Duke Might Get Promoted

The last king of Scotland might not be Forest Whitaker after all. It might be the Duke of Bavaria, Franz Bonaventura Adalbert Maria Herzog von Bayern.

The 74-year-old German aristocrat is the blood descendant of the 17th-century King Charles I.

And with talks of repealing the 1701 Act of Settlement, the ban on Catholics on the throne will be removed.

Ditching the Act, which many Catholics perceive as a historic injustice, would technically make the duke the rightful heir to the British Crown under the Stuart line.

And that, hypothetically, would open the way for him to become King of Scotland AND England. [Link]

A Candidate's Canard

John McCain claimed in his memoir Faith of My Fathers to be descended from Scottish king Robert the Bruce.

Asked by the Guardian to investigate McCain's family history, genealogists and medieval historians described the link to Robert the Bruce as "wonderful fiction" and "baloney".

Claims of Scottish medieval ancestry, [Dr. Katie Stevenson] said, are virtually impossible to prove unless traced through rare documentation. "There are no records of that nature. Any historian will tell you that it's virtually impossible to prove ancestry through the middle ages."

A spokesman for McCain said last night: "The ancestry claim is based upon a genealogical study the McCain family had in their possession, which traced the McCain family roots back to Robert the Bruce." [Link]

Long Live the Queen

Queen Elizabeth will soon be the longest-lived British monarch ever.

She overtakes the record set by her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria.

Victoria, who was born on May 24, 1819, died on January 22, 1901, having lived for 81 years, seven months and 29 days or 81 years and 243 days.

According to Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth II, who was born on April 21 1926, beats her ancestor's record at around 5pm on December 20. [Link]

Here's a list of British monarchs since 1603 ranked by longevity. The key to Elizabeth's longevity? She's never eaten a surfeit of lampreys.

King David of Frederick, Maryland

Maryland businessman David Howe got a call last year from an English genealogist telling him that he descends from the last king of the Isle of Man. So, he crowned himself king and set up a website.

Many Isle of Man residents are not happy about Howe's proclamation, however. There are Internet postings questioning Howe's legitimacy, even demanding that authorities intervene.

Howe said he was surprised by the backlash.

"I haven't hired a general, I haven't raised an army, and I have no plans to invade," Howe said.

Howe has never visited the island, but he said he plans to go with his family in the spring. [Link]

Following in the footsteps of William the Conqueror and Richard the Lionheart, Howe established his claim by publishing a notice in a London newspaper (pdf).

And Then There Was One

Plans to offer balloon rides at a site in Devon, England, have been stalled by an interesting clause in a 1920 deed conveying the land.

"The conveyance includes a clause that the covenants imposed by it will operate only 'during the life of any lineal descendant of Queen Victoria alive at the date of the conveyance and within 21 years of the death of the last survivor'.

"Because this clause, or variations of it, was used extensively prior to 1925 we have researched the genealogy of Queen Victoria's descendants.

"There are a vast number of them and surprisingly two who fitted the above description were still alive a couple of years ago. [Link]

Too bad there's not a website listing Victoria's descendants, indicating which are alive and which dead. Oh, wait, there is. The only surviving descendant who was alive in 1920 is Prince Carl Johan of Sweden (b. 1916). It isn't noted on the website yet, but Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark (b. 1913) died last Tuesday.

Justice Was Not Always Swift

The good folks at NEHGS sent along some additions to the list of Princess Di's Decapitated Kin:

The following were also executed, presumably by decapitation:

Charles I
William, Lord Russell
Mary Queen of Scots
1st Baron Capell
1st Earl of Holland
1st Duke of Hamilton
2nd Marquess of Huntly
7th Earl of Derby: Lord Derby's last words were “I die for God, the King, and the Laws, and this makes me not be ashamed of my life, nor afraid of my death.”

Lord Russell was dispatched by Jack Ketch—the notoriously inept executioner who later botched the beheading of James, Duke of Monmouth.

On climbing the scaffold, Monmouth picked up the axe and ran his fingers along the blade, asking Ketch if he thought it was sharp enough for the job. He handed Ketch six guineas, promising him six more if he did a clean job: "Pray do not serve me as you did my Lord Russell. I have heard you struck him four or five times; If you strike me twice, I cannot promise you not to stir."

Ketch had an attack of nerves and his first blow only grazed the back of the duke's head. Monmouth, who had refused the blindfold, turned his head around and gazed directly at Ketch, further unnerving him. When two more blows failed to sever the head, Ketch threw the axe down and offered 40 guineas to anyone in the crowd who could do better. At this the Sheriff of Middlesex, who was in charge of the execution, threatened to have him killed if he did not finish his job. When two more blows failed, Ketch had to use his knife, butchering the Duke like a pig. [Link]

Order a copy of The Ancestry of Diana, Princess of Wales for Twelve Generations to learn more about her hapless, headless relatives. I haven't read it yet, but it has already inspired me to add more decapitation stories to my own family history.

Princess Di's Decapitated Kin

NEHGS is now taking pre-orders for Richard K. Evans' new book, The Ancestry of Diana, Princess of Wales for Twelve Generations, due out in August. I'm impressed by the number of headless ancestors mentioned in the press release alone:

• A significant twelfth-generation ancestor was Queen Elizabeth I’s favorite, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, whose excessive ambition displeased his sovereign and ultimately led him to the chopping block.

• Another Scots forebear was Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll, general of the forces that invaded Scotland in support of Monmouth’s rebellion in 1685. As a result, Argyll lost his head at the same place where his father, the 1st Marquess of Argyll, was decapitated for changing sides one time too many during the English Civil War.

It took three strokes of the ax to detach Robert Devereux's head—probably two more than he had hoped.

A Prince's Poor In-laws

Prince Charles' wife Camilla is descended from (gasp!) poor people.

Camilla's granny was obviously so embarrassed about her father's occupation that when she remarried a professional golfer she described herself as the daughter of a shipping merchant. "In fact he'd been working on a factory assembly line - on his death certificate it states his job as 'rubber tyre maker,'" [genealogist Robert] Barrett says.

"My research also shows his father - Camilla's great, great grandfather - was a butler in Paddington who was born in Essex. So she really has good working-class roots." [Link]

Name Deemed Insufficiently Royal

Denmark's newest princess was christened Sunday evening Isabella Henrietta Ingrid Margrethe. The unwashed masses have threatened revolt.

Members of the congregation gasped when the unexpected choice was revealed and members of the public were non-plussed.

The unexpected name Isabella is the 21st most popular name for girls in Denmark but many do not consider it "royal enough". [Link]

Yeah, they should have named her something royal like Urhines, or at least Yourhighness.

If you can't get enough of this story (and who can?), you must visit this blog.

She Could Be Di's Double

The Daily Mail has an article about Di Foster, a woman who resembles the late Princess Diana. Genealogist Nick Barratt and historian Saul David figured out that the two Dis are related.

Tracing her family tree back 11 generations to the early 1700s, they have proved that Di Foster is descended from a member of the aristocratic Churchill family, who married into the Spencer family – ancestors of the Princess of Wales – in the early 18th Century. All of which means the two women were cousins.

The two women, just four years apart in age, had similar hairstyles and facial features and were both tall and slim.

'I used to complain that she was copying me,' Di said with a smile. [Link]

In related news, I am the spitting image of my 29th cousin thrice removed George Clooney.

Was the Queen Mum Born in Transit?

I don't remember hearing this when the Queen Mother died in 2002, but apparently there was some question where she was born.

Not a little mystery surrounded her birth. A plaque in the 12th-century church of St Paul's Walden proclaims that she saw the first light of day on her parent's Hertfordshire estate, but that has proved not to be the case. Later in life she was told that she was born at their London home in Grosvenor Square. There was even a family story that she may have been born in a horse-drawn ambulance - or even in the back of a taxi. When told that it was entirely possible, the Queen Mother is supposed to have put on her best Lady Bracknell voice - like her grandson, the Prince of Wales, she was a good mimic - and exclaimed: "In a taxi? How quaint!" [Link]

No Kissing the Queenly Cuz

British royal historian Robert Lacey gives advice on meeting Queen Elizabeth II, who will be arriving Thursday to help commemorate the Jamestown anniversary.

Address the queen as "Your Majesty" or "Ma'am."

"'Liz' or 'Elizabeth' don't go down well," Lacey said. "And you wouldn't shout out, 'Queen!' or 'Queenie!' That would be considered rather aggressive."

If the queen lingers, feel free to engage her in friendly small talk. "Anything in the public realm is allowable," Lacey said. "But not, 'My family history shows that I am related to the Royal Family,' things like that." It's simply too familiar. [Link]

[Photo by Ricardo Stuckert]

Can a Virgin Be an Ancestor?

Saturday is the 81st birthday of Queen Elizabeth, who will soon be paying a visit to the United States. The Telegraph marks the event by suggesting that one of the Queen's distant cousins wasn't really a virgin.

This year's visit is for the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, the first permanent settlement in troubled Virginia, a state named after the Queen's ancestor Elizabeth I. [Link]

I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that by "ancestor" they mean "someone with the same first name who held the same job."

Does the Marriott Have Queen-Sized Beds?

The Jamestowne Society will be meeting May 12-13 at the Marriott in Williamsburg, Virginia. The question everyone is asking is, will the Queen attend?

[Carole E.] Morck said the Jamestowne Society has asked Queen Elizabeth II to attend their gathering because one of the queen's ancestors, Nicholas Martiau, qualifies her for membership.

Membership in the Order of First Families of Virginia is limited to descendants of those who helped establish Jamestown and the Virginia colony between 1607 and 1624. The group will not entertain requests for membership by anyone not invited into the association, according to the group's listing on The Hereditary Society Community Web site. [Link]

Where There's a Will, There's a Way to Keep It Secret

I've written before about Robert Brown's claim that he is the illegitimate child of the late Princess Margaret. Now Brown wants to take a peek at her will to see if it might prove his claim. Problem is, wills made by members of the Royal Family are not open to inspection by the public.

If individuals in general were allowed to claim the right to represent the public and seek judicial review, there would be "anarchy", counsel said. "This week Mr Brown; next week Mr White, Mr Pink, Mr Green."

This principle was established to avoid "busybodies, cranks and mischief-makers". Mr [Frank] Hinks said: "With all due respect, this applies to Mr Brown. He is suffering from a delusion." [Link]

Evidently very little respect is due Mr. Brown.

A Nguyen-Nguyen Situation

Anh Do explains in The Orange County Register why so many Vietnamese are named Nguyen (commonly pronounced win in the U.S.).

Most Vietnamese have the surname of one of 16 royal families who ruled their homeland. In chronological order, they are Thuc, Trung, Trieu, Mai, Khuc, Ly, Phung, Kieu, Ngo, Dinh, Le, Tran, Ho, Mac, Trinh and Nguyen, as in Nguyen Bao Dai, the dynasty's last emperor, who abdicated in 1945 and who reigned before communist forces took control of North Vietnam in 1945.

During his rule, officials gave loyal subjects his name, while many criminals made the switch to avoid prosecution, according to Wikipedia. Through the centuries, a family might have adopted a new identity when new royals ascended to the throne, their rise achieved by force or political manipulation. And since Nguyen was the most recent, it's more plentiful. So plentiful, in fact, that some estimates place nearly 40 percent of Vietnamese with owning the moniker. [Link]

So Unbelievable It Must Be True

A new book identifies Balthazar Napoleon de Bourbon of Bhopal, India, as the first in line to the throne of France.

A distant cousin of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, he is alleged to be not only related to the current Bourbon king of Spain and the Bourbon descendants still in France, but to have more claim than any of them to the French crown.

The author, Prince Michael of Greece, offers a very persuasive argument.

"If I am right - and I don't have absolute proof, but I completely believe in my theory - then Balthazar Bourbon would be the eldest in the line," he told the Guardian.

"This is the cherry on the cake. Mr Bourbon is head of a decent, dignified, middle-class Indian family. They look so Indian and yet bear this name. When you look at them, it seems incredible. The more unbelievable it is, the more I believe in it." [Link]

Royal Bastards on the Telly

A new documentary on ITV1 will find "Lost Royals" by probing the infidelity of British monarchs.

The experts hope to uncover details of the children of unfaithful monarchs such as Charles II (1630-1685), who publicly acknowledged 14 children by seven mistresses.

ITV controller of current affairs and documentaries Jeff Anderson told Broadcast magazine: “For generations, illegitimate royals have been spirited away with a few quid and told to keep quiet.

“Now we’re going to unmask their descendants and reveal how close they really are to Britain’s most privileged family.” [Link]

Genealogy On Trial

In 1943, a federal court jury was asked to decide whether the late Mrs. A. V. Lane of Dallas was descended from royalty.

It all started when Mrs. Lane and her husband hired the American Historical Company of New York to prepare a history of the Lane and Hughey families. The volume was delivered after the couple's deaths, and their heirs refused to pay the remaining balance of $8,355, charging that the royal lineage presented was suspect, and that the cost was excessive. But the only question put to the jury was whether the genealogy was true.

"I submit to you the question of whether the book is true," Judge Atwell told the jury. "One side says it is true. The other says it is untrue. Neither side knows, gentlemen, because they were not there when the questioned events did or did not take place. They rely on historical works."

That put the issue down to the question of whether a certain Sir Oliver Carminow, chamberlain to Richard II of England a few centuries ago, married a certain Elizabeth Holland. [Dallas Morning News, May 7, 1943]

Genealogists were put on the stand by both the plaintiff and the defense. The publishing company's genealogist noted that Mrs. Lane had been admitted a member of the Plantagenet Society and the Daughters of the Barons of Runnymede based on the same information found in the book. The jury deliberated for twenty minutes before finding in the company's favor.

The Great Many Pretenders

Here's a progress report on the search for an imaginary rightful heir to the English throne. Hundreds of hopefuls have submitted their bids, a quarter of them from the United States.

"As many of the claimants met the desired criteria, it's fair to suggest England could have suffered something of a power struggle," said a spokesman for English Heritage which is to put the claims on show at a new battlesite exhibition centre.

"We had a chap from Arizona who tracked himself back to St Margaret [a descendant of Alfred the Great]. A lady from California could trace herself back to Edgar and William the Conqueror and says she has a pair of handsome sons who would make perfect princes," the spokesman told Reuters. [Link]