LILLIE LANGTRY COINCIDENCES

Lillie Langtry born Emillie Charlotte LeBreton, was born in St.Saviours Parish in Jersey, Channel Islands in 1853.  She was the only daughter of the Dean of Jersey who had 6 sons.

COINCIDENCE NO.1

               Our son, Carl, was also born in St. Saviours parish in Jersey, Channel Islands, 114 years later.

Lillie Langtry had an affair with the Prince of Wales (later King Edward 7th) when she was only 23. 
She became the Prince's official mistress and together they planned and built a beautiful home known as The Red House, Bournemouth.  This became their love nest.

The Red House

COINCIDENCE NO.2

               Under the minstrel's gallery of the home the following words were displayed  -

'They say. What say they? Let them say'

My Aunt May who moved to Keswick after WW2, had identical words displayed outside her house for all to see.  I remember my dear late mother being very upset by this.

At the age of 27 in Paris,  Lillie secretly gave birth to a daughter, Jeanne Marie.  The father was thought to be Prince Louis of Battenberg, the Prince's nephew and father of Lord Louis Mountbatten of Burma.
The present Duke of Edinburgh is the son of Princess Alice of Battenberg who was Prince Louis of Battenberg's daughter also.

It is recounted that when visiting America in 1882, Lillie requested a carpet to be laid from her hotel to the Opera House, where she was to perform.
The Americans laid out a red carpet for the Jersey Lillie.  That was the first time the red carpet treatment was used. 
As in many ways, Lillie was a trend setter.

COINCIDENCE NO.3

               I had a restaurant in the late 1960's, known as Janvrin's Farm Restaurant in Portelet Bay in Jersey, Channel Islands.
In the early years we were closed in the winter months.  I often walked down a steep track towards the bay and would sit and write poetry about the view and the sea etc.  To read my poem 'Moonlight Interlude' please click here.

On one occasion a local fisherman stopped to talk, and told me that the ledge I was sitting on was the exact spot from which Lillie Langtry's younger brother, Reggie, had fallen, with his horse, to his death in about 1876.

COINCIDENCE NO.4

About 15 years ago I was establishing a rose garden and visited several nurseries around Toowoomba and Warwick, Queensland.
At one venue we were invited to have a cup of tea.  In the course of conversation the Island of Jersey came up.  I then mentioned Lillie Langtry - suddenly the conversation became very touchy.  I found out later I was talking to the lady of the house, whose maiden name was Le Breton and she was almost certainly the daughter of one of Lillie Langtry's 6 brothers !