Free Republic

London — 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, the Sunday Times reported. In his book The Victorians, acclaimed biographer A.N. Wilson alleges that Victoria's mother, Princess Victoire of Leiningen, had a lengthy affair with her Irish-born secretary Sir John Conroy and that he, rather than Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, was Victoria's real father. Buckingham Palace said it would not comment on the allegation. Mr. Wilson based his argument partly on medical data, the newspaper said. Records show that the illness porphyria...

The Countess of Wessex looked solemn as she observed a minute's silence for victims of last night's Manchester Arena bombing. Sophie, 52, was at the London Stock Exchange this morning for the Market Open Ceremony where the group took part in a tribute for victims of the attack that has so far claimed 22 lives. The mother-of-two, who is Chair of the Women's Network Forum, also took part in a discussion about gender equality with Unilever's Paul Polman and businesswoman Alison Kay.

THE Queen's youngest son, Prince Edward, chairman of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme that encourages participation in outdoor activities, believes that one reason young people are attracted to the program is the possibility that they could die in pursuit of the award. In an interview with The Australian yesterday, the Earl of Wessex, who is seventh in line to the British throne, said the program, established in Britain in 1956 and open to people aged between 14 and 25 in more than 120 countries - remains popular with so many because it offers the promise of adventure and the...

A study of the potential impact of wind turbines on birds in eastern P.E.I. won't be completed before construction begins, leading to criticisms that the province is paying mere lip service to conservationism. The province has ordered for 10 Vestas wind turbines worth $55 million for a wind farm in eastern P.E.I. It has commissioned an environmental assessment by Becky Whittam of Bird Studies Canada, a not-for-profit conservation organization based in Sackville, N.B. However, Whittam has warned that her study would cover an entire year, including migrations and breeding seasons. Her final report won't be ready until August 2006 –...

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, has undergone an emergency Caesarian operation to deliver a baby girl and both are "stable" in hospital, Buckingham Palace said. The baby, who is eighth in line to the throne and the Queen's seventh grandchild, weighed 4lb 9oz and was several weeks premature. The Countess, 38, was admitted to Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey, from her home in Bagshot on Saturday night but the baby has now been transferred to the neo-natal unit of St George's Hospital, Tooting, south London, as a precaution.