Meiji, and in 1918 to present the title of Field Marshal to Emperor Taisho.

The Duke of Connaught died on 16th January, 1942. His son had already died two years before, and his grandson Alastair Arthur succeeded his title. However, Alastair lived only for a while. He died on 26th April, 1943, in Canada. He had no issue.

(Canadian Holmes vol.26, No.4, 2003 & The Shoso-in Bulletin vol.14, 2004)