The recent revelation that a therapist from the United States, Angela Webb-Milinkovich, may be a descendant of Queen Victoria’s alleged secret love has generated considerable interest and speculation. British historian Fern Riddell has pointed to Webb-Milinkovich as possible living proof of an extramarital affair the Queen allegedly had with John Brown, a Scottish man who served as a member of her entourage.
John Brown, who was noted for his closeness to the monarch, is said to have saved the Queen from an assassination attempt. Their relationship was marked by bold and even flirtatious comments about the queen’s appearance, which intrigued many historians and biographers over the years.
Speculation about this romance was fueled by a Swiss newspaper report claiming that Brown and Queen Victoria had married in 1866. Furthermore, a clergyman made a deathbed confession about having married the couple, reinforcing theories about their relationship. This led to rumors that Mary Ann Brown, Webb-Milinkovich’s great-grandmother, was the product of this secret relationship.
In an interview with The Times, Angela Webb-Milinkovich expressed confidence in the possibility that her lineage could be traced to this story. “I feel quite confident that there is some legitimacy to this theory. It’s something I could never personally confirm. The story I grew up hearing is that John Brown and Queen Victoria had a romantic relationship,” she commented.
Webb-Milinkovich also mentioned a boat trip the couple took, after which a child was born who would form their family: “They took a long boat trip. After that, a child was produced, and from that child came my family line,” he added.
The alleged romance was portrayed on the big screen in the 1997 film Mrs. Brown, starring renowned actress Dame Judi Dench, who received an Oscar nomination for her role as the queen.
While many historians have dismissed the idea of a romantic relationship between the two, Riddell claims to have uncovered new evidence that may indicate otherwise. “Their relationship has been minimized and sanitized. I hope to restore John Brown to his place in history and his legacy, which is to have been Victoria’s royal consort for 20 years,” he stated.
Additionally, in 2024, an extraordinary collection of Queen Victoria’s personal clothing was discovered in a wardrobe after being hidden for more than 120 years. Among the items were pieces such as voluminous panties, a kimono, and delicate slippers. These historical relics have been preserved for generations within the same aristocratic family since being given to one of the queen’s ladies-in-waiting.
