Mary Kelly knew too much and talked too much. Her prostitute friends in Whitechapel agreed she should try to sell her silence about what she knew. At least, that’s how the tale is told.
What information did Mary have? Knowledge about the secret royal baby, Queen Victoria’s great-granddaughter Alice Margaret Crook. Knowledge about the child’s mother, Annie, and her alleged father, Prince Eddy.
The women concocted a scheme to blackmail the royal family through Prince Eddy’s friend and mentor,
Walter Sickert (the famous
artist). What did they risk their lives for? The sum of 10 pounds sterling.
According to the story, Sickert received a blackmail note from Mary Kelly. That note found its way into the hands of Dr. William Gull who then used his hands for the most gruesome work of his career.