A royal family could not formally claim Edward Schencker Scheener. He was considered Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn’s illegitimate son, born in Geneva in 1789. His supposed father was King George III and Queen Charlotte’s fourth son, and his half sister was Queen Victoria.
Scheener’s life was shaped by secrecy, bureaucracy, and family connections. He was raised under another man’s name, entered the British civil service with assistance from his royal father, and later became involved in disputes that damaged his career. Unlike the celebrated members of the British royal family, he left no throne, fortune, or famous descendants. His story is quieter, but it offers a glimpse into the hidden family arrangements surrounding the Georgian and early Victorian courts.
Birth and Childhood in Geneva
Scheener was born in Geneva in 1789. One recorded date is 24 November, although details surrounding his birth are not entirely consistent. His mother was Anne Gabrielle Alexandrine Moré, also known as Anne Moré, who was associated with Prince Edward during his time in Geneva.
Prince Edward was in the city during the late 1780s as part of his education and military preparation. He was young, energetic, and socially active. Geneva became the setting for several romantic relationships, including his connection with Anne Moré and another woman, Adelaide Dubus.
Royal upbringing was hidden for Scheener. He was raised as Thimothée Schencker’s son. This offered him a respectable identity while hiding his royal ties. Scheener appears in several sources and later reports as Schenker and Schencker Scheener.
His childhood must have been unusual. He was close enough to royalty to benefit from it, yet distant enough to remain outside the official family circle. The royal connection functioned like a hidden door. It could open opportunities, but only when used carefully.
Prince Edward Duke of Kent and Strathearn
Prince Edward was born in 1767 to King George III and Queen Charlotte. He pursued a military career and spent much of his early life away from Britain. His temperament was energetic and sometimes severe, and his financial circumstances were not always comfortable despite his royal birth.
During his Geneva years, Prince Edward was linked to Anne Moré and Adelaide Dubus. His relationship with Adelaide produced a daughter, Adelaide Victoria Auguste Dubus, while his relationship with Anne Moré was associated with the birth of Edward Scheener.
Prince Edward appears to have embraced Scheener’s future burden. Helping him enter British government employment was a realistic way to protect him without naming him son. These powerful families often did this because illegitimacy could shame them politically.
Prince Edward married Victoria of Saxe Coburg Saalfeld in 1818. Their only legitimate child, born in 1819, became Queen Victoria in 1837. Prince Edward died in 1820, leaving one daughter and at least two unmarried children, according to family tradition and later history.
Anne Gabrielle Alexandrine Moré
Very little is known about Anne Gabrielle Alexandrine Moré as an individual. Her name survives mainly because of her relationship with Prince Edward and her connection to Scheener.
Prince Edward lived and studied in Geneva while she was there. Her personality, occupation, family, and latter life are not fully revealed. Historical records show her as a figure through frosted glass. Her presence is obvious, yet her life is hidden.
Her union with Prince Edward produced Edward Scheener in 1789. The child was reared by the Schenckers under a paternal identity. The Duke avoided embarrassment and the child gained esteem with this arrangement.
Anne Moré’s story illustrates how women connected to royal men could disappear from public memory. The prince’s name remained prominent, while hers survived only in fragments connected to her child.
Adelaide Dubus and Her Daughter
Adelaide Dubus was another Geneva companion of Prince Edward. She was associated with music and the theater and belonged to a performing family. Her father was Denis Dubus, and her sister Victoire was also involved in the family’s theatrical world.
Adelaide gave birth to a daughter, Adelaide Victoria Auguste Dubus, in December 1789. Adelaide died during or soon after childbirth. Prince Edward reportedly showed concern during her illness and afterward arranged financial support for the child’s relatives.
She was reared by her aunt Victoire and possibly her grandfather. Family members apparently received a 50-guinea pension annually. The agreement includes rearing conditions for the girl. She was supposed to be a Protestant and not an actor.
Adelaide’s daughter’s latter life is unknown. Some tales say she perished on the way to Gibraltar or shortly after. Family payments may have lasted into the 1830s, according to other sources. This has caused disagreements over her lifespan and fate.
Although Adelaide Dubus was not Scheener’s mother, she belonged to the same hidden branch of Prince Edward’s family. Her story helps explain the complicated network of pensions, guardianship arrangements, and discreet travel that surrounded the Duke’s Geneva relationships.
Edward Scheener’s Civil Service Career
Prince Edward helped Scheener obtain a position in British government service. In 1809, Scheener became a clerk in the Foreign Office. Some accounts also associate him with earlier work in the Audit Office.
A clerk’s work was not glamorous, but the Foreign Office was an important institution. It handled correspondence, diplomatic papers, appointments, and the practical machinery of British foreign policy. Scheener’s position gave him a stable income and a respectable public identity.
However, his career struggled. He argued about wages, rank, and official treatment. While royal connections helped him get a job, they also made him more sensitive. If officials sensed his royal connections, they couldn’t treat him like an average employee.
In 1826, Scheener had a serious confrontation with George Lenox Conyngham, a fellow official. The dispute reportedly became physical. Scheener was accused of spitting in Conyngham’s face and breaking his cane. He was suspended, and his career deteriorated.
Royal relatives, including the Duke of Clarence, later King William IV, reportedly intervened on his behalf. Their support did not restore Scheener’s position permanently. He eventually retired with a pension, either in 1826 or around 1830, depending on how the events are dated.
His Memoir and Financial Circumstances
Scheener published a pamphlet titled Memoir of an Employé Most Respectfully Addressed to the King in 1830. The work expressed his complaints about his career, official treatment, and financial circumstances.
The title itself reveals his attitude. Scheener presented himself as a wronged servant appealing to the highest authority. His use of the French word “Employé” also reflected the international and bureaucratic atmosphere in which he had been raised.
Scheener did not appear wealthy. His income appears to have been civil service pay and pension. His royal birth provided him access, but not fortune. He was close to power but not in the hierarchy.
Harriet Boyn
Scheener married Harriet Boyn, also recorded as Harriet Boyne. She was English and was born around 1781, making her somewhat older than Scheener. The couple had no children.
While his career struggled, Harriet was a constant. Harriet accompanied Scheener to Geneva after Queen Victoria’s coronation in 1837. Compared to Scheener’s professional problems, their marriage was quiet and unremarkable.
Harriet died in 1852, one year before her husband. Her death left Scheener without the companion who had shared his final years abroad.
Queen Victoria and the Royal Connection
Queen Victoria was Scheener’s paternal half sister. She was born in 1819, thirty years after him, and became queen in 1837.
Victoria’s position made stories about her father’s illegitimate children uncomfortable. The Victorian monarchy depended heavily on dignity, respectability, and controlled public images. A secret older half brother working as a government clerk did not fit neatly into that image.
Near Victoria’s coronation, Scheener returned to Geneva. This may have been a desire for solitude, dissatisfaction with Britain, financial hardship, or all three. He was also physically separated from the new queen and her family’s heavy public attention.
Final Years and Death
Scheener spent his final years in Geneva. He died there in 1853, at approximately 64 years of age. He left no children, so his direct line ended with him.
His life passed through several worlds: royal Geneva, the British Foreign Office, private marriage, public grievance, and quiet retirement. He was connected to kings and queens, yet he lived without the formal recognition that defined their lives.
Family Overview
| Family member | Relationship to Edward Scheener | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Prince Edward, Duke of Kent | Alleged biological father | 1767 to 1820 |
| Anne Gabrielle Alexandrine Moré | Mother | Dates uncertain |
| King George III | Paternal grandfather | 1738 to 1820 |
| Queen Charlotte | Paternal grandmother | 1744 to 1818 |
| Queen Victoria | Paternal half sister | 1819 to 1901 |
| Adelaide Dubus | Paternal connection through Prince Edward | Died in 1789 |
| Adelaide Victoria Auguste Dubus | Possible half sister | Born in 1789, later life uncertain |
| Harriet Boyn | Wife | 1781 to 1852 |
FAQ
Who was Edward Schencker Scheener?
Edward Schencker Scheener was an English civil servant born in Geneva in 1789. He is generally identified as the illegitimate son of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, and the paternal half brother of Queen Victoria.
Why did Scheener use the name Schencker?
He was raised as the ostensible son of Thimothée Schencker. The name helped conceal his royal paternity and provided him with a socially acceptable identity.
What job did Scheener have?
He worked as a clerk in the British Foreign Office from 1809. His career ended after repeated disputes and a serious altercation with George Lenox Conyngham.
Was Edward Scheener wealthy?
There is no clear evidence that he was wealthy. He relied on his civil service income and later received a pension after leaving government employment.
Did Scheener marry?
Yes. He married Harriet Boyn, also spelled Boyne. They had no children.
Was Queen Victoria close to Scheener?
There is no firm evidence of a close personal relationship. Scheener returned to Geneva around the time Victoria became queen, and the royal family generally treated stories about illegitimate relatives with discretion.
Who was Adelaide Dubus?
Adelaide Dubus was another Geneva companion of Prince Edward. She was the mother of Adelaide Victoria Auguste Dubus, who was probably Scheener’s paternal half sister.
Where did Edward Scheener die?
He died in Geneva in 1853, after spending the later part of his life away from Britain.
