News organizations are reporting that former King Manoel II of Portugal died earlier today of a "throat malady" at his home in Twickenham, England. He was 42 years old.
He had been living in "contented exile" in England for the past twenty two years, ever since "the revolution hurled him from his throne" when he was "little more than a boy," according to the New York Times.
The king was "seized with breathlessness" thirty minutes after first feeling unwell. His death was due to "Suffocation following an attack of acute oedema of the glottis, a swelling of the narrow opening of the upper end of the larynx."
King George V's physician, Lord Dawson, was called with King Manoel became ill. He arrived too late.
A statement was released after the king's death. "The king complained of a sore throat this morning, but was free from fever and paid a visit to his laryngologist, who advised his immediate retirement to bed. At 1 p.m., his majesty felt more ill and went to bed. At 1:40 there was an attack of breathlessness, which became worse rapidly."
(Death was due to an "infection at the mouth of the windpipe.)
Manoel had planned to be the best man at the wedding of his valet's daughter today. The wedding went on as scheduled, and Manoel's secretary stepped into take the king's place. The bride did not learn of the king's illness until after the ceremony.
He reigned for only two and a half years. Revolution led to the establishment of a republic in October 1910, and Manoel went into exile.
In 1913, he married Princess Auguste Viktoria, daughter of Prince Wilhelm of Hohenzollern.
King Manoel was a very wealthy man, as the Portuguese government allowed him to "retain all of his properties." He had an income of about $1,000,000 a year, and had invested $50,000.000 in real estate.
He owned Fulwell Park, a magnificent mansion," in Twickenham.
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