A Bangor teenager says years of researching his family history have led him to a remarkable conclusion – that he is distantly related to the British royal family and many of history’s most famous figures.
Lucas Ashton-Milne, a 17-year-old autistic artist and writer from Bangor, has spent countless hours exploring genealogy and historical records, building what he believes is an extensive family tree stretching back through centuries of European history.
According to his research, Lucas has found that he is a descendant of King Edward III of England, making King Charles III a distant cousin. He believes the same ancestral line also connects him to Princess Diana and numerous other members of the royal family.
His family tree also includes figures he believes are among his ancestors, including William the Conqueror, Alfred the Great, Charlemagne, Philip IV of France, Malcolm III of Scotland, Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, Lady Godiva and Harold Godwinson.
Lucas has even identified what he believes are family links to Edward IV, Richard III, Henry VII and Tudor queens Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour and Katherine Howard.
He believes these royal bloodlines spread far beyond the monarchy.
“As family trees expand over hundreds of years, the number of descendants grows dramatically,” Lucas explained. “That means many millions of people today could share common ancestors with medieval kings and queens.”
He points to genealogy publications, including The Blood Royal of Britain by Melville Henry Massue and Debrett’s Guide to Tracing Your Ancestry, which discuss the large number of documented descendants of medieval monarchs.
Lucas says the idea that vast numbers of people are descended from historic royalty is well established among genealogists, citing the often-quoted observation that many English people can trace ancestry to Edward I, while many Scots can trace theirs to Malcolm III.
As part of his research, Lucas has written to King Charles III outlining how he believes they are related and hopes to receive a reply.
While proving medieval family trees can become increasingly difficult the further back they go, Lucas says he has deliberately avoided making claims where the historical evidence becomes less certain.
For him, the project has become far more than simply discovering famous ancestors.
“It’s fascinating to think that one family line can spread across centuries and connect so many people,” he said. “It really shows how interconnected history is.”
Whether or not readers have royal connections of their own, Lucas hopes his story will encourage others to explore their own family history and discover the stories hidden within it.
