by Otto A. Wurl, M.D.
On infrequent occasions, the Canon draws attention to cases in which Sherlock Holmes has been of service to the royalty of Great Britain. It will be the purpose of this paper to review the three instances in which one or more members of the royal family, directly or indirectly, was served by the Master.
The first occurred very early in Holmes' career. He was at the time living in rooms in Montague Street. According to Dr. Watson's account, this was the setting into which Reginald Musgrave of Hurlstone Manor in Sussex presented himself to Holmes four years after Holmes left the university to set up his consulting detective practice in London.
Holmes had a slight acquaintance with Musgrave at university as both attended the same college. This meeting and the events which followed led Holmes to remark: " it is to the interest which was aroused by that singular chain of events, and the large issues which proved to be at stake, that I trace my first stride towards the position which I now hold". This "singular chain of events, and the large issues which proved to be at stake" were the result of Holmes' correct interpretation of the document known as the Musgrave Ritual.
Musgrave and his immediate forebears did not appreciate the significance of the ritual. Reginald Musgrave identified the document as "nothing of any importance at all, but simply a copy of the questions and answers in the singular old observance called the Musgrave Ritual. It is a sort of ceremony peculiar to our family, which each Musgrave for centuries past has gone through on his coming of age--a thing of private interest, and perhaps of some little importance to the archeologist, like our own blazonings and charges, but of no practical use whatever."
But this ritual had come under the scrutiny of Brunton, the educated and gifted butler of Hurlstone, who pursued the catechism to find a hidden chamber in the cellar of Hurlstone. In this chamber Brunton found a wooden box containing coins of Charles the First, precious stones, and a metal work in the form of a double ring which had been bent and twisted out of shape.
Holmes conjectured that most of these items had been taken from the box and found their way into a small lake near the manor house where they had been thrown by the housemaid who assisted Brunton in his quest. It was Holmes' belief Brunton solicited the housemaid's help in lifting the heavy stone which that covered the opening of the hidden chamber in the cellar. The maid, in avenging Brunton's unfaithfulness to her, trapped him in the chamber by dislodging a piece of wood holding open the heavy stone above the chamber opening. In this manner, the housemaid was responsible for the death of Brunton, whose body was found by Holmes and Musgrave in their pursuit of the catechism of the Musgrave Ritual.
The historical significance of the Musgrave Ritual was that the twisted double ring was the crown of the House of Stuart which had been worn by Charles the First until his death by execution in 1649 after a stormy reign during the English Civil War.
Consider the catechism of the ritual:
"Whose was it?"
"His who is gone."
That would have been Charles I.
"Who shall have it?"
"He who will come."
This would have been Charles II who succeeded to the throne in 1660. For reasons unknown, the crown lay in its hiding place in the secret chamber of the cellar of Hurlstone in western Sussex until its discovery by Brunton and rediscovery by Sherlock Holmes in the company of Reginald Musgrave. The latter that supplied the connection of the crown of the royal Stuarts with his family: "My ancestor, Sir Ralph Musgrave, was a prominent cavalier and the right-hand man of Charles the Second in his wanderings."
And so, Sherlock Holmes in his service to Reginald Musgrave, confirmed the linkage of the Musgrave name with the Royal House of Stuart and established the crown had indeed "once encircled the brows of the royal Stuarts". It seems highly improbable that Brunton perceived the true significance of this metal work which had been bent and twisted out of shape in his momentary contemplation of it before his life was snuffed out by a woman scorned.
The second instance of service to the royal family was suggested by The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans. In late November 1895, Mycroft Holmes urgently sought his brother's assistance. Mycroft, seven years older than Sherlock, was employed by the British government. Sherlock had previously introduced Dr. Watson to his brother, but on the occasion in question, Sherlock observed Mycroft occasionally "is the British government".
The case concerned plans for construction of a new submarine by the British Admiralty. According to Mycroft, these plans were "the most jealously guarded of all government secrets". Mycroft emphasized " Naval warfare becomes impossible within the radius of a Bruce-Partington's operation." Seven of the ten papers comprising these plans were found in the pocket of a junior clerk employed at the Woolwich arsenal whose dead body was found outside the Aldgate Station on the underground system in London. The remaining three papers were missing.
The gravity of this occurrence was explained by Mycroft, "But it is a real crisis. I have never seen the Prime Minister so upset. As to the admiralty -- it is buzzing like an overturned beehive." And later this note: "Use your powers! Go to the scene of the crime! See the people concerned! Leave no stone unturned! In all your career you have never had so great a chance of serving your country." And finally: " the cabinet awaits your final report with the utmost anxiety. Urgent representatives have arrived from the very highest quarter. The whole force of the state is at your back if you should need it, Mycroft."
Sherlock Holmes was not initially optimistic he could succeed, "I'm afraid that all the queen's horses and all the queen's men cannot avail in this matter".
However, when Holmes ascertained that, of a list supplied by Mycroft of foreign spies and international agents, only one, a Hugo Oberstein, resided at an address which back stair windows opened onto the underground line where the body of the junior clerk was found. Thus he was encouraged to propose to Watson that the two of them should burgle the residence for confirmatory evidence, aware that Oberstein was known to have left London, presumably with the missing papers.
Watson's immediate response was, "I don't like it, Holmes."
To which Holmes said, "My dear fellow, you shall keep watch in the street. I'll do the criminal part. It's not a time to stick at trifles. Think of Mycroft's note, of the admiralty, the cabinet, the exalted person who waits for news. We are bound to go."
Dr. Watson rose from the table. "You are right, Holmes. We are bound to go."
The Canon is clear as to the events that documented the recovery of the remaining plans of the submarine and the apprehension of the parties responsible for this international crisis. Dr. Watson concluded the narrative: " some weeks afterwards I learned incidentally that my friend spent a day at Windsor, whence he returned with a remarkably fine emerald tie-pin. When I asked him if he had bought it, he answered that it was a present from a certain gracious lady in whose interests he had once been fortunate enough to carry out a small commission. He said no more; but I fancy that I could guess at that lady's august name, and I have little doubt that the emerald pin will forever recall to my friend's memory The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans."
It seems appropriate this essay should conclude with a brief accounting of The Adventure of the Illustrious Client." In early September 1902, Watson sought Holmes' permission to publish the narrative to which I allude. Holmes' comment: "It can't hurt now" represented a departure from the answer he had given annually for the previous ten years. Watson's persistence in the matter rewarded his belief the case was: "In some ways, the supreme moment of my friend's career."
The case was that of the unfortunate love affair involving the Austrian murderer, Baron Adelbert Gruner and a Violet De Merville, the "young, rich, beautiful, accomplished daughter" of a General De Merville. This liaison was brought to Holmes' attention by a Sir James Damery, a man well known in London circles for his social diplomatic skills. He informed Holmes of the horrible consequences of a proposed marriage between the two parties and sought Holmes' assistance in its prevention.
In presenting the circumstances, Sir James noted this horrible affair should be prevented and observed the client in whose interest he was acting had expressed the hope that Holmes might be persuaded to assist in preventing the marriage.
Holmes responded, "I did not understand that you were merely an intermediary. Who is the principal?"
To this, Sir James asked Holmes not to press the question. He explained, "It is important that I should be able to assure him that his honoured name has been in no way dragged into the matter. His motives are to the last degree, honourable and chivalrous, but he prefers to remain unknown. I need not say that your fees will be assured and that you will be given a perfectly free hand. Surely the actual name of your client is immaterial?" In the end, Holmes accepted the conditions imposed and stated, "I may add that your problem interests me, and that I shall be prepared to look into it."
Further conversation with Sir James gave Holmes additional information concerning the Baron: "He has expensive tastes. He is a horse fancier. For a short time he played polo at Hurlingham, but then this Prague affair got noised about and he had to leave. He collects books and pictures. He is a man with a considerable artistic side to his nature. He is, I believe, a recognized authority upon Chinese pottery and has written a book upon the subject."
Holmes concluded his interview with the nobleman: " well, Sir James, you will inform your client that I am turning my mind upon Baron Gruner. I can say no more. I have sources of information of my own, and I dare say we may find some means of opening the matter up."
The means of "opening the matter up" has been described in great detail by Dr. Watson. These measures included the participation of a Miss Kitty Winter, one of a number of Baron Gruner's previous mistresses who told Holmes of the existence of a book kept by the Baron in which he documented lurid details of his numerous sexual conquests of the past. From Miss Kitty, Holmes ascertained where this book might be found "in the pigeon hole of the old bureau in the inner study" of the Baron's house. But, Holmes reasoned that, to obtain this book it would be necessary for the Baron's attention to be distracted in his outer study where he kept his Chinese pottery collection, long enough for Holmes to find the book. This distraction was accomplished by Dr. Watson posing as a physician whose hobby was collecting Chinese pottery. Dr. Watson, under the name of Dr. Hill Barton, was given a delicate blue saucer of the Ming Dynasty, provided by Sir James, with an offer to sell the entire set to the Baron.
This ruse permitted Holmes to find the book and escape with it through the window of the inner study into the garden. His departure, however, was observed by the Baron who, in his pursuit of Holmes, received the full contents of a vial of vitriol, sulfuric acid, thrown in his face by Kitty Winter standing outside the open window by Holmes' side in the garden. Her presence was explained by Holmes: " I gathered the girl up at the last moment. How could I guess what the little packet was that she carried so carefully under her cloak? I thought she had come altogether on my business, but it seems she had some of her own." This tragic event was of course witnessed by Dr. Watson who applied appropriate measures to alleviate the Baron's suffering.
Later when Holmes and Watson returned to Baker Street with the book, they were soon joined by Sir James. He stated, "You have done wonders -- wonders but if these injuries are as terrible as Dr. Watson describes, then surely our purpose of thwarting the marriage is sufficiently gained without the use of this horrible book."
Holmes responded, "Women of the De Merville type do not act like that. She would love him the more as a disfigured martyr. No, no. It is his moral side, not his physical, which we have to destroy. That book will bring her back to earth--and I know nothing else that could. It is in his own writing. She cannot get past it."
When Sir James left with the book, he was accompanied into Baker Street by Dr. Watson who had another engagement. Dr. Watson noted: " a broughman was waiting for him. He 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 nonetheless. I gasped with surprise. Then I turned back and ascended the stair to Holmes' room."
"I have found out who our client is," I cried, bursting with my great news. "Why, Holmes, it is--"
"It is a loyal friend and a chivalrous gentleman," said Holmes, holding up a restraining hand, "let that now and forever be enough for us."
As to the case, Watson noted that " three days later appeared a paragraph in the morning post to say that the marriage between Baron Adelbert Gruner and Miss Violet De Merville would not take place." The same paper had the first police court hearing of the proceedings against Miss Kitty Winter on the grave charge of vitriol throwing. Such extenuating circumstances came out in the trial that the sentence, as will be remembered, was the lowest that was possible for such an offense. Sherlock Holmes was threatened with a prosecution for burglary, but when an object of good and a client is sufficiently illustrious, even the rigid British law becomes human and elastic. My friend has not yet stood in the dock.
It is fitting to conclude by noting the extraordinary career of Sherlock Holmes as a consulting detective was further enhanced by these three instances of service to the royal families of Great Britain. Although in the first instance, the Royal Stuarts neither sought nor were aware of Holmes' contribution to the monarchy, in the latter, the British royalty actively sought Holmes' participation in matters of great concern to them.
In the first, Holmes solved the catechism of the Musgrave Ritual and deduced the contents of the wooden box contained relics of the Stuart era, including the twisted remnant of the English crown awaiting the return of Charles II. In the latter cases, his services were at the request of their Royal Highnesses' Queen Victoria and King Edward VII.