Lord Carnavon, Direct Descendant of Sir Robert Belknap, Meets King Tut

Notable Descendant of Sir Robert Belknap (abt 1330-1401): On 23 November 1922–one hundred years ago–George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon (1866-1923), an enthusiastic amateur Egyptologist who provided financial backing for the discovery and excavation of ancient Egyptian antiquities, arrived at the Valley of the Kings near Luxor, Egypt, where Howard Carter, British archaeologist, had stumbled upon an intact tomb. On 26 November, Carter made a tiny breach in the top left hand corner of the tomb doorway, enabling him to peer in by the light of a candle. When Lord Carnarvon asked, “can you see anything?”, Carter replied “yes, wonderful things!” That night, Lord Carnavon, his daughter Lady Evelyn Herbert, Carter, and Carter’s assistant, entered the tomb of the 18th Dynasty Pharaoh Tutankhamun (c. 1341-1323 BC)–the first people in modern times to enter an intact ancient Egyptian tomb, the best-preserved pharaonic burial chamber ever found in the Valley of the Kings. The discovery of King Tut’s tomb caused an international sensation, with its rich trove of over 5,000 items intended to guide and supply the boy pharaoh in the afterlife. Unfortunately, on 19 March 1923, Lord Carnarvon suffered a severe mosquito bite which became infected by a razor cut. On 5 April, he died in the Continental-Savoy Hotel in Cairo caused, according to contemporaneous reports, by blood poisoning progressing to pneumonia, but labeled by sensationalist press reports as the “Curse of Tutankhamun” or the “Mummy’s Curse.” Lord Carnavon is a direct descendant of Sir Robert Belknap through numerous lines of descent. His country house, Highclere Castle, served as the exterior and upstairs filming location of the highly popular television series Downton Abbey. George Reginald Oliver Molyneux Herbert, 8th Earl of Carnarvon, great grandson of the 5th Earl of Carnavon, currently occupies the family seat of Highclere Castle.

Categorised in: Sir Robert Belknap Descendants

This post was written by Brent J. Belnap