Queen Victoria illegitimate, biographer says

The Globe and Mail ^ | 2002-09-01

[Corin Stormhands]

Well, I think this is, like, "who cares" anyway.

I disagree. I think the whole thing could be fascinating. There was a "rush" so to speak to produce an heir which turned out to be Victoria.

But the implications of the hemophilia go beyond that. Victoria's great-great-grandson Alexis, son of Czar Nicholas and Alexandra (Victoria's grandaughter) was a hemophiliac. Doctors could do nothing for him, but Rasputin could and that's how he gained the confidence of Nicholas and Alexandra.

Victoria was also the grandmother of Kaiser Wilhelm.

It's pure speculation of course. But I think it's fascinating if you consider that the Kaiser and Alexandra (thus Rasputin) would not have been in the picture.

[freebilly]

A book to be published this week says that Britain's Queen Victoria may have been illegitimate, possibly undermining the whole Royal Family's legitimacy

Gee, can I survive such earth shattering news....

[weikel]

It won't effect the legitimacy of the royal family. William the Conqueror was illegitimate too don'tcha know.

[paulklenk]

the illness porphyria — a hereditary disorder of body metabolism — once ran in the Royal Family

Porphyria is the illness mentioned in The Madness of King George -- the illness that drove him insane and turned his pee pea green, if I remember correctly from the movie.

-- "One may produce a copious, regular evacuation every day of the week and still be a stranger to reason."

[Jimmy Valentine]

There was a heck of a good book written about the death of Napoleon a few years ago. The author surmised that Napoleon was slowly poisoned through his wine by arsenic put there by an agent of the Bourbon monarchy, to ensure that there was no chance of his escaping from St. Helena.

Regards,

[Jimmy Valentine]

I refer you to certain precincts in Appalachia and the Ozarks, where "close" breeding results in some very nasty recessive traits surfacing.

[soozer47]

You don't have to dig her up or even do DNA testing. Just look at the pictures and paintings of her through her life--By her own admission she thought she had inherited the ugliness of the Hanovers...she looks just like her father the duke of whatever.

[Sam Cree]

OK, point conceded.

[Corin Stormhands]

OK, point conceded.

Well, that said, it is sort of a Jerry Springer / Trailer-trash with jewelry sort of fascination...

[Sam Cree]

The public does seem to have an endless fascination with the personal lives of the royal family.

'Course, the family seems to provide plenty of fodder for the tabloids.

[Cacique]

Hmmm, more arguments for an american style republic with checks and balances.

[SteveH]

Thought that British censors existed so that we would all be shielded from this kind of stuff ;-].

[2Trievers]

"Hmmm, more arguments for an american style republic with checks and balances."

I keep writing the checks, sending them to Washington, and NOTHING seems to balance down there ... where do you live? LOL &;-)

[MadIvan]

Hmmm, more arguments for an american style republic with checks and balances.

How so? Her Majesty serves at the pleasure of the people of Britain anyway. Should she displease us, out she goes. As Charles I amply demonstrated.

Regards, Ivan

[SunkenCiv]

Note: this topic is from 9/01/2002. Cue the Debby McClatchy (99% sure no one will get that, or even see that). Thanks Lessismore.