WAS JACK THE RIPPER A ROYAL PRINCE? Was Prince Albert Victor Jack the Ripper? Whitechapel Murders

[@HistoryCalling]

Let me know below why you think crazy historical conspiracy theories like this continue to be so popular with many people, even when the evidence of their fallacy is overwhelming. Remember that you can also find me in the following locations: Website (with FREE DOWNLOAD): www.historycallingofficial.com/ Patreon: www.patreon.com/historycalling Amazon storefront: www.amazon.com/shop/historycalling Instagram: instagram.com/historycalling/

[@tessat338]

"A lie can run twice around the world before the truth can get its shoes on."

[@joshyishot]

I love his skirt. But wtf is that skunk head in his crotch?

[@patriciajrs46]

That's an interesting thing to say. I like it.

[@jldrake3424]

I know it's uncharitable of me, but I just LOVE it when you stick it to the purveyors of bad history. You go, girl!

[@mewsli]

It was you're " Right .... " at the end of the comment about going crazy and becoming a slasher , that made me spit my tea in the general direction of my cat. Don't worry about the cat, he is used to it. Thanks again for a fascinating dive into the past .

[@maryannpshock955]

My favorite moment was "Here's looking at you, George IV" and the slick cutaway to his portrait 😅. HC provided a rich treatment of the ludicrous in this fun episode!

[@benjamintillema3572]

8:30

[@ben_1017a]

The disdain exhibited for the paper thin theories is *chef’s kiss*.

[@LisafromNOLA]

👏🏼👏🏼

[@lilymarinovic1644]

Starting before you even click on the vid - "moronic claim" - can't get clearer than that!

[@Mizri1]

She really is at her best when she snarks at people who Did. Not. Do. Their. Research!

[@Kenzalina_]

These are my favorite videos of hers. I also love that she doesn’t put up with any Ricardian nonsense.

[@Anita-rq9ev]

I love every documentary about Jack the Ripper. It's such a fascinating case. I watched a very interesting documentary that it was actually Charles Lechmere. He claimed to have found the first victim at the scene, but just because he was caught, so it was clever to claim he just found her. His job was the delivery of (bloody) meat to the butchers in the area, so he would blend in and would not attract attention. I always thought that Jack the Ripper was an ordinary person. Having said that, we will never know for sure and this is why it's such a fascinating and mysterious case. I have to admit though that I'm amazed that the police back then believed him, regardless if he killed her or not, he would be suspect no. 1 today. I feel very sorry for all victims. This was another well presented video dear History Calling. Your work is top notch 👍

[@Lulu-ut9pv]

I think there is a chance a witness/ discover of the body person... Was actually jack

[@gingerkid1048]

Lechmere also lived around the areas bodies were found & changed his name a couple times. I saw the same documentary and since then he's been my #1 suspect.

[@Anita-rq9ev]

@@gingerkid1048 👍

[@Anita-rq9ev]

@@Lulu-ut9pv 👍

[@rickjensen2717]

Lechmere is the most likely candidate in my opinion - The House of Lechmere youtube channel presents the evidence and well worth a watch.

[@biancawinward4206]

I think another part of the Jack the Ripper mythology that often gets overlooked is that not all the women who were killed were prostitutes. Hallie Rubenhold's book called The Five was a fascinating read and really broke down how history can be so obscured overtime.

[@joshspencer1]

Anyone who thinks Victor was Jack the Ripper hasn’t done any serious reading in the case

[@murder13love]

Anyone who claims to know who the killer was doesnt 😅 .. there are so many possible fits and we are talking about a time far too long ago to ever know

[@wendym215]

I t Heard another rumor it was the the royal family doctor...I went through whiechapel when in london....it's fancy now 😆 🤣 8 thanks for the video @historycalling

[@zzzbbbooo]

@@murder13love It is known without a shadow of a doubt that the prince was not JTR. He was not even in London during the dates these murders occurred. It's unbelievable he is still being put forward in this. The secret marriage story has also been completely debunked by historians.

[@murder13love]

@@zzzbbbooo i know. But i guess it gets books sold, videos watched and followers 🤷‍♂️

[@Trebor74]

Jack the ripper was Mary Kelly's boyfriend.

[@anweshabiswas1483]

We can't never know who jack the reaper really was ! RIP to those souls who became victim of this monster .😢😢

[@ElizabethMcCormick-s2n]

Yes, those poor women!

[@ShelbyPater]

OK, I know it’s not funny, but some of your delivery was hysterical! Yet another great video and it showed us some of your comedic talents!❤❤❤😂😂😂

[@maryannpshock955]

It was hilariously funny!

[@Dave_L913]

It's a silly theory, but it's lurid and it's about the Royal Family, so it'll never go away unless the actual Jack the Ripper is ever identified definitively.

[@odinfromcentr2]

IT WAS ME!!! I went through a time warp, had no period money, and took out their organs because I got hungry. So sorry!

[@stephencarrillo5905]

I couldn't let this go by without a tip, HC! Thanks for bringing your debunking skills to bear on this conspiracy theory attached to "your own lighthearted friend, yours truly Jack the Ripper." Well done! I hope you're enjoying your time off. 🙏🏼

[@HistoryCalling]

THANK YOU SO MUCH STEPHEN :-) Glad you enjoyed me ripping this conspiracy theory apart (pun intended).

[@paillette2010]

When I was 14 or 15 I read a book about him that had extensive crime scene photos and went quite intensively into it. It was strange and scary. They even had a supplement section about other British murderers (gruesome). I was so scared that I could not sleep for days, even though I was half a world away on a military base. I think whomever did it, and most of that book has been long forgotten in the the last 45 years, was someone who was well familiar with that world, possibly transient (probably, you don’t go into this with advanced murder skills without having done it elsewhere), and no doubt attuned to human anatomy. I have not pursued more reading on Jack the Ripper because it’s just sad and frightening how those women had to live.

[@paulgifford4688]

“From Heck” doesn’t have the same ring as a film title, does it?

[@zzzbbbooo]

Amusing though.

[@kelliknackmuhs2546]

Please take into account the book “The Five” cannot remember the author but she has a different story about the victims of Jack the Ripper. Only one may have been a “lady of the night”. The others were down on their luck and dependent on alcohol. It is a good read with good research.

[@HistoryCalling]

THANK YOU SO MUCH KELLI FOR THE VERY KIND DONATION and perhaps at some point I'll do a video on the victims as well and check out the book you mention.

[@ElizabethMcCormick-s2n]

Or ill, in Annie Chapman's case!

[@alison2288]

Was a good book; really gave life to the victims

[@CrimsinPagan]

"Here's looking at you George IV" The CACKLE I let out at that. Not sure what it says about me as a person, but I think my favorite videos of yours are the ones where you bring up either conspiracy theories or stories told by "competent gullible idiots with little to no critical reasoning or source-analysis" and break down how they make little to no sense with facts and sources. Now, as to why I think these things stay popular, I am going to go with laziness. People who tend to lean into conspiracy theories usually try to apply all sorts of (wrong) logic. In the context of historical conspiracy theories, they can always boil it right down to "Well, there's no proof" in a lot of the situations. And the unfortunate part with a lot of them is that the nutjobs are right about that, and we don't have definitive proof of certain things due to time, record keeping, etc. Which is why I'm thankful we have historians who are willing to come on KZbin and try to teach us to know better.

[@maryannpshock955]

The George IV crack set me off, too 😅

[@astroterf.]

I could tell you what it says about you, but my comment would probably violate YT community guidelines and get removed 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@ennanitsua]

HC, have you read The Five? It's a really wonderful reframing of the lives of the five canonical victims of this case and throws a lot of doubt on the assertion that they were all prostitutes. It also refocuses where I think we should - on the victims, not the perpetrator. I highly recommend it and would love to hear your thoughts on it.

[@CassiBlack]

I was going to recommend the podcast based on this book! The podcast is called “Bad Women” and the first season is about the Ripper victims. Hallie Rubenhold wrote The Five and hosts the podcast. I haven’t had the chance to read the book yet but I thought what she shared on the pod was well researched and cited many primary sources. I also just checked Audible and The Five is available there for those who prefer audiobooks.

[@SurferJoe1]

On the hundredth anniversary of the murders someone gifted me a copy of the JtR Casebook. Living alone, I sat up reading it until five A.M., totally engrossed, until I heard someone- something- coming down the hall of my apartment building. Step, step, step, thump. Step, step, step, thump. I was suddenly in mortal terror. Heart JACK-hammering. To hell with logic; here came the Ripper, in 1988; looking to expand his kill-zone to Georgia and his victimology to prostitutes + starving artists. I was ready to call 911 when the 'thump' hit my door and I realized the newspaper had been delivered. That's what living alone and reading stuff like that until 5 A.M. will do for you.

[@stephaniehowe0973]

😂 I live beside the woods Sometimes my kids are at theirs dad's. People doesn't that bother you? Me: what? No

[@SurferJoe1]

@@stephaniehowe0973 I'm sending you the Jack the Ripper Casebook to cuddle up with on those lonely nights. (If it turns out he really is the Prince of Wales, when he comes for you- and he will!- leave us a sign!)

[@stephaniehowe0973]

@@SurferJoe1 I will be honest. I grew up the next street over from Stephen King in 'Derry' Maine. There are alot if things that don't bother me.

[@patriciajrs46]

Oh my, wow! Have you tried your hand at writing? Your post was pretty good, and palpitating. Good stuff. Thanks.

[@SurferJoe1]

@@patriciajrs46 Ha- thanks! It runs in the family, along with the over-imagination.

[@floraposteschild4184]

Nope. And thank you 11:38. Why does the culprit have to be a prominent person rather than Some Guy? It's 99.9 percent more likely to be the latter. If anyone's looking for a good book, try The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper, by Hallie Rubenhold. To my knowledge, it is the ONLY book that focusses on the victims, out of the hundreds published on the subject. Ironically, if someone in the police had taken an interest in the real women, and not just their image of them, they would have had a better chance of catching their killer.

[@Raczidian7]

Didn’t expect this video but I’m so glad you made it! There are a lot of theories in this case, some outlandish, some not so much but this one was always one that bothered me. It’s just such a ridiculous theory and it’s a shame that people have actually taken it seriously at all. I think the Ripper is likely someone whose name we have never even heard of and will never hear of.

[@Lisette777]

Thank you for clearing the reputation of the unfortunate, yet obviously blameless, Prince Albert Victor. And what a poor sport was the man who seemed to point the poison pen at him.

[@simon112]

Thank you HC as always, through the mists of time their are many theories of his identity and the murder of these poor women, we will never get to know the truth of these crimes,as always HC superb ☺️

[@jennieingram4358]

Shots fired! Lol, great video as usual, thanks 😂

[@jilliangrieder2049]

Great timing I’m researching this currently!

[@MsJaytee1975]

I would recommend anyone who wants more information reads Hallie Rubenhold’s The Five. She looks into the lives of the five women who were killed. There’s only evidence two of the five were ever sex workers, and only Mary Jane Kelly was a sex worker at the time of her death. The three things all five did have in common were poverty, alcoholism and homelessness.

[@edithengel2284]

Thank you; that is very interesting.

[@nadinebruning5012]

This book is amazing. I weeped so much, because the stories of these women are so sad.

[@kestrel8787]

I laughed so hard during this presentation. Thanks for the best 24 minutes (plus some seconds) of my day!

[@lyndanickerson1373]

Thank you for the video

[@garycurry4600]

I’m certain that HG Wells went forward in time to the 1970’s chasing Jack the Ripper in a Time Machine of his own construction, and that HG looked like Malcolm McDowell 😂😂😂

[@happycommuter3523]

LOL!!!

[@L.K.Rydens]

The reason these theories are so popular is because the idea of knowing who it was gives us a sense of safety and removes the scary unknown, which is also why it's generally very prominent people that get accused - who is easier to (collectively - we are pack animals after all) keep an eye on than a royal? And if we connect it to the unsubstantiated (and somewhat ridiculous) belief people have that the family of a perpetrator will be as bad as they are, then other potentially evil family members will also be in sight 😊✨🍀 our subconscious survival brain is useless at logic and people generally don't learn how to know when it's the survival brain messing with us unless they get therapy for anxiety-related disorders and issues 😊✨🍀 I would love to watch a video of your take on Jack the Ripper, the suspects and everything that happened back then. I know the information comes from reliable sources, and that all the potential quirks and unknowns connected to it will be included, when it's a video by you. Especially regarding this topic and the convolution of over a hundred years that comes with it 😊 thank you for another great video! 🥰✨🍀

[@lukeallcock2]

I have always been interested in the jack the ripper story, even doing my dissertation on it a number of years ago. It has always annoyed me that the royal connection to the murders is often cited and believed by many (I imagine some pretend to believe it as a way to discredit the royal family), especially after the film was released and people who assume that everything they see on screen is fact think that the crimes have been solved and it was a royal cover up. Thank you for showing how ludicrous this "theory" is. It has no basis in any form of logic and shows a complete disregard for any primary sources, not to mention succession laws and marriage laws the royal family has to obey. As always, a great video. I always look forward to Monday night's to see what is next 😊

[@neilbain8736]

One thing that impressed me about the Stephen Knight book was the sheer amount of suspiciously appropriate names.

[@sugarplum5824]

Thank you for logically addressing this controversial topic. I've long thought the entire story was nothing more than a conspiracy theory.

[@Villanieux]

I love your videos for when I am working on crafts. I'd also love if someday you shared some other reliable history-related channels you'd recommend as well :)

[@SurferJoe1]

Incidentally, I read the Cornwell/Sickert book cover-to-cover (a gift) and it was a train wreck, to put it as kindly as possible. It's a classic example of starting with a conclusion and then trying to make the facts fit, and aggressively rejecting what doesn't (which in this case was everything). In an effort to connect Sickert to a Ripper letter- any Ripper letter- she began, in her own words, by rejecting the idea that most (and possibly even all) of the Ripper letters were hoaxes and crank work, and instead posited that they are >all< real, and that the Ripper- (Sickert, of course)- altered his handwriting, education level, and postal zones effortlessly and endlessly. And this isn't the worst of her work. It's astonishing that it made it into print.

[@stephencarrillo5905]

Well said! I was so irritated with that book that I couldn't finish it. I also remember Cornwell stating she'd "stake her reputation" on the book's "findings". What arrogance.

[@SurferJoe1]

@@stephencarrillo5905 Yep. And I think her reputation is now firmly anchored to that book.

[@blueblack3591]

Love your vids

[@perniciouspete4986]

The excellent 1979 movie "Murder by Decree" starring Christopher Plummer as Sherlock Holmes and James Mason as Dr. Watson covers the story of the involvement of the royal family in the Ripper murders that HC discusses. Very entertaining, but facts be damned.

[@SD-ik1xf]

I was looking for this comment. I loved Murder by Decree! It is a great movie.

[@theastral1909]

@@SD-ik1xf It is a good movie many years since I've seen it.

[@LadyDulcinea]

The movie From Hell is based (poorly) on the Alan Moore graphic novel. It's very well done, but Moore obviously didn't believe the theory. If you can find a copy of the graphic novel with the appendix in back, it's a great resource. Moore did a ton of research and explains which facts he had to fudge or change for the story. Its a masterclass in historic fiction and storytelling.

[@dragondawn420]

Yes! I was thinking of the graphic novel as HC was describing the title.

[@Bus_Driver_Jay]

Hi Dr. Ms History! Amazing vid as always! The first scan is next Monday! Ah the fact that I'm sat down to watch this with my mum while visiting her home in Whitechapel. It amuses me how long the royal myth has existed. I tend to link it with stuff like flat earth, and reptilian overlords.

[@Moebian73]

Bloody good one HC.

[@missyme2673]

You make an excellent detective, HC! I'm floored by what you uncovered in this infamous gruesome story! Personally, I don't think we'll ever know his true identity but for Stawell to say it was the prince, at a time where people would do anything to make a name for themselves, although what exactly his intention was, who knows! Thank you for your brilliant work on this and it's those poor victims that I feel for. I really enjoy these odd balls that you throw at us! It sure gives me plenty to think about! As always, another thought provoking video! 😊

[@katturney]

Patricia Cornwell's JTR book was terrible. Took me 3 tries to get through it, and when it came out, I was an avid fan of her books. It was so bad it kind of ruined the rest of her books for me

[@happycommuter3523]

It was really dreadful, wasn't it? I couldn't finish it. I bought the paperback version, but then donated it to charity a few months later.

[@kyranamichaelson3951]

I have been following you for years now. Thank you so much for having such awesome content. I have to say, you had me laughing with some of your commentary today. I don’t recall ever hearing you be so sassy/sarcastic/cheeky before. I’m not sure what triggered it, but I was absolutely delighted by it.

[@SurferJoe1]

If anyone ever wonders what "dripping with sarcasm" sounds like, I will direct them to this video.

[@hjpngmw]

Some people will always be attracted by salacious stories of royals, the wealthy, the famous, etc. These people lap up any tale they hear and happily spread it around. They especially love outlandish scandals that come out after the famous have died and cannot refute what is being said.

[@traczebabe]

Jack the Ripper was an American sailor. His brother told the authorities that his brother was this brutal murderer. He had evidence of written information by Jack the Ripper. I wish I could remember everything, it’s been quite a few years. The authorities checked the murder dates with the dates that this man was in port. They matched. There was a large amount of evidence, things such as background. I believe he was taught medical procedures as a sailor. He hated women, I do believe that was in his writings, especially prostitues. I think he got away with it because he did leave on a ship. He killed when in port then left. I’m trying to remember the documentary. If I do I will come back and put it in.

[@TheCynthiaRice]

That is interesting. Never heard of this theory before, but it does fit.

[@emmarichardson965]

Yes! Another debunking video! Personally, I'm a fan of the "multiple Jacks" theory, but I'm interested in why people might think the prince was Jack (instead of some unnamed random man, because obviously everything notable in history had to be done by a known person).

[@csh43166]

The Johnny Depp movie "From H3II" explores a fictional account of the crimes, and Gull's and the Prince's "connection" to them. Not everyone likes the movie, but as someone who finds the case fascinating, I find it an interesting (albeit inaccurate and fictionalized) account. I've read several books on the case. I'm one who believes, unfortunately, it will never be solved. May all of his victims RIP... 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

[@SharonLathanNovelist]

Tell us how you REALLY feel! LOL!! Seriously, as always, your coverage of this topic is superb. I've watched many videos on Ripper theory, and usually the Royal Prince one is tossed in (and discarded), yet I've never heard anyone give the full history of where the theory originated AND why it is soooo moronic. I tended to get the impression that while highly unlikely, it was still a slight possibility with some credence. Thanks for clearly it up! Love your channel and work. Cheers!

[@kimberleyannedemong5621]

I never believed the prince was the killer. It always seemed preposterous to me

[@emmajames1084]

Thanking for saying it exactly how you think it. That was the most honest thing I've listened to for a while and while I find the the unsolved ripper killings fascinating, by the very fact that no killer has ever been found and likely may never be identified (i live in hope), dragging some poor buggers name through the mud just to sell copies is ridiculous. The idea the Whitechapel murders stopped because the killer moved away has merit, he won't have stopped what he'd been doing, he just moved on.

[@ilanarhian]

I have a friend who is an expert on this and has written books on the subject- he says we’ll never know who it was.

[@BeeKool__113]

Very interesting as always. Gives much to ponder. ❤

[@SimpleDesertRose]

I've heard a few differnt theories over the years about who the Ripper really was, but I never heard it as a royal. Certainly not what would've been the heir to the thrown at the time. I've heard that he was a doctor given the percion of the cuts on his cixtims and i've heard that they were diffent muders made to look like a serial killer was on the loose to sell more pares at the time becuase fear sells. I guess everyone will have a theory about who the Ripper was and there will always be someone with a conspiracy theory out there. Another thing that sells. This was a fascinating video. Thanks for sharing your findings and the amount of research you put in.

[@wavesofwoodenlegs]

Have you read "The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper" by Hallie Rubenhold? It's supposed to be very good and well researched (unlike the sources you rightfully mentioned in your video).

[@nadinebruning5012]

It is very good. And most important: these women were not sex workers. Just 2 of them. Those women were poor and had tragic stories.

[@michaelogden5958]

"The wheel in the sky keeps on turning." Innuendo and rumor. An aspect of the human condition, apparently. Good video!

[@sarahlockyer6555]

Have you read Hallie Rubenhold’s book, the five? About the victims in this case. It’s very interesting

[@nadinebruning5012]

The 5 weren't sexworkers ... just 2 victims. The women were just very poor:( tragic stories!

[@Heidi_Bradshaw]

Absolutely not. On a couple of he murders, he was in Scotland with the family. With many witnesses etc. We shall never truly know who murdered Mary Ann, Annie, Catherine, Elizabeth and Mary Jane. And that’s the crime here.

[@andrewcharles459]

"History is sewn thick with evidences that the truth is not hard to kill and a lie well-told is immortal." - Mark Twain.

[@siomhe8539]

Thank you so much for your good research and even more for your tips at looking critically at sources of history. It’s a shame more people don’t understand how to separate fact from fiction! Thanks for doing your part to teach that.

[@HistoryCalling]

My pleasure. Thank you for watching and commenting :-)

[@revgurley]

Things may have changed in 20 years, but the Jack the Ripper tour in London is a great way to learn about what happened, see how far things were from each other, and how things have changed since the late 1800s. One of the streets was even my last name (at the time), which I thought was cool. I don't understand, however, how anyone can be so depraved, so evil, and get away with it.

[@andreajohnson8652]

I remember asking a forenisic psychologist years ago who had come to the same conclusion as the FBI, that it was Kosinski. It was never Victor, or Gull.

[@Patricia-zq5ug]

Oh, I do love you, Alice! Eloquent and sweetly sarcastic!

[@cindytaylor5457]

I so enjoy your content! Keep up the great work. Never taken in by the idea of Prince Albert Victor being the Ripper nor Sickert. A few years ago I read about HH Holmes, the serial killer who lured folks to their death at his hotel during the Worlds Fair in Chicago, was in England at the time of the Ripper murders and returned to the US right around the time they ended. That’s a better story than this ridiculous narrative but still only a story. We will never know who the Ripper was but the theories are quite entertaining.

[@AxeMichi]

I'm sure I don't need to say it, but the sensationalism of history seems to be what sells the most papers/books and gets the most butts in seats for television shows and movies. Ancient Egyptian history goes through this a lot, I think, in a way similar to English history. The most interesting and "sellable" periods are not the most consequential, but what makes the most money in Tourism dollars. For me, with Egypt, topics of great interest include the likes of the Sea Peoples, the religion and its syncretism with other faiths, and certain aspects of daily life. All you see anything about in books or on television, though, is Amarna, Dynasty 18, the Pyramids, and sometimes Ramesses II or mummies. Occasionally you get something further afield, but it's rare. In that same vein, the topics I find most interesting in English history are much older periods such as the Anglo-Saxon period, touchstone moments like the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and the amount of cross-cultural contact they had and how that influenced the culture (e.g. tea from India, porcelain from the Chinese). Meanwhile, most media I see focuses mainly on the Wars of the Roses, the Tudors (including Shakespeare), and the Victorians (including Jack the Ripper), with the Windsors making an appearance. Maybe these periods allow for the most sensationalist/"sellable" topics? That's my take, at least. I should also add, belatedly, that I still find sensationalized periods interesting, but the sensationalism in and of itself is frustrating.

[@TheDesertMarmot]

Considering Stowell's age, I wonder if he was starting to lose the plot a little.

[@Kattawhat]

The Ripper being a royal theory is so absurd that it makes the ludicrous Filipino theory of "Jose Rizal as the Ripper" look plausible. That one doesn't add up either as Rizal was too short to meet the description!

[@beastieber5028]

Good evening to history calling from Bea 🇬🇧

[@joannabaparileszczynska]

I swear, sex workers have the most dangerous profession. I can’t even count how many serial killers have targeted them exclusively

[@windwatcher11]

Theoretically, they aren't missed, as they tend to be loners.

[@096Nat]

Excellent video! Once again a great stand for good research practices and I honestly love the shade you are throwing. Petition for a follow-up video about the case and an evaluation of the most popular theories that actually make sense (yes, looking at you Mr. Stowell). Was he Montague John Druitt? Maybe a woman as suggested by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?

[@racheloldridge4986]

I thought the answer would be No but that really was a roasting 😄

[@cynthiat6505]

I am convinced! You are so funny! And you’re right!

[@maryloumawson6006]

Unsolved mysteries always seem to capture the imagination of the public, some of that fascination seems to last forever in a few cases. Jack the Ripper is certainly one of them. At the time that it happened, it was certainly in the public interest to find the killer. They could not have known that Mary Kelly would be the last victim then. And so, I imagine that people, in the weeks and months after Kelly's murder, were waiting and wondering if the killer would be caught, or strike again. In other words, there was no closure. Nothing to signal to people that they were safe, no explanation for the carnage. A case like this is tailor-made for unscrupulous people to write books purporting to solved the mystery. The further we get in time from the events, the easier it is to make claims that can't be checked. I believe Ripper books are like JFK books, Diana books, Lizzie Borden books etc., in that they offer an author and publisher (not to mention film-makers) a guaranteed audience of consumers who are obsessed with these stories. If the author could connect the mystery to a well known person - so much the better! It's always fun to put the rich and famous on trial, even if you have no evidence! The more sensational the theory, - the more books will be sold. Connecting it to a royal is a no-brainer - Now you have cross-over appeal!

[@robynguy3244]

The amount of EVIDENCE and shade in this video though. The sun no longer exists. History Calling did not stutter ❤😂

[@lionheart830]

Thank you for this. I never thought it was a royal. Although I can see why conspiracy theorists would think so. I do often think Francis Tumblety seemed a good suspect.

[@littlemiss_76]

Jack could have been anyone but pointing fingers at a prince because the hell of it makes no sense. Unfortunately we will never know who the killer was or why the killings stopped.

[@LucyEvans-oq4dt]

One of our local churches is named in honour of Prince Albert Victor, the royal family came to the dedication ceremony. It’s the Duke of Clarence memorial church. And in the strength of this ludicrous it was nicknamed the ripper church for a short time in the 70s/80s. Think it was around the time the article in the criminology magazine or book was written and picked up by others.

[@kate_cooper]

Having read quite a lot about the Ripper case over the years, my theory is that there were multiple perpetrators and that only three of the “canonical” victims (Mary Anne Nichols, Annie Chapman, and Catherine Eddowes) were killed by the same person; though he may also have killed other victims, including possibly one or two in America. We can never know who he was, though Francis Tumblety, Jacob Levy, and Aaron Kosminski are all good suspects. In Mary Jane Kelly’s case, evidence rather points to her neighbour George Hutchinson. I personally believe he strangled her in the spur of the moment, then panicked and tore her body apart to try and make it look like another Ripper crime. Elizabeth Stride was most likely killed by Michael Kidney, her boyfriend at the time, as most murders (then and now) were domestic. Any conspiracy involving the royals and/or the masons is complete nonsense; it was a serial killer case, not a governmental cover up. No one with a genuine interest in the case (or unsolved cases in general) takes that idea remotely seriously. Honestly, I don’t understand why there’s any conspiracy attached to this case in particular. Surely it’s already an interesting enough case without adding to it?

[@paulcarter4945]

the most compelling info on the case I've seen was tumblety - however some fascinating points you raise, but not sure a random neighbour albeit without morals can somehow turn and degrade a body to the point Mary's was. Wasn't she seen to take a man back to her lodgings that night?

[@kate_cooper]

@@paulcarter4945 Hutchinson was the witness who supposedly saw her take someone back to her lodgings, it’s a rather suspicious account that suggests he may have made it up. The damage done to her body was completely different to the damage done to the other bodies and seems amateurish in comparison.

[@paulcarter4945]

@@kate_cooper you know more than me, but logic tells me, as it was on another level deranged which very few human beings could stomach?! ...more likely it was someone who had done it before with the opportunity of time and space to act out everything......we'll never know.

[@calamityjayne9698]

I'd like to hear your thoughts on the book, The Five, giving the life stories of the Ripper Victims, which in theory debunks that they were prostitutes.

[@STEINWUNDER]

Who killed Kennedy, who was the Zodiac Killer and who was Jack the Ripper? We will never know.

[@michaelrooney1454]

Loved the narrative of this case. I would never have thought that Albert Victor was the Ripper but I have seen a few other videos on KZbin discussing the case. William Snyckert was also mentioned and someone else but I can't remember who. Be interesting to get a Forensic scientist and a historians point of view on Jack the Ripper

[@kazoolibra7322]

With no answer to an interesting crime, the door is wide open for fictional solutions. The human mind seems creative at times, doesn't it. 😂

[@oneminuteofmyday]

There is a movie called _Murder by Decree_ , starring Christopher Plummer as Sherlock Holmes and James Mason as Dr. Watson, which is based on _The Ripper File_ and Stephen Knight’s book. While a Sherlock Holmes movie is obviously fictionalized, my mother thought the base premise was interesting and read more about the possibility. Despite the holes in the theory, she came to believe there was something to it. As was mentioned, I think it was just more interesting for it to have the royal and Masonic cover-up angle than just being horrific murders by your “average” lunatic.

[@Elisabeth208]

Thank you again for another amazing video. You're videos are my favorite to watch ,also whenever I hear my friends or others say prince Albert Victor is Jack the ripper i will suggest this video to them ,can you please do a video on your theory of whom the ripper was , Regards Elisabeth

[@veryberry39]

I know I'm literally the only person with this opinion, but I'd like the thumbnails a lot better if they refrained from quite so much editorializing. I do like a bit of sass in the videos, but I started watching this channel as a place to learn history in a more-or-less objective sense. It actually took me a few days to even decide on clicking, which I realize doesn't make a lot of difference to anyone, and I don't know why it bothers me so much besides the worry of things turning more...not sensationalized, just not the well-researched objective storytelling I've come to enjoy. (And for the record I'm not saying this because I think you're wrong. 🤣 Like yeah, plenty of serial killers evaded notice and were considered great people...but they also didn't have the notoriety of a freaking prince. So I agree the theory was silly!)

[@badfairy9554]

No because he was in scotland at the time.

[@MichelleBruce-lo4oc]

Hi, awesome live history video I enjoyed it. How are you doing? How is the weather where you are? I'm doing well and so is my cat Benjamin. We have autumn type weather in Ontario Canada. Have a great day see you next video 😊

[@LisaPalisoc-u7l]

I don't think albert Victor was jack the ripper and probably became a thing to him look bad and george look good.

[@edithengel2284]

What would be the point of that? It wouldn't have stopped Albert Victor being king if he had lived.

[@rjstar5805]

My favorite theory of jack the ripper is ge ended up in New York city in 1889

[@rjstar5805]

There's a show called jack the ripper in America basically there was a group of murders the same way in New York city

[@historiansrevolt4333]

This theory falls apart even further with recent research that only 2 of the victims were ever sex workers. They were poor and women, so assumptions were (and are) made.

[@rickjensen2717]

The evidence actually shows that they were prostitutes, although many only on occasion. Very good youtube channel call The House of Lechmete that covers this.

[@Chipoo88]

Every bit of contemporary evidence I have read claims that the prince was not even in London during this period so he to me is the least likely suspect

[@michellelewis9519]

I still belive it is a cover up they knew who Jack the ripper is

[@paulgifford4688]

Also, haven’t the Royal Family been involved in enough actual crimes to be getting on with? We can worry about Jack the Ripper after Koh-i-noor has been returned, surely?

[@CassiBlack]

It’s amazing how quickly bad history stories/research can spread. It often makes me want to tear my hair out in frustration! (Especially since my mom likes to taunt me by saying history is all made up) Similar to a few other commenters, I would recommend Hallie Rubenhold’s work that puts the focus on telling the stories of the Ripper’s victims rather than the killer. Her book, which I admittedly haven’t read yet, is called The Five and her podcast is Bad Women (which I have listened to in completion). The first season of the podcast is taken from her research for the book. I’d highly recommend it to anyone interested in the story of Jack the Ripper.

[@DaleRibbons]

The theory behind the Johnny Depp movie was also the basis for an earlier film, 'Murder By Decree' (1979?).

[@i.p.956]

I don't think he was Jack the Ripper but I do think England dodged a bullet with him not becoming king. King George V was perfectly fit to lead England through the First World War.

[@annmoore6678]

Did anyone else notice a strong resemblance between one of the photos of Prince Albert Victor and the Prince of Wales (especially since William seems to be sporting a holiday beard in his recent photo)?

[@williammorris584]

“…lost his marbles, became a slasher…” got me laughing. Actually, I think it was cackling.

[@donnicholas7552]

I doubt will never know the true identity of "Jack the Ripper" It certainly wasn't Prince Albert.

[@DanniellekyleFenton-Johnston]

No, Jack the Ripper was more than likely HH homes. He was in London at the time of the Jack the Ripper instances, and then he moved to Chicago. The cases are eerily similar.

[@emilybarclay8831]

I can’t see any similarities between the cases. Also, Holmes moved to Chicago in 1886, two years before the JtR murders, and was taken to court in Chicago in 1888, not sure how he was in London and also appearing in court in Chicago at the same time

[@edithengel2284]

Holmes was not at all the same kind of killer as the Ripper; he used different methods to kill his victims, and he had no focus on one social class, as far as I remember. He did some killing for profit, to provide bodies for dissection. Furthermore as emilybarclay states above, he moved to Chicago in 1886 and was very busy setting up the so-called "Murder Hotel" and appearing in court to defend a suit brought against him in 1888 because he hadn't paid for building materials. He led at times a visible social life. Not the same kind of gent at all, and not the same kinds of crime. I'd be interested to know what evidence shows that he was in London at the time of the Ripper murders.

[@carolsh1983]

I hadn’t heard this “theory” before but it reminded me of the Peter O’Toole dark comedy film, “The Ruling Class” now I need to look up if that came out after the article.

[@thhseeking]

I don't know why, but I have this nagging feeling that you might be a tad peeved at this...um...I won't even deign to call it a theory 😛 Excellent work as always 😁