Richard III DNA tests reveal a possible royal sex scandal
Genetic analysis raises questions about legitimacy of Henry VIII and other famous English royals
DNA tests have confirmed that the ancient bones found under a car park in Leicester are those of Richard III – but they also point to a sex scandal in his family tree.
Genetic analysis of the last Plantagenet king and samples from five living relatives has raised questions about the legitimacy of Henry VIII and other famous English royals.
"Analysis shows that DNA passed down on the maternal side matches that of living relatives, but genetic information passed down on the male side does not," explains the BBC. "Infidelity is the most likely explanation."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The tests show that somewhere along the male line, dating back more than 500 years, there was a least one "false paternity event" – meaning that a king may have been cheated on.
The discovery potentially undermines either Richard III's claim to the throne or that of Henry VIII and the entire Tudor dynasty, depending on which side of the family tree the infidelity occurred.
However, the BBC says scientists would not be drawn on what it might mean for the current royal family. "The breakage was statistically more likely to have occurred in the part of the family tree which does not affect royal succession – the most recent stretch – simply because more links in the chain exist there," says the BBC.
The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, shows that there is at least one illegitimate male in the chain of 19 generations between the 5th Duke of Beaufort, who died in 1803, and Edward III, Richard's great-great grandfather from who the male line is descended.
Historians have identified two prime suspects based on contemporary rumours: Richard Earl of Cambridge - who was Richard III's paternal grandfather - and John of Gaunt, whose ancestral line led to Henry VIII and the Tudors.
"We may have solved one historical puzzle, but in so doing, we opened up a whole new one," said Prof Kevin Schurer, the genealogy specialist on the paper.
Archaeologists excavated the Leicester car park, a long-reputed burial site of Richard III, in 2012. A forensic study of the remains showed that Richard III had a curved spine and had suffered 11 wounds at the time of his death.
Statisticians say they are 99.999 per cent certain of the identity of the remains following the DNA analysis, which also revealed that Richard III was likely to have been blue-eyed with blond hair as a child.
Edmund Tudor's son Henry VII took the throne from the House of York after defeating Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, ending the Wars of the Roses.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
US charges Indian tycoon with bribery, fraud
Speed Read Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has been indicted by US prosecutors for his role in a $265 million scheme to secure solar energy deals
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
DOJ seeks breakup of Google, Chrome
Speed Read The Justice Department aims to force Google to sell off Chrome and make other changes to rectify its illegal search monopoly
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
What can Elon Musk's cost-cutting task force actually cut?
Talking Points A $2 trillion goal. And big obstacles in the way.
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Home Office worker accused of spiking mistress’s drink with abortion drug
Speed Read Darren Burke had failed to convince his girlfriend to terminate pregnancy
By The Week Staff Published
-
In hock to Moscow: exploring Germany’s woeful energy policy
Speed Read Don’t expect Berlin to wean itself off Russian gas any time soon
By The Week Staff Published
-
Were Covid restrictions dropped too soon?
Speed Read ‘Living with Covid’ is already proving problematic – just look at the travel chaos this week
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Inclusive Britain: a new strategy for tackling racism in the UK
Speed Read Government has revealed action plan setting out 74 steps that ministers will take
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sandy Hook families vs. Remington: a small victory over the gunmakers
Speed Read Last week the families settled a lawsuit for $73m against the manufacturer
By The Week Staff Published
-
Farmers vs. walkers: the battle over ‘Britain’s green and pleasant land’
Speed Read Updated Countryside Code tells farmers: ‘be nice, say hello, share the space’
By The Week Staff Published
-
Motherhood: why are we putting it off?
Speed Read Stats show around 50% of women in England and Wales now don’t have children by 30
By The Week Staff Published
-
Anti-Semitism in America: a case of double standards?
Speed Read Officials were strikingly reluctant to link Texas synagogue attack to anti-Semitism
By The Week Staff Published