The record-union., 1897-12-01
THE QUEENS ANCESTRY.
Victoria Lineally Descended From
William the Conuueror

Victoria Lineally Descended From
William the Conqueror.
So much has been written and said,
even in the English press, about the
German origin of Queen Victoria, that
a very Widespread impression has been
created to the effect that she has no
Eng.lsh blood in her veins, nor any
right TO describe the Tudor, the Plan
tagenet, the Norman and the Stuart
kings OF England as her ancestors, says
the New York Tribune" Under the
circumstances it may be Of interest 10
call attention TO the fact that notwith-
standing the popular belief to the cor
trary, she is lineally descended from
King William the Conqueror. not al
ways through the direct male line, 1t
Is true, but sometimes through the
female line.
= Thus the male line of William the
Conqueror became extinct in the sec
ond generation and his son Henry L.
was succeeded first by Stephen. son of
the Conquerors daughter Adele. mar
rled to the French Count of BlOis, and
on his death the crown descended to
Henry H., son of Mathilda, who was
the only daughter of King Henry l.
Mathilda had married as her first huS-
band Emperor Henry V. of Germany,
to whom, however, she bore no chill
dren- Her second husband was Geof-
frey Plantagenet Count of Anjou, who
became father of King Henry IL, and
thus brought what is known as the
Plantagenet strain of blood into the
reigning house of England. From
that time on the crown descended
in direct line from father
to grandson, or from elder brother
to younger brother, but always
in the direct male line, until the deposi-
tion and death of King Richard II.
in. the year 400. when Henry ", his
cousin, succeeded to the throne
Henry ". was the son of John of
Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and fourth
son OF King Edward III, and it was
on that account Henry ", Henry V.
and Henry VI. We're known as the
Lancastrian Kings of England. King
Henry Wis only son was murdered,
after being taken prisoner at the bat
tie of Tewksbury and thereupon the
throne devolved upon his kinsman.
King Edward ". The latter was a
greasgrandson of Edmund, Duke of
Edward III. On Edwards death he
was succeeded by his young son. Ed
ward v, who, along with his younger
brother, was murdered in the tower
or London by his fathers brother.
Richafd the Hunchback, who thereupon
took possession of the throne. King
Rlchard falling in battle without leav-
ing any issue was succeeded by King
fenfy VII, who fortified his own
claims to the throne by wedding the
eldest daughter and heiress of King
Edward ".
klng Henry VII. however had rights
OF his own to the throne independently
or his wife, being descended from John
or Gaunt, the fourth son Of King Ed
ward III True, King Henry Wis
great-srandfather. son of John of
Gaunt. had had the misfortune to he
born out of wedlock several wears
proir to the marriage OF his father and
mother But this little stain on his
escutcheon was set right by a patent
OF legitimacy ratified by act of Parlia
ment and confirmed by the Pope King
Henry's mother, Margaret, was the
granddaughter of the eldest son tbus
legitimized and she married Edmund
Tudor, who thus became the father of
King Henry VII, and brought what
was known as the Tudor strain of blood
into the reigning house of England.
King Henry VII was followed by his
son, King Henry VIII, and the latter in
turn was succeeded, first of all by his
son King Edward VI. then by Bloody
Mary and thereafter by Queen Eliza
beth, who died unmarried. The male
Tudor line having thus become extinct
the crown descended to the heirs op
King Henry Wis daughter. Margaret
VINO had married King James " of
scotland. Queen Margaret of Scotland
became the grandmother of Mary
queen of Scots. and was consequently
reat-grandmother of the latter's son.
King James VI. of Scotland. who, on
the death of Queen Elizabeth, succeed
ed TO the throne of England under the
title of James l.. the crowns of England
and Scotland being for the first time
united
King James, who was the first of the
Stuart line on the throne of England.
was followed by his son. Charles, who
lost his head on the scaffold, and after
the death of Oliver Cromwell. who gov
erned England. Scotland and Ireland as
republic, the son of Charles |. be-
came King, being followed at his death
by his brother, James. James. on be-
ing deposed. was succeeded first by his
daughter Mary, who was married to
William of Orange, and secondly by his
daughter Anne, who died without leav-
ing any surviving issue King James
had a son, who. however. at the time
of the deposition of his father. was de-
barred from succession to the throne.
in consequence of his profession of the
Catholic religion, and his two sons. in
turn. who were known as the young
pretender," and as Cardinal Of York.
We're excluded from the succession on
analogous grounds, both of them dy-
ing without legitimate issue.
According to lineage and legitimate
descent. the crown should have devolv-
ed upon the descendants of Henrietta
Stuart Duchess of Orleans, daughter
Of King Charles l. But. owing TO their
being members Of the Catholic Church.
they were excluded from succession 10
the throne by what is known as the
Act of Settlement The descendants of
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