# I'm a direct descendant of Edward the First ! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 7, 2002, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-direct-descendant-of-edward-the-first/131175 "2002-10-07T12:30:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2014, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-direct-descendant-of-edward-the-first/131175/41 "2014-08-12T19:39:22Z")
I am supposedly descended from Viscount of Orleans Geoffrey down through Henry II Plantagenet, married to Elbeonore of Aquitaine and onward through Edward I. You may all kiss the hem of my cargo shorts. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2014, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-direct-descendant-of-edward-the-first/131175/42 "2014-08-12T21:01:52Z")
> [@Katriona](#): > > Yeah, if you’re Scottish, you probably have royal Stewart somewhere in the family tree - the Stewarts were prolific, if nothing else! That’s what you get when you don’t wear any underpants. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2014, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-direct-descendant-of-edward-the-first/131175/43 "2014-08-12T21:04:54Z")
> [@LavenderBlue](#): > > I am descended from lots of dead people. I am a direct male-line descendant of someone who helped founded a town in the US midwest around 1840. He was a farmer. His son became a doctor. _His_ son went to France and got shot at a lot and somehow lived through it. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2014, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-direct-descendant-of-edward-the-first/131175/44 "2014-08-12T22:01:08Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Oh dear. That’s what my dad told me, honest… _sigh_ > [sub]Damn. That pedigree of Sussex farmers going back to 1606 isn’t going to impress _anyone_ here…[/sub] > > _change of tune_ I’m Canadian. My ancestors abandoned their ancestry on the boat coming over. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. > > _sigh_ > > [sub]Gotta go talk with Dad…[/sub] I grew up with my dad telling me we were descended from James Cook, the explorer. When I was in junior high I took a book out of the library on Cook and found out that he had three sons… none of whom had any children (they all died young). My whole life was a lie! When I got older I did find out that my great-great-great grandfather was named Cook and came from England, but that’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2014, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-direct-descendant-of-edward-the-first/131175/45 "2014-08-12T23:06:27Z")
This funny YouTube video, “How to Become the British Monarch” addresses the issue of how many descendants of the British kings there are. See 2:58 for that. There’s one teeny error. When speaking about primogeniture the little illustrations of stick figures have a girl saying “That better be a boy” and it’s supposed to be “_ **NOT** _ be a boy.” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BUY6HGqYweQ/maxresdefault.jpg "How to Become the British Monarch") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUY6HGqYweQ) ---
**Author:** ![Lorene89095](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@Lorene89095](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorene89095)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2014, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-direct-descendant-of-edward-the-first/131175/46 "2014-08-12T23:26:31Z")
Lots of Lackeys and serfs and servants in my bloodline. ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-direct-descendant-of-edward-the-first/131175/47 "2014-08-13T05:26:56Z")
> [@Isilder](#): > > There’s a chance at each generation the father on paper is not the father in real life… > > So take the chance that the written info is correct… say 80%… or 0.8/ True, but then I’ll just be descended from a different king, quite possibly a better one. ---
**Author:** ![MrsTime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@MrsTime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrsTime)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-direct-descendant-of-edward-the-first/131175/48 "2014-08-13T16:56:47Z")
> [@Reuben](#): > > So my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather was **King of England**.\* > > Kneel you peasants, kneel !!! I’d hate to burst anyone’s bubble but pretty much everyone today can trace their lineage back to a king or a queen. In fact my King Ethelred pre-dates your king. My grandfather born in the US could have been a Lord had he gone back to England, he stated my sentiments exactly when he said “We’re eating beans and we are going to keep eating beans”. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-direct-descendant-of-edward-the-first/131175/49 "2014-08-13T17:10:02Z")
Basically ANYONE whose heritage goes back to Western Europe is related to Charlemagne. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-direct-descendant-of-edward-the-first/131175/50 "2014-08-13T17:20:20Z")
I didn’t vote for you. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-direct-descendant-of-edward-the-first/131175/51 "2014-08-13T17:44:13Z")
Dare I? 😃 \*I’m Henry the eighth, I am Henry the eighth, I am, I am I got married to the widow next door She’s been married seven times before And every one was an Henry (Henry) She wouldn’t have a Willy or a Sam (No Sam) I’m her eighth old man, I’m Henry Henry the eighth I am\* ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-direct-descendant-of-edward-the-first/131175/52 "2014-08-13T17:49:30Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > If you want to challenge Her Maj, you’ll have to get past _me_. I’m a descendant of Anne Boleyn, so I outrank you. I think a Plantagenet MIGHT just regard you Tudors as upstart rabble. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-direct-descendant-of-edward-the-first/131175/53 "2014-08-13T17:57:15Z")
Oh, crap, this is a ZOMBIE!!! Damnit, in that case, I’m going to bring up the lawyer who told my paternal grandmother that she’s a direct descendant of William Penn, and any time we care to pony up 600 beaver pelts to the British Crown (the yearly tribute expected, by the terms of the colonial charter – two per year, that is), we could have Pennsylvania all for ourselves. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-direct-descendant-of-edward-the-first/131175/54 "2014-08-13T18:26:11Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Oh, crap, this is a ZOMBIE!!! Damnit, in that case, I’m going to bring up the lawyer who told my paternal grandmother that she’s a direct descendant of William Penn, and any time we care to pony up 600 beaver pelts to the British Crown (the yearly tribute expected, by the terms of the colonial charter – two per year, that is), we could have Pennsylvania all for ourselves. You don’t think that pesky Revolution we had might have nullified that? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-a-direct-descendant-of-edward-the-first/131175.md?page=2)