Peter was a boy who was found wandering alone in a forest near Hanover in 1725 - he couldn't speak, he could climb trees really fast and he survived on nuts and berries. He managed to escape once, but they managed to catch him again and were about to ship him off to an asylum when George I had him brought to London as a gift for his daughter. The court, and indeed, the whole of the country, was fascinated by this feral boy, and he was actually a huge celebrity in his time. Peter was given a tutor, but never learnt to say anything more than his own name, and was, for all intents and purposes, treated as a pet - he even had a collar with his name on it, in case he wandered off. However, he was treated well by the court, and when they eventually grew tired of him, they sent him to live in the country, where he lived very happily until about the age of 70. He even developed a taste for gin, and when drinking, would sing little songs.
Initally, it was thought that Peter was autistic, but now the theory is that he suffered from Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, a genetic defect, which would explain his mental difficulties, as well as some aspects of his physical appearance, like his cupid's bow mouth. I kind of love Peter, he is a weird little anomaly in the otherwise smooth veneer of palace life.
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| Knitted throne - awesomeness to the EXTREME! |
Just one more Kensington Palace story, its the last one I swear. And if you laugh at this, you will know that you are a true history nerd. When George I came to rule England, after the death of Queen Anne, he planned a beautiful speech, where he intended to introduce himself to the English people by saying: "I have come for the good of you all". What a beautiful sentiment.
However, what he actually said was: "I have come for all your goods". And in a thick German accent (as displayed here by the amazing Sarah Chalke). It went down like a fart in a spacesuit. Can't you just picture it. Ah, history, you gotta love it!
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