The Queen Mother Michael Stroud / Express / Getty Images

When the Queen Mother’s cousin, a wealthy youngman named Eric Trevanion, died in suspicious circumstances in 1912, it caused a media frenzy. Found in his mansion flat in the glamorous seaside town of Hove on 11 September, it was first thought that he had died of a drug overdose, with his death characterised as ‘misadventure’.

Yet new research by historians seems to suggest that Trevanion’s homosexuality and more specifically his relationship with a potential suspect in his death might have been suppressed.


The media interest in the case was high

After his death, he was found to have more than three times the fatal dose of the barbiturate Veronal in his system, which was often prescribed for insomnia. This led to an investigation being opened to find out if he had taken his own life or indeed been murdered.

Read next The Duke and Duchess of Sussex drop the formalities for new ABC TV appearance The Duke and Duchess of Sussex drop the formalities for new ABC TV appearance The couple are listed simply as 'Harry and Meghan' for ABC's special

The story became a media storm, after it was discovered that Mr Trevanion was related to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, later the Queen Mother. His paternal grandmother was a sister of the Earl of Strathmore, and Trevanion had a considerable private fortune due to his grand connections.

Eric Trevanion

Yet because of this, historian and author Norena Shopland believes that his homosexual relationship with a sailor called Albert Roe was covered up, in order to spare embarrassment to the family, as homosexuality was still illegal at the time. The sailor was with Mr Trevanion on the night of his death, yet was never pursued as a suspect, despite the fact that he was the main beneficiary of his fortune too.

There was more damning evidence against Roe too. A butler testified that he had seen him burning something days after the death, although he later withdrew that information. He was also in the process of leaving Trevanion to marry a widow in Wales, according to Shopland. This was a key motive in why he might have wanted to kill Trevanion, who may also have been blackmailing him, threatening to make their relationship public if he left him. However it was never communicated to the jury, as he flat-out denied any relationship with him.


Albert Roe

Eventually, the jury returned an open verdict, refusing to declare it a suicide, yet Roe was allowed to walk free, as he was not found guilty of manslaughter or murder.

Norena Shopland's book, The Veronal Mystery, is out now.