Britain's Real Monarch was a historical documentary presented by Tony Robinson first shown on Channel 4 on 3 January 2004.The documentary discusses the descendants of George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence, and their claim to the throne of England.
Contents.
The programme based its thesis on the centuries-old claim that Edward IV was illegitimate, born to Cecily Neville by an English archer while her husband, Richard, Duke of York, was fighting elsewhere in France. The legitimacy of Edward IV was the subject of speculation at the time, and a document in Rouen Cathedral is presented by Dr Michael Jones as indicating that Richard, Duke of York, and Cecily Neville were about 100 miles (160 km) apart during the five-week period when Edward's conception must have occurred ［assuming that the pregnancy went to a normal term］. This theorised illegitimacy of Edward would bar a rightful claim for himself and his descendants. This would have the effect of making the heirs of Richard and Cecily's son, George, Duke of Clarence, the "real" monarchs. Such a line at the time was represented by Michael Abney-Hastings, 14th Earl of Loudoun, who had emigrated to Australia in 1960, married, fathered five children, and lived in Jerilderie, New South Wales until his death in June 2012.
The eldest son of Michael Abney-Hastings, Simon Abney-Hastings, now holds the Title of Earl of Loudoun.［citation needed］
