BOSTON: Prince Harry’s bride-to-be Meghan Markle may be a princess after all.
A researcher at the Boston-based New England Historic Genealogical Society , one of the world’s premier genealogical organizations, said on Thursday that Markle is a direct descendant of England’s King Edward III, and she and Harry are 17th cousins. Edward III ruled from 1327 until 1377.
Royal experts have said that the 36-year-old Markle will not formally be known as Princess Meghan because she is not of royal birth.
Genealogist Gary Boyd Roberts says Markle’s royal lineage comes through an early immigrant to Boston, the Rev. William Skipper, who arrived in New England in 1639. He is an ancestor of Markle’s father.
Markle is also related to eight American presidents and dozens of other notable Americans, including actors James Dean and Roy Rogers.
Markle’s future noble ranking partly depends on what titles Queen Elizabeth II gives her and Harry on their May wedding day.
Markle, 36, will become Her Royal Highness Princess Henry of Wales when she marries Harry, whose proper first name is Henry.
The speculation is that the queen will make Harry a duke, like his brother William, and Markle a duchess when they wed at Windsor Castle. In that case, Markle would properly be known as a duchess, not a princess.
“It’s wrong to call a royal duchess ‘princess’ unless she’s already a princess,” royal historian Hugo Vickers said.
“But they can do what they like. I’m sure the press will call her Princess Meghan. I just hope they don’t abbreviate it to Princess Megs.”
Many royal observers think the queen will make the newlyweds the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, one of the few remaining “dukedoms” that is available.
Genealogist: Meghan Markle descended from English king
Genealogist: Meghan Markle descended from English king
Cambodia takes back looted historic artifacts handled by British art dealer
- The objects were returned under a 2020 agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British art collector and dealer who allegedly had the items smuggled out of Cambodia
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodian officials on Friday received more than six dozen historic artifacts described as part of the country’s cultural heritage that had been looted during decades of war and instability.
At a ceremony attended by Deputy Prime Minister Hun Many, the 74 items were unveiled at the National Museum in Phnom Penh after their repatriation from the United Kingdom.
The objects were returned under a 2020 agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British art collector and dealer who allegedly had the items smuggled out of Cambodia.
“This substantial restitution represents one of the most important returns of Khmer cultural heritage in recent years, following major repatriations in 2021 and 2023 from the same collection,” the Culture Ministry said in a statement. “It marks a significant step forward in Cambodia’s continued efforts to recover, preserve, and restore its ancestral legacy for future generations.”
The artifacts were described as dating from the pre-Angkorian period through the height of the Angkor Empire, including “monumental sandstone sculptures, refined bronze works, and significant ritual objects.” The Angkor Empire, which extended from the ninth to the 15th century, is best known for the Angkor Wat archaeological site, the nation’s biggest tourist attraction.
Latchford was a prominent antiquities dealer who allegedly orchestrated an operation to sell looted Cambodian sculptures on the international market.
From 1970 to the 1980s, during Cambodia’s civil wars and the communist Khmer Rouge ‘s brutal reign, organized looting networks sent artifacts to Latchford, who then sold them to Western collectors, dealers, and institutions. These pieces were often physically damaged, having been pried off temple walls or other structures by the looters.
Latchford was indicted in a New York federal court in 2019 on charges including wire fraud and conspiracy. He died in 2020, aged 88, before he could be extradited to face charges.
Cambodia, like neighboring Thailand, has benefited from a trend in recent decades involving the repatriation of art and archaeological treasures. These include ancient Asian artworks as well as pieces lost or stolen during turmoil in places such as Syria, Iraq and Nazi-occupied Europe. New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the prominent institutions that has been returning illegally smuggled art, including to Cambodia.
“The ancient artifacts created and preserved by our ancestors are now being returned to Cambodia, bringing warmth and joy, following the country’s return to peace,” said Hun Many, who is the younger brother of Prime Minister Hun Manet.
