of Sparta and Princess Alexander of Teck. John's father stood proxy for King Carlos, Prince Carl, Prince Johann and the Duke of Fife, while John's aunt Princess Victoria stood proxy for the Duchess of Sparta and Princess Alexander. Childhood and illness Much of John's early life was spent at Sandringham with his siblingsPrince Edward (known as David to the royal family), Prince Albert, Princess Mary, Prince Henry and Prince Georgeunder the care of their nanny Charlotte "Lala" Bill. Though a strict disciplinarian, John's father was nonetheless affectionate toward his children; John's mother was close to her children and encouraged them to confide in her. In 1909, Prince John's grandaunt, the Dowager Empress of Russia wrote to her son, Emperor Nicholas II, that "George's children are very nice... The little ones, George and Johnny are both charming and very amusing..." John's aunt Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, described him as "very quaint and one evening when Uncle George returned from stalking he bent over Aunt May and kissed her, and they heard Johnny soliloquize, 'She kissed Papa, ugly old man! George V once said to U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt that "all [his] children [were] obedient, except John"apparently because he alone, among the King's children, escaped punishment from their father. Though a "large and handsome" baby, John had become "winsome" and "painfully slow" by his fourth birthday. That same year he had his first epileptic seizure and showed signs of a disability, probably autism or learning disabilities. 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. Although Prince John was deemed not "presentable to the outside world," the King nonetheless showed an interest in his youngest son, offering him "kindness and affection". 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]." Nonetheless, there was hope his seizures might lessen with time. Contrary to the belief that he was hidden from the public from an early age, Prince John for most of his life was a "fully-fledged member of the family", appearing frequently in public until after his eleventh birthday. In 1912 Prince George, John's closest sibling, began St Peter's Court Preparatory School at