John Brown's Grave

Royal servant. Born on a farm in Crathie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Brown was a servant at Balmoral at the time it was purchased by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. He became Albert's personal ghillie and friend. After Albert's death in 1861, Brown was brought to court as a companion and personal servant to the grief-stricken Victoria, in hopes that his ties to her beloved Albert and Balmoral would help her emerge from her deepening gloom. John Brown took his role as personal servant very seriously, and was devoted to Victoria and her well-being. Victoria was devoted to him in return, as he treated her unlike any of those surrounding her. Brown was honest and forthright, though this often wasn't welcomed by the queen's family and officials. Edward, Prince of Wales, was often at the receiving end of Brown's tongue. Much talk arose concerning the relationship between Brown and the Queen, and Victoria was often referred to as "Mrs. Brown". Victoria dismissed the talk as "ill-natured gossip". Stories exist even to this day that the two were secretly married, but it is most unlikely. Brown saved the Queen's life at least once, as during an assassination attempt in 1872. He was awarded two medals created especially for him by Victoria - the Faithful Servant Medal and the Devoted Service Medal. He wore them with the utmost pride. Brown's devotion to the Queen would ultimately cost him his life. He contracted a severe chill, which he could have avoided had he taken to his sick bed, and died at Windsor Castle at the age of 56. Victoria kept his memory alive until her death in 1901 (a miniature portrait of Brown was buried with her), but Brown's enemies had their revenge. Edward VII destroyed any reminders of Brown, including busts, papers, and photographs. The relationship of John Brown and Queen Victoria was the subject of the award-winning 1997 film "Mrs. Brown.