Augustus D'Este

Sir Augustus Frederick d'Este, KCH (13 January 1794 – 28 December 1848), was the son of Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex, and Lady Augusta Murray. He was a grandson of King George III, and his familial relations included being the nephew of Kings George IV and William IV, as well as a first cousin to Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.

D'Este was born into a royal family. His parents married secretly on 4 April 1793 in Rome at the Hotel Sarmiento, in a ceremony conducted according to Church of England rites. Later, on 5 December 1793, they married publicly at St George's, Hanover Square, Westminster, under their proper names, but without disclosing their previous marriage. Both marriages were in contravention of the Royal Marriages Act 1772, rendering them legally null and void under English law. Following the birth of their first child, the marriage was discovered by the reigning king, leading to its annulment. Consequently, d'Este was considered illegitimate in Great Britain.

Initially, he was baptised with the name "Augustus Frederick," and briefly given the surname "Hanover." Later, he adopted the surname d'Este. He attended Harrow School and was commissioned into the British Army as a lieutenant in the 7th Regiment of Foot in 1811. His military career included promotions and transfers: in 1815, he became a captain of a company in the York Chasseurs, subsequently transferring to the 12th Regiment of Foot and later to a troop in the 9th Regiment of Light Dragoons in 1817. In 1822, he purchased the rank of major in the 11th Regiment of Foot and later moved to the 4th Regiment of Dragoon Guards. He achieved the rank of lieutenant-colonel in 1824 by purchase and was granted the brevet rank of colonel in 1838.

In 1830, King William IV appointed him a knight commander in the civil division of the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, and he was also named a British knight bachelor. D'Este received a civil list pension and was appointed deputy ranger of St James's Park and Hyde Park. He actively participated in the Aborigines Protection Society, supporting Native American land rights, notably assisting Peter Jones, a Mississauga missionary and leader advocating for Native land titles in Upper Canada.

Following the death of his father in 1843, D'Este attempted to claim his father's dukedom of Sussex and other peerages. However, the House of Lords rejected his claim due to the nullity of his parents' marriage. D'Este never married; although he had romantic involvements, including courting his cousin Charlotte and expressing interest in Feodora of Leiningen, these pursuits did not result in marriage. His relationship with Charlotte ended when she requested her uncle to dissuade him, and his courtship of Feodora was also unsuccessful.

D'Este is historically significant as the earliest documented individual diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. His diagnosis was only established posthumously through the analysis of his personal diaries, which he kept from 1822 until 1846. He documented the progression of his symptoms over more than 20 years, beginning at age 28 with a transient visual loss after a friend's funeral. His symptoms included leg weakness, hand clumsiness, numbness, dizziness, bladder issues, erectile dysfunction, tremors, and nocturnal spasms. By 1843, his condition had worsened, leading to wheelchair use, and eventually confinement to bed in his final years. Despite his illness, he maintained an optimistic outlook on life.

Augustus d'Este died on 28 December 1848.