# Question regarding King Tutankhamun's health **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 25, 2016, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-king-tutankhamuns-health/760833 "2016-07-25T04:26:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-king-tutankhamuns-health/760833/1 "2016-07-25T04:26:28Z")
Hi, Is the following wrong? I see many websites stating that he was in very poor health when he died. I look forward to you feedback. > **[National Geographic Magazine](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/)** > > National Geographic stories take you on a journey that’s always enlightening, often surprising, and unfailingly fascinating. About five feet six inches tall (1.7 meters) and slightly built, Tut was in excellent health—well fed and free of any disease that would have affected his physique. Though his spine appears curved, it was probably misaligned during embalming. Something out of the ordinary, then, must have struck him down. But what? The experts can’t say for sure because of the difficulty in distinguishing between possible injuries to Tut while alive and the damage Carter’s team did to the mummy. Some believe, for instance, that a fracture above the left knee was Carter’s fault. Others think it may be the result of an accident or assault that led to Tut’s demise after a virulent infection set in and spread. Wikipedia states otherwise. > **[Tutankhamun](https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:A2Ftd5Nz-aAJ:https:%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTutankhamun%2B&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=sg)** > > Tutankhamun (/ˌtuːtənkɑːˈmuːn/ TOO-tən-kah-MOON), Tutankhamon or Tutankhamen\[a\] (/ˌtuːtənˈkɑːmən, -mɛn/ TOO-tən-KAH-mən, -⁠men; c. 1341 BC – c. 1323 BC), also known as Tutankhaten, was the antepenultimate pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of ancient Egypt. He ascended to the throne around the age of nine and reigned until his death around the age of nineteen. The most significant actions of his reign were reversing the societal changes enacted by his predecessor, Akhenaten, during the Am His... “Tutankhamun was slight of build, and was roughly 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) tall.[21] He had large front incisors and an overbite characteristic of the Thutmosid royal line to which he belonged. Between September 2007 and October 2009, various mummies were subjected to detailed anthropological, radiological, and genetic studies as part of the King Tutankhamun Family Project. The research showed that Tutankhamun also had “a slightly cleft palate”[22] and possibly a mild case of scoliosis, a medical condition in which the spine deviates to the side from the normal position. Examination of Tutankhamun’s body has also revealed deformations in his left foot, caused by necrosis of bone tissue. The affliction may have forced Tutankhamun to walk with the use of a cane, many of which were found in his tomb.[23] In DNA tests of Tutankhamun’s mummy, scientists found DNA from the mosquito-borne parasites that cause malaria. This is currently the oldest known genetic proof of the disease. More than one strain of the malaria parasite was found, indicating that Tutankhamun contracted multiple malarial infections. According to National Geographic, “The malaria would have weakened Tutankhamun’s immune system and interfered with the healing of his foot. These factors, combined with the fracture in his left thighbone, which scientists had discovered in 2005, may have ultimately been what killed the young king.”[23]” ---
**Author:** ![dreamregent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6f9a4e/32.png) [@dreamregent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dreamregent)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-king-tutankhamuns-health/760833/2 "2016-07-25T05:59:53Z")
Tutankhamun’s mummy has been extensively studied and there are a number of theories about what killed him. However, no one is able to conclusively prove any theory. Clearly, however, the young king was not in the best of health even when he was living. Considering numerous walking sticks were found among his burial equipment, it seems clear he had physical limitations in life. Also, I would note birth defects were appearing in the final stage of the Thutmosid line of kings. The mummy from KV55 was shown by DNA to be both a son of Amenhotep III and the father of Tut. Hence, that mummy is almost certainly Akhenaten and he had birth defects as well. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-king-tutankhamuns-health/760833/3 "2016-07-25T07:38:09Z")
Given the propensity for sister-marriage in Dynastic Egypt, I would be more surprised if he _was_, in fact, hale and hearty. ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-king-tutankhamuns-health/760833/4 "2016-07-25T12:49:59Z")
> [@davidmich](#): > > Hi, > > Is the following wrong? I see many websites stating that he was in very poor health when he died. > I look forward to you feedback. > [National Geographic Magazine](http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/print/2005/06/king-tut/williams-text) > About five feet six inches tall (1.7 meters) and slightly built, Tut was in excellent health—well fed and free of any disease that would have affected his physique. Though his spine appears curved, it was probably misaligned during embalming. Something out of the ordinary, then, must have struck him down. But what? The experts can’t say for sure because of the difficulty in distinguishing between possible injuries to Tut while alive and the damage Carter’s team did to the mummy. Some believe, for instance, that a fracture above the left knee was Carter’s fault. Others think it may be the result of an accident or assault that led to Tut’s demise after a virulent infection set in and spread. > > Wikipedia states otherwise. > [Tutankhamun - Wikipedia](https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:A2Ftd5Nz-aAJ:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tutankhamun+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=sg) > > “Tutankhamun was slight of build, and was roughly 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) tall.[21] He had large front incisors and an overbite characteristic of the Thutmosid royal line to which he belonged. Between September 2007 and October 2009, various mummies were subjected to detailed anthropological, radiological, and genetic studies as part of the King Tutankhamun Family Project. The research showed that Tutankhamun also had “a slightly cleft palate”[22] and possibly a mild case of scoliosis, a medical condition in which the spine deviates to the side from the normal position. Examination of Tutankhamun’s body has also revealed deformations in his left foot, caused by necrosis of bone tissue. The affliction may have forced Tutankhamun to walk with the use of a cane, many of which were found in his tomb.[23] In DNA tests of Tutankhamun’s mummy, scientists found DNA from the mosquito-borne parasites that cause malaria. This is currently the oldest known genetic proof of the disease. More than one strain of the malaria parasite was found, indicating that Tutankhamun contracted multiple malarial infections. According to National Geographic, “The malaria would have weakened Tutankhamun’s immune system and interfered with the healing of his foot. These factors, combined with the fracture in his left thighbone, which scientists had discovered in 2005, may have ultimately been what killed the young king.”[23]” I wonder did these royal Egyptians know about the adverse affects consanguineous marriages would have on their offspring? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-king-tutankhamuns-health/760833/5 "2016-07-25T18:45:09Z")
> [@davidmich](#): > > I wonder did these royal Egyptians know about the adverse affects consanguineous marriages would have on their offspring? They believed the opposite. That royals were very, very special people hence breeding between only the top royals would produce the best offspring. That such beliefs persist for a long time despite obvious counter-evidence is common. Look at blood letting. After all, you could always blame the bad effects on disfavor with the gods. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-king-tutankhamuns-health/760833/6 "2016-07-25T23:20:53Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > They believed the opposite. That royals were very, very special people hence breeding between only the top royals would produce the best offspring. > > That such beliefs persist for a long time despite obvious counter-evidence is common. Look at blood letting. After all, you could always blame the bad effects on disfavor with the gods. Probably depends on the family. Cleopatra VII (the famous one) was the product of several generations of incest (some of her ancestors we are not sure about). By all accounts she was a highly intelligent, capable person although not the great beauty as commonly depicted. Been a few years since I read about ancient Egypt but my impression is that various dynasties didn’t last much beyond five or six generations. Could be defects aggravated by incest or could be wars, famines, revolts, etc. How many governments worldwide survived intact from 1900 to 2000? Something like 13. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-king-tutankhamuns-health/760833/7 "2016-07-26T01:51:33Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > They believed the opposite. That royals were very, very special people hence breeding between only the top royals would produce the best offspring. > > That such beliefs persist for a long time despite obvious counter-evidence is common. It certainly persists. Look at the fuss when Prince Charled of the UK was rumored to be dating a commoner. and that was only about 30 years ago. And Queen Victoria’s hemophiliac genes put a real dent in the royal families of Europe, because of the restricted possible mates & resulting inter-breeding. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-king-tutankhamuns-health/760833/8 "2016-07-26T02:31:10Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > And Queen Victoria’s hemophiliac genes put a real dent in the royal families of Europe, because of the restricted possible mates & resulting inter-breeding. I believe that science was unaware of the genetic cause of hemophilia at the time. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-king-tutankhamuns-health/760833/9 "2016-07-26T02:40:06Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I believe that science was unaware of the genetic cause of hemophilia at the time. Well, obviously they knew nothing about genes, as such. But haemophilia was certainly known to be hereditary. Victoria’s first comment, on being told that her son Leopold had probable haemophilia, was “but this disease is not in our family!” ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-king-tutankhamuns-health/760833/10 "2016-07-26T02:53:54Z")
The National Geographic site’s article proclaiming him to be in good health was written in 2005. The Wikipedia article relies heavily on examinations performed in 2007 and 2009. ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-king-tutankhamuns-health/760833/11 "2016-07-26T10:12:36Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > The National Geographic site’s article proclaiming him to be in good health was written in 2005. The Wikipedia article relies heavily on examinations performed in 2007 and 2009. Thanks Nametag, but the claims are polar opposites. Granted, National Geographic no longer has the standing it used to have. It has lost a lot of its credibility in the last several years. But I was very surprised nonetheless. Thank you all. Very helpful. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-king-tutankhamuns-health/760833/12 "2016-07-26T14:42:14Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > It certainly persists. Look at the fuss when Prince Charled of the UK was rumored to be dating a commoner. and that was only about 30 years ago. > > And Queen Victoria’s hemophiliac genes put a real dent in the royal families of Europe, because of the restricted possible mates & resulting inter-breeding. Diana \*was \*a commoner with no royal connections. Although her family was certainly aristocratic. I remember much discussion at the time of the beneficial effects (which seem to have been confirmed in their two sons) of his marrying a commoner. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-king-tutankhamuns-health/760833/13 "2016-07-26T15:21:33Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > It certainly persists. Look at the fuss when Prince Charled of the UK was rumored to be dating a commoner. and that was only about 30 years ago. > > And Queen Victoria’s hemophiliac genes put a real dent in the royal families of Europe, because of the restricted possible mates & resulting inter-breeding. Or look at the Hapsburgs. The last of the Spanish line was horribly inbred, and was famous for its impact on his health: “Carlos the Sufferer” aka “el Hechizado” (“the bewitched”). > [@](#): > > By the time of Charles’s birth there had been many generations of inbreeding within the Spanish royal house; his physical and mental disabilities are widely attributed to this inbreeding. The practice of first-cousin and uncle-niece marriages was common among 17th-century European nobility, intended to preserve prosperous families’ properties. The Habsburgs were an extreme case of this; they had won their extensive holdings mostly through marriages and were determined to keep others from turning the tables on them. Charles’s own immediate pedigree was almost exclusively populated with close relative relationships: Charles’s mother, Mariana of Austria, herself a Habsburg, was a niece of his father, Philip. Mariana was a daughter of Empress Maria Anna of Spain (1606–46) and Emperor Ferdinand III. Thus Maria Anna was simultaneously his aunt and grandmother while Margaret of Austria, Maria Anna’s mother, was both his grandmother and great-grandmother. The inbreeding was so widespread in his case that all of his eight great-grandparents were descendants of Joanna and Philip I of Castile. This inbreeding had given many in the family hereditary weaknesses that Habsburg generation was more prone to still-births than were peasants in Spanish villages.[6] > > There was also mental illness in Charles’s family. His great-great-great (-great-great, depending along which lineage one counts) grandmother, Queen Joanna, became insane early in life and became known as “Joanna the Mad.” > > Dating to approximately the year 1550, outbreeding in Charles II’s lineage had ceased (see also pedigree collapse).[6] From then on, all his ancestors were in one way or another descendants of Joanna and Philip I of Castile, and among these just the royal houses of Spain, Austria and Bavaria. Charles II’s genome was actually more homozygous than that of a child whose parents are siblings.[6] He was born physically and mentally disabled, and disfigured. Possibly through affliction with mandibular prognathism, he was barely able to chew.[6] His tongue was so large that his speech could barely be understood, and he frequently drooled.[6] It has been suggested that he suffered from the endocrine disease acromegaly, or his inbred lineage may have led to a combination of rare genetic disorders such as combined pituitary hormone deficiency and distal renal tubular acidosis. > **[Charles II of Spain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_II_of_Spain)** > > Charles II of Spain\[a\] (6 November 1661 – 1 November 1700), also known as El Hechizado, or the Bewitched, was King of Spain from 1665 to 1700. The last monarch from the House of Habsburg which had ruled Spain since 1516, he died without children, leading to a European conflict over his successor. > Charles became king at the age of four, but for reasons that are still debated, he experienced extended periods of ill health throughout his life. This made the question of his successor central to... ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-king-tutankhamuns-health/760833/14 "2016-07-26T15:31:06Z")
A history Professor if undergraduate school told us that the one sentence Charles spoke that was understood was “I am the Emperor, and I want noodles!” ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-king-tutankhamuns-health/760833/15 "2016-07-26T15:36:26Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > A history Professor if undergraduate school told us that the one sentence Charles spoke that was understood was “I am the Emperor, and I want noodles!” I think that was a different inbred Hapsburg - Ferdinand I of Austria. > [@](#): > > Though he was not declared incapacitated, a regent’s council (Archduke Louis, Count Kolowrat, and Prince Metternich) steered the government. His marriage to Princess Maria Anna of Sardinia (1803–1884) was probably never consummated, nor is he believed to have had any other liaisons. When he tried to consummate the marriage, he had five seizures. He is best remembered for his one coherent command, to his cook when told he could not have apricot dumplings (Marillenknödel) because apricots were out of season. He said “I am the Emperor, and I want dumplings!” (German: Ich bin der Kaiser und ich will Knödel!). > **[Ferdinand I of Austria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_I_of_Austria)** > > Ferdinand I (German: Ferdinand I. 19 April 1793 – 29 June 1875) was Emperor of Austria from March 1835 until his abdication in December 1848. He was also King of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia (as Ferdinand V), King of Lombardy–Venetia and holder of many other lesser titles (see grand title of the Emperor of Austria). Due to his passive but well-intentioned character, he gained the sobriquet The Benign (German: Der Gütige) or The Benevolent (Czech: Ferdinand Dobrotivý, Polish: Ferdynand Dobrotliw... ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-king-tutankhamuns-health/760833/16 "2016-07-26T15:42:35Z")
Thanks, Malthus. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-king-tutankhamuns-health/760833/17 "2016-07-26T15:48:14Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Thanks, Malthus. We all know the vital necessity of keeping our inbred Hapsburgs distinct! 😃 [Actually, I just read that very same anecdote your history prof passed on, and it stuck in my head 😉] ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-king-tutankhamuns-health/760833/18 "2016-07-26T15:59:18Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > We all know the vital necessity of keeping our inbred Hapsburgs distinct! 😃 It is as difficult as keeping track of Victoria’s children. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-king-tutankhamuns-health/760833/19 "2016-07-26T18:22:14Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > Diana \*was \*a commoner with no royal connections. Although her family was certainly aristocratic. I remember much discussion at the time of the beneficial effects (which seem to have been confirmed in their two sons) of his marrying a commoner. The British usage of “commoner” differs from everyone else. As you pointed out she was a aristocrat. \*"Diana was born into a family of British nobility with royal ancestry as The Honourable Diana Spencer. She was the fourth child and third daughter of John Spencer, Viscount Althorp and the Honourable Frances Roche. She grew up in Park House, situated on the Sandringham estate, and was educated in England and Switzerland. In 1975, after her father inherited the title of Earl Spencer, she became Lady Diana Spencer…Diana was born into the British noble Spencer family, different branches of which currently hold the titles of Duke of Marlborough, Earl Spencer, Earls of Sunderland, and Viscount Churchill.[238][239] The Spencers claimed descent from a cadet branch of the powerful medieval Despenser family, but its validity is still being questioned.[240] Her great-grandmother was Margaret Baring, a member of the German-British Baring family of bankers and the daughter of Edward Baring, 1st Baron Revelstoke.[241][242] Diana’s distant noble ancestors included John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and Prince of Mindelheim and his wife Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough.[243] Diana and Charles were distantly related, as they were both descended from the House of Tudor through Henry VII of England.[244] She was also descended from the House of Stuart through James II of England.[19] \*. To the Brits and no one else, you are either Royalty, a Peer (as in the House of Peers) or a 'commoner". Everyone esle has Royalty, Nobility, Aristocrats, Knights and Gentleborn- then commoners. To the Brits you can be a Lord with a high title, castle and everything, but if you’re not a “Peer” youre a 'commoner". ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-king-tutankhamuns-health/760833/20 "2016-07-26T18:47:27Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > The British usage of “commoner” differs from everyone else. As you pointed out she was a aristocrat. \*"Diana was born into a family of British nobility with royal ancestry as The Honourable Diana Spencer. She was the fourth child and third daughter of John Spencer, Viscount Althorp and the Honourable Frances Roche. She grew up in Park House, situated on the Sandringham estate, and was educated in England and Switzerland. In 1975, after her father inherited the title of Earl Spencer, she became Lady Diana Spencer…Diana was born into the British noble Spencer family, different branches of which currently hold the titles of Duke of Marlborough, Earl Spencer, Earls of Sunderland, and Viscount Churchill.[238][239] The Spencers claimed descent from a cadet branch of the powerful medieval Despenser family, but its validity is still being questioned.[240] Her great-grandmother was Margaret Baring, a member of the German-British Baring family of bankers and the daughter of Edward Baring, 1st Baron Revelstoke.[241][242] Diana’s distant noble ancestors included John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and Prince of Mindelheim and his wife Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough.[243] Diana and Charles were distantly related, as they were both descended from the House of Tudor through Henry VII of England.[244] She was also descended from the House of Stuart through James II of England.[19] > \*. As an aside, I was just reading a popular history of one of Marlborough’s battles - entitled “Blenheim - Battle for Europe”, when I noticed that the author was Charles Spenser - brother of Diana and, of course, a descendent of Marlborough. Pretty enjoyable read, too. [https://www.amazon.com/Blenheim-Battle-Europe-Stopped-Conquest-ebook/dp/B00PB648Q0/ref=sr\_1\_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469558357&sr=8-1&keywords=Blenheim+-+Battle+for+Europe](https://www.amazon.com/Blenheim-Battle-Europe-Stopped-Conquest-ebook/dp/B00PB648Q0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469558357&sr=8-1&keywords=Blenheim+-+Battle+for+Europe) > [@](#): > > To the Brits and no one else, you are either Royalty, a Peer (as in the House of Peers) … Presumably not someone with a bad urological problem. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-king-tutankhamuns-health/760833.md?page=2)