However, contrary to the belief that he was hidden from an early age, John was a fully-fledged member of the family for most of his life, appearing frequently in public until after his eleventh birthday, when his condition became severe.

[2] John was born at York Cottage on the Sandringham Estate on 12 July 1905, at 3:05 am, during the reign of his paternal grandfather, King Edward VII.

[4] When his father became king, John did not attend his parents' coronation on 22 June 1911, as this was considered too risky for his health; nonetheless, cynics said that the family feared their reputation would be damaged by any incident involving him.

[14] During his time at Sandringham, John exhibited some repetitive behaviours as well as regular misbehaviours and insubordination: "he simply didn't understand he needed to [behave].

"[2] In 1912, Prince George, John's closest sibling, began St Peter's Court Preparatory School at Broadstairs.

The next summer, The Times reported that John would not attend Broadstairs the next term, and that his parents had not decided whether to send him to school at all.

Guests at Balmoral remember him during the Great War as tall and muscular, but always a distant figure glimpsed from afar in the woods, escorted by his own retainers.

"[17] His grandmother Queen Alexandra maintained a garden at Sandringham House especially for him,[2] and this became "one of the great pleasures of [Prince John]'s life.

One of these was Winifred Thomas, a young girl from Halifax who had been sent to live with her aunt and uncle (who had charge of the royal stables at Sandringham) in hopes her asthma would improve.

"[19] John's seizures intensified, and Bill later wrote "we dared not let him be with his brothers and sister, because it upsets them so much, with the attacks getting so bad and coming so often.

[17] Mary later wrote to Emily Alcock, an old friend, that:for [John] it is a great relief, as his malady was becoming worse as he grew older, & he has thus been spared much suffering.

[2] On 20 January, the Daily Mirror wrote that "when the Prince passed away his face bore an angelic smile";[20] its report also made the first public mention of John's epilepsy.

Queen Mary wrote:Canon Dalton & Dr Brownhill [John's physician] conducted the service which was awfully sad and touching.

[24]Though nominally private, the funeral was attended by Sandringham House staff; "every single person on the estate went and stood around the gates and his grave was absolutely covered in flowers.

[4] According to a 2008 Channel 4 documentary, much of the existing information about John is "based on hearsay and rumour, precisely because so few details of his life and his problems have ever been disclosed",[2] and the British Epileptic Association has stated:There was nothing unusual in what [the King and Queen] did.

It was thought to be a form of mental illness...[28]adding that it was another 20 years until the idea that epileptics should not be locked away began to take hold.

[4] The Lost Prince, a biographical drama about John's life written and directed by Stephen Poliakoff, was released in 2003.