Evening star., 1897-06-04
vIcroRIA.s LINEAGE.
Is the Royal Family English or More
German Than the GeoFKeas

II tine Royal Family English or More
German Than the GeorEess
From the New YORK Herald.
The pedigree Of the queen has long been
subject Of controversy. few years
ago some of the English periodicals were
overrun with correspondence in the nature
of attempts to show both that the royal
family is and is not English.
The chief interest in this discussion grew
out OF an assertion made by the Prince Of
Wales on the occasion of the dedication Of
the new docks at Southampton. His
royal highness. In the very beginning of
his address, said:
I'VE are much interested in the contrast
which you have pointed out to US between
out visit here today for the purpose Of
inauguratfng vast commercial enterprise
and that which my famous ancestor, Ed
ward the Black Prince. paid five and a half
centuries ago wheE he embarked at South
ampton "a town of considerable import
ance even In the days of the conQues) for
Fra nee with his father, Edward Ill on
board fleet Of nearly 1000 sail, to ac-
company that monarch to the glorious and
celebrated field of Cressy."
These words had hardly appeared In print
when the Westminster Budget, the Gazette
and other publications were flooded with
protests One. correspondent wrote that
famous ancestor, Edward the Black
Prince. he quite forgot that the hero of
Poitiers left at his untimely death but one
surviving son, the childless Richard II,
dered at Pomfret castle in 1899 by his
cousin, Henry ~"
And this correspondent added:
AS mere matter of historic fact, the
oriy drop OF English blood which flows
through the veins of the present royal
house came from Margaret Tudor, the
eldest daughter OF Henry VII. and the wife
Of James ~. King of Scotland. who was
oil n
great grandson, James VI, King of Scot
land. succeeded to the throne of England
as James I. on the extinction of the Illus
trious dynasty of the Tudors by the death
Queen Elizabeth, AID. 1908.
'.His daughter. Elizabeth Stuart, married
German. Frederick Elector Palatine, and
she became. through the marriage of their
daughter. Sophia, with Ernest elector Of
Hanover. the grandmother of George I, our
first king of the German house Of Welt, or
Wolf, whom the act of settlement and the
WING party placed on the throne Of Eng
land AID. 111A. to the final and foul exclu-
sion of the ancient and national dynasty
Of the Stuarts. Our Welt kings. the four
Georges and the fourth William, all mar
rted German wives.
THE German mother and husband of
Queen Victoria were both Victims Of the
petty duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the
late Prince Albert being the eldest son Of
Ernest Victim. Duke of Saxe-Coburg, by
his wife Dorothy Victim. a princess of
Saxe-Altenburg. whose union had a ter
mination perhaps unique in the annals of
German dueai houses Of that class: The
Prince. of Wales. if that were possible. is
even more German than the Georges"
No sooner had the foregoing statements
teen printed in the Budget than a swarm
of indignant Britishers and loyal EEgiish-
men invaded the columns of the Budget
to protest against some of the assertions
therein made ard the conclusions drawn
herefrom. These in 'urn were followed
by another troop Of correspondents who as
strongly affirmed the correctness CT the
statements set forth by the Prince Of
Wales critic
At ler 9Th an anonymous writer appeared
in the columns Of the Westminster Bu6get
on September 13, 1895, with note en
laboriously worked out, and which seems
to have set the long-drawn-out controversy
at rest. AT all events 1t mas ceased TO be
disturbing theme Of discussion in the pub
lie prints.
This person took the ground that IAN
antecessor is a member of the family who
has gone before. and he may be either lin
cal or collateral "
etymoIogy and law. to say nothing of pop
uiar parlance. TIE writer then showed
that the Black Prince was the son of the
Prince of Wales forefather at the twan-
nineteenth remove-therefore clearly an
antecedent member of the family.
The writer expressed his belief that the
Saxon line might be traced even back to
Cedric. 1t is interesting to no.e that an
examination of this long line of descent
will show a close correspondence with the
usual rough calculation of thirty years for
a generation.
The thirty-seven generations from Eg-
bert to Victoria inclusive give, at thirty
years each, an aggregate OF LILO years.
This would take US back to AID. 7S5, and
Egbert became king AID. I94.