Glenbuchat Heritage

93 Re Queen Victoria's leters to Dr. Profeit

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Dr Profeit was very close to Queen Victoria and in fact his office at Balmoral was just near the Queen’s bedroom. The Queen was a prolific letter writer and often confided in Dr Profeit

After Dr Profeit’s death, his son George found a chest of 300 letters written to Dr Profeit from Queen Victoria. Apparently, some contained reference to the relationship between the Queen and John Brown. In 1904 George Profeit contacted the new king’s secretary Francis Knollys. It has been said that George was trying to blackmail the king into giving him a significant sum for the letters. Victor Jordan had a copy of the correspondence involving Francis Knollys and Dr Reid which is shown above. In fact, it seems that Georges requests were rather modest namely an extra pension of £50 per year for George’s sister Victoria and a minor diplomatic post for George’s brother Robert. Hardly a King’s Ransom. Francis Knollys contacted Dr James Reid, the Queens personal physician. Dr Reid was the son of the GP at Peterhead, and although familiar with the Doric accent he was well travelled, had studied abroad and had a good working knowledge of German. Dr Reid intervened and saw the letters which he said were “Quite compromising”.

George Profeit handed over the documents and it is assumed that his sister got her pension and his brother received a post of Vice Consul in Sulina, which is in Rumania on the Black Sea.

Letter above from Francis Knollys to Dr. James Reid

My Dear Reid,

The King desires me to say that he will give Dr Profeit’s sister a pension of £50 a year in addition to the one she already possesses, for her life, and he will do what he can to obtain an appointment for the brother. I have already spoken about this latter point tin the proper quarter, and I will again mention the subject when I return to London.at the beginning of the New Year.

I presume therefor that Mr Profeit will send to you for the King all the letters, and copies of letters that he may possess in conjunction with the late queen, and that he will forward also a declaration to the effect that he has given them all up to you, and has kept no further ones.

Believe me

Yours sincerely

Knollys



There is then a letter from Dr. Reid to Mr. George Profeit which reads:

My dear Mr Profeit,

I had a talk with Lord Knollys at Windsor on Sunday, and write a line to tell you that the reason why he had not written again. Is that he is writing, as you wished, until they can get an appointment for your Brother.

He says this cannot be done at once as there are not always vacancies, and I think the Colonial Office people may have promised some; but Lord Knollys is pursuing the matter, and so it will not be long till he gets the appointment for your Brother. He will then write and tell me.

It is all right about your sister’s £100 a year for life; and the payment will begin as soon as the letters have been handed over.

Sincerely yours

James Reid




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