Claimants to the English Throne

Hopeful heirs lay claim to the throne as worldwide search comes to an end

Hundreds of hopefuls have laid claim to the crown following a worldwide quest to find the historical heir to the English Throne, to mark the opening of a new £2.6m visitor centre at 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield in East Sussex. 

English Heritage placed a series of classified advertisements in newspapers around the world asking people who could trace their family tree back to the Battle of Hastings in 1066 to come forward.  

The aim was to see who may have lain claim to the throne today had William the Conqueror not defeated King Harold in 1066.  Claimants had to prove that their ancestors included either King Harold, his brother-in-law Edward the Confessor or Edgar the Aetheling, who was chosen to be king but never crowned.

The response was overwhelming with hundreds of claims arriving from around the world, including France, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands and Sweden, and as far away as Australia and Canada.  More than a quarter of all claims came from the USA.

Supported by extensive family trees, the claims were scrutinised by a team of expert historians and genealogists including Dr Nick Barratt from BBC’s “Who Do You Think You Are?”

Dr Barratt explained that they were looking for St Margaret of Scotland as the key to a royal lineage. “A direct descendant of Alfred the Great, she was related to both Edward the Confessor and Edgar the Aetheling. If people can trace their lineage back to St Margaret, they’re well connected to two of the key players, whose roles are explored in the interactive exhibition in the new visitor centre. ”

As part of its remit to involve people in history, English Heritage wanted to explore what might have happened had Harold not died in October 1066 – and as many of the claimants met the desired criteria, it’s fair to suggest that England could have suffered something of a power struggle!

So if William hadn’t conquered, who might be on the throne now?

Mark Golledge from Berkshire has access to an impressive historical document to support his claim. The “Stemmata Chicheleana”, published in 1765, records all the descendents of Archbishop Henry Chichele, the founder of All Souls College, Oxford. With the Archbishop’s father as one of his ancestors, Mr Golledge can quickly and accurately trace his family back from Chichele to his ancestor, Alfred the Great.

Albert Turnbull from Newcastle can not only trace his lineage back to St Margaret and King Alfred but also to William the Conqueror, so his family may have had a claim regardless of the result at the Battle of Hastings.

And, after years of painstaking research, a trip to the Libraries and Records Offices in Dublin led Judith Di-Sandolo to a family connection with the 15th Earl of Oxford, and from there back to St Margaret.

On a rather lighter note other claims include Mary McVicar, a Canadian who claims she can trace her family back to Lady Godiva, and Jeremy Greville-Heygate from Leicestershire who argues that his military experience, and large estate (car) stand him in good stead as a potential monarch – although only after negotiating a suitable salary.

English Heritage aims to feature a number of the claims at their new visitor centre at 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield.

Dr Tracy Borman, Learning Director at English Heritage, said, ”1066 was a turning point in English history and one of the most gripping periods in the country’s past. People can come and explore this watershed moment at the new visitor centre at Battle Abbey.”

The architect-designed two-level visitor centre houses an auditorium and exhibition space where a dramatic film using vivid animation and the latest in computer generated images and imaginative interactive displays explains the extraordinary history of the Battle of Hastings and its significance in history as the beginning of modern England.