Queen Victoria and Haemophilia

[betina]

I saw a program on Discovery about Queen Victoria as a carrier of the Hemophila gene and Porphyria gene. They traced it back to George 3. and they said that he wasn´t mad but only suffered from Porphyria. They could also trace it back to James 1. and queen Mary of Scots.
Does anybody know if there is present decendants og Queen Victoria who suffers from Hemophelia?
Betina

 

[wymanda]

bettina,

I'm not sure about the porphyria but I dont think that there are any living descendants of Queen Victoria who have the haemophilia gene. The disease found its way into the Spanish, Russian & German royal families through daughters of Princess Alice & Princess Beatrice. Prince Leopold's daughter was Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone who was a carrier. She had one son who had the disease. Princess Victoria (Princess Royal & Empress Frederick of Germany) was a carrier and had one who was a sufferer and one son who married his cousin, Princess Irene of Hesse, who was a carrier. They had two haemophiliac sons. Irene's sister Alix married the Tsar of Russia. Their son Alexis was a sufferer and it is unknown if any of their daughters were carriers. It is likely that at least two of the daughters would have carried the gene. Princess Beatrice's daughter, Victoria Eugenie married the King of Spain and produced two haemophlic sons. It does not appear that any of her daughters were carriers.
Of the families that descend from these princesses, there is no sign of the disease in the Spanish royal family as the present King is descended from a son who did not have the disease. The russian line became defunct in 1917. I do not have any information on the Germans.

 

[lashinka2002]

Even if there were decendants today, royal famalies may choose to keep that information private.

There is now treatment for hemophlia, but no cure

Treatment involves infusion of the missing blood clotting factor taken regularly as a preventative therapy, or taken when needed to control a bleeding episode.

This must be a difficult disease to live with.

I heard that Princess Margaret suffered from porphyria but that could just be tabloids.

 

[MoonlightRhapsody]

I can't recall any of Queen Victoria's descendants currently living who has haemophilia or porphyria (http://www.porphyriafoundation.com/about_por/index.html <---Good link about it from the American Porphyria Foundation). However, her current descendants could be carriers for haemophilia, therefore, a good reason why royals shouldn't inter-marry. You need a genetic analysis to find out if you're a carrier for haemophilia. I doubt the royals have had an analysis done but I'm certain they would not publish the results, if ever.

 

[magnik]

I think that I watch it or mybe similar program. But it was said that porphyria start much earlier than George III. Probably it began by Stuarts - James V but that's sure that Mary "Queen of Scots" had it.

 

[Alicky]

Victoria/Duke of Kent/Haemophilia

-Continuing the topic in a new thread as Elspeth suggested.

a mutation is quite rare, anyway, her father, whoever he was, did pass the silent gene to her, QV, who was not ill, as women are - sane bearers- and passed the gene to her sons, of course, not to all, she passed it only to 1, Leopold- as for mutation, it should have occured in the Duke of Kent, who, witnesses tell this, was not with his wife when she concieved, she was in Prussia, or a country of the modern Germany- I did not want to believe it, but who should be sitting on the throne, now, is Edward George, Duke of Kent, son of that Duke of Kent, George, who married P. Marina of Greece. He died in 1942.

But it might not have been a silent gene from a parent, de novo cases do occur. Queen Victoria would most likely have been a silent carrier, it's pretty rare to find female hemophiliacs that exhibit the symptoms.

Is it a fact that the Duke of Kent was away from his wife when Victoria was concieved? Who were the witnesses? This is a very interesting tilt to the story. Better than any soap opera that's for sure!

 

[Elspeth]

The origin of this story seems to be the book "Queen Victoria's Gene" by D. Malcolm Potts, who's an obstetrician. He claims that the most likely way Queen Victoria became a haemophilia carrier is by being the daughter of a haemophiliac man, which the Duke of Kent obviously wasn't. According to reviewers at Amazon, the book doesn't give any evidence for the allegation.

There are other stories about her being the illegitimate daughter of the Duchess of Kent's close friend Sir John Conroy, but I suppose that sort of gossip is inevitable.

 

[wymanda]

a mutation is quite rare, anyway, her father, whoever he was, did pass the silent gene to her, QV, who was not ill, as women are - sane bearers- and passed the gene to her sons, of course, not to all, she passed it only to 1, Leopold- as for mutation, it should have occured in the Duke of Kent, who, witnesses tell this, was not with his wife when she concieved, she was in Prussia, or a country of the modern Germany- I did not want to believe it, but who should be sitting on the throne, now, is Edward George, Duke of Kent, son of that Duke of Kent, George, who married P. Marina of Greece. He died in 1942.

Emily,
The Haemophilia gene is carried by the mother. It is present on the X chromosome and as all of us who have studied genetics know you have the following possibilities

+ A female Carrier
+ A female free of the disease
+ A male haemophiliac

If a female carrying the disease were to marry a male with haemophilia the result could be a female child with haemophilia.
Only one of Victoria's daughters was DEFINITELY not a carrier. This was Empress Frederick (The Princess Royal). As Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll did not have children it is impossible to know if she was a carrier. The disease was passed into other royal families in the following ways

+ Princess Alice - Passed into the Russian royal family by her daughter Alix
+ Princess Beatrice - Passed into the Spanish Royal family by her daughter Ena

It is unsure if Princess Helena was a carrier because she produced healthy children but her daughters had no issue so it is unknown if they inherited the carrier gene from her.

Prince Leopold was a haemophiliac and his daughter Princess Alice (Countess of Athlone) was a carrier (she could not have been anything else). Both of her sons were haemophiliacs but it doesn't appear that her daughter, Lady May Abel-Smith was a carrier.

The following link explains it all and also provides the information on Queen Victoria's mothers family and the strong chance that the gene came from there.

http://www.geocities.com/jesusib/haemophilia.html

 

[Alicky]

So I guess it most likely was new case of hemophilia in ole Vicky.

 

[emily62_1]

yess, u're right, women are sane carriers, in fact, what I'm saying here, is that the Duke of Kent should have been himself a carrier, that would mean that in the Hanoverian RF, should have occured, in the centuries be4e QV's birth, some haemophiliac cases btw the Hanover Princes, but I have never heard of any, have u ? we all know about Mendel and his theories, but only if QV's father was a carrier of the gene.... well, I know u understand me. It would be easy to know the truth, some members, of British RF , could make his/her DNA compared to Ernst Augustus' DNA, well, I know they would never do it.....

 

[tiaraprin]

The origin of this story seems to be the book "Queen Victoria's Gene" by D. Malcolm Potts, who's an obstetrician. He claims that the most likely way Queen Victoria became a haemophilia carrier is by being the daughter of a haemophiliac man, which the Duke of Kent obviously wasn't. According to reviewers at Amazon, the book doesn't give any evidence for the allegation.

There are other stories about her being the illegitimate daughter of the Duchess of Kent's close friend Sir John Conroy, but I suppose that sort of gossip is inevitable.

I don't believe the Duchess of Kent and Sir John were close then. It was only after the Duke's death did he make himself utterly irreplaceable to the Duchess, realizing Victoria's potential future position. The man was a social climbing, greedy monster!!

Do you think the Duchess and Conroy were lovers as Victoria grew up?? There is a question!!

 

[emily62_1]

I'll check out, but I read he was.... well, u know, quite old at the time and very ill, don't know which illness he suffered from, but I'll make researches.

George IV was still alive, he died when Victoria was 1 years old, then William IV, her uncle, succeeded, but he had no issue, then was the turn of the Duke of Kent, who had died be4e William IV, so when she was 18, QV succeeded on the throne. It was 1837.

 

[wymanda]

Actually it is not haemophilia that links Victoria undenyably to the Hanoverians, it is porphyria. There is strong evidence that this condition, which was the cause of George III madness, came through the family from Mary Queen of Scots and it is present in the descendants of QV. At least one of her grandaughters was a sufferer and there was some suggestion that so was Princess Margaret. Given E-A's regular outbursts and is recent bout of ill health I wonder if he is also a sufferer?

 

[tiaraprin]

George IV was still alive, he died when Victoria was 1 years old, then William IV, her uncle, succeeded, but he had no issue, then was the turn of the Duke of Kent, who had died be4e William IV, so when she was 18, QV succeeded on the throne. It was 1837.

George IV died in 1830 when Victoria was 11. King George III died before Victoria's 1st birthday. William IV died a few weeks after Victoria turned 18.

 

[Warren]

Hanover or Kent?

I did not want to believe it, but who should be sitting on the throne, now, is Edward George, Duke of Kent, son of that Duke of Kent, George, who married P. Marina of Greece. He died in 1942.

Sorry emily62_1, I can't follow this.
If for whatever reason the young Princess Victoria was passed over for the succession then following the death of King William IV his next surviving younger brother, Prince Ernst August, Duke of Cumberland, would have taken the Thrones of Great Britain (and Hanover).

Due to Salic Law Ernst August became King of Hanover when Queen Victoria became Queen of Great Britain in 1837. This first Ernst August's senior living descendant is today Prince Ernst August (V), Prince of Hanover, Head of the Royal House of Hanover, and it is he who would be King of England, not the Duke of Kent.
.

 

[Elspeth]

Well, he wouldn't be King of England, having married a Catholic, if that's any consolation. Anyway, no doubt the Hanoverians would have made different marriages as kings of England from the marriages they made as Electors of a small German house and then ex-rulers, so who knows who the current monarch would be.

 

[Mapple]

yes, u're right, women are
sane carriers, in fact, what I'm saying here, is that the Duke of Kent should have been himself a carrier, that would mean that in the Hanoverian RF, should have occured, in the centuries be4e QV's birth, some haemophiliac cases btw the Hanover Princes, but I have never heard of any, have u ? we all know about Mendel and his theories, but only if QV's father was a carrier of the gene....
...

Not necessarily; it could have been a sperm mutation in the Duke of Kent, and Viktoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld could have been a carrier of the disease herself.

 

[emily62_1]

George IV died in 1830 when Victoria was 11. King George III died before Victoria's 1st birthday. William IV died a few weeks after Victoria turned 18.

sure, 1830, I get easily confused when it comes to the British Rf in the 1800s.

 

[emily62_1]

Actually it is not haemophilia that links Victoria undenyably to the Hanoverians, it is porphyria. There is strong evidence that this condition, which was the cause of George III madness, came through the family from Mary Queen of Scots and it is present in the descendants of QV. At least one of her grandaughters was a sufferer and there was some suggestion that so was Princess Margaret. Given E-A's regular outbursts and is recent bout of ill health I wonder if he is also a sufferer?

QV had no porphiria, was she a carrier ? don't know......she was not a Hanover Princess.

 

[Alicky]

I just don't understand what a "sane carrier" is. I never heard that terminology used, I thought you might mean someone who carries it without exhibiting the symptoms, a silent carrier. Is that what you meant?

 

[Idriel]

More Questions

Emily,
The Haemophilia gene is carried by the mother. It is present on the X chromosome and as all of us who have studied genetics know you have the
...

strong chance that the gene came from there.

http://www.geocities.com/jesusib/haemophilia.html

Thank you wymanda for that brilliant explanation. Did the men who suffer from this disease have descendants? Or did they die before reaching adulthood?
It's not the subject but since you seams so inform, do you do if the Wittelbach (sp.?) madness was of genetic origin too? If yes, how was it passed? Thanks.

I just don't understand what a "sane carrier" is. I never heard that terminology used, I thought you might mean someone who carries it without exhibiting the symptoms, a silent carrier. Is that what you meant?

Yes.That means you carry the gene 'hemophilia' but you do not express the symptoms nor develop the illness.

QV had no porphiria, was she a carrier ?

What is that?

 

[Alicky]

The hereditary disease (?) that was alleged to have caused George III's "madness."

 

[Mapple]

QV had no porphiria, was she a carrier ? don't know......she was not a Hanover Princess.

At present this is an unconfirmed hypothesis that lacks proof.

 

[Mapple]

Thank you wymanda for that brilliant explanation. Did the men who suffer from this disease have descendants? Or did they die before reaching adulthood?

A little about the disease. Classic haemophilia is caused by a deficiency of a certain gene located on X chromosome. Females have two of them, and the 'good' gene prevents them from developing the symptoms; of course, there is a very-very slim chance of getting two chromosomes with the 'bad' gene. But we males have only one X chromosome.

Haemophiliacs can reach adulthood and have children now; in the 19th century they mostly died before begetting a child (the Duke of Albany is an exception). If a mother is healthy, the boys will be healthy, too; 100% of the girls will be carriers of the disease.

 

[iowabelle]

Actually it is not haemophilia that links Victoria undenyably to the Hanoverians, it is porphyria. There is strong evidence that this condition, which was the cause of George III madness, came through the family from Mary Queen of Scots and it is present in the descendants of QV. At least one of her grandaughters was a sufferer and there was some suggestion that so was Princess Margaret. Given E-A's regular outbursts and is recent bout of ill health I wonder if he is also a sufferer?

I read recently in Wikipedia that Princess Margaret said in the 1970s that Prince William of Gloucester (the current Duke's elder brother) had porphyria. I saw another reference recently saying that Prince William of G. had it (didn't want anyone to think I meant William Wales).

 

[linda85]

Queen Victoria's oldest Daughter, Empress Frederick of Germany was a carrier of the gene for haemophilia because she had one son, Sigismund I beleive was his name, who died of the bleeding disease. I think she also had another son who had it as well. She had eight children and only six survived to adulthood: Wilhelm II, Charlotte, Henry, Victoria, Sophie, and one other daughter who I can't remember. Henry married Irene, a sister of the Empress of Russia, and she had sons who were haemophiliacs too. Irene's mother was Alice of Great Britian who was a daughter of Victoria of England.

None of Empress Frederick's daughters as I know were carriers of the gene because Sophie married into the Greek house and it hasn't shown up there as I know. Another daughter married into the Langravine of Hesse or one German state, and it hasn't shown up there either as I know.

Thanks,
Linda 85

 

[tiaraprin]

I read recently in Wikipedia that Princess Margaret said in the 1970s that Prince William of Gloucester (the current Duke's elder brother) had porphyria. I saw another reference recently saying that Prince William of G. had it (didn't want anyone to think I meant William Wales).

It has also been said that Princess Margaret had pophryria too.

 

[emily62_1]

A little about the disease. Classic haemophilia is caused by a deficiency of a certain gene located on X chromosome. Females have two of them, and the 'good' gene prevents them from developing the symptoms; of course, there is a very-very slim chance of getting two chromosomes with the 'bad' gene. But we males have only one X chromosome.

Haemophiliacs can reach adulthood and have children now; in the 19th century they mostly died before begetting a child (the Duke of Albany is an exception). If a mother is healthy, the boys will be healthy, too; 100% of the girls will be carriers of the disease.

not 100%, Vicky was not a carrier, we don't know about Louise, who had no issue or Helena, who only had daughters.

 

[tiaraprin]

not 100%, Vicky was not a carrier, we don't know about Louise, who had no issue or Helena, who only had daughters.

The Empress Frederick (Vicky) was a carrier. Her son Sigismund had haemophelia.

 

[emily62_1]

u're right, sorry, but I tend to be so confused, QV had 9 kids and they had so many issues themselves, all but Louise, so she had, how grandkids ? well, many, Alice also lost a kid of 3, Frittie, he was hemophiliac and he died as he had fallen from a window.

Queen Victoria's oldest Daughter, Empress Frederick of Germany was a carrier of the gene for haemophilia because she had one son, Sigismund I beleive was his name, who died of the bleeding disease. I think she also had another son who had it as well.

sure, u're talking about Sigi, who died at 3, that's true , and she also lost another of 11, but I remember he was not hempephiliac, he died of pneumonia.

it's weird as only Alicky, P. Alice's daughter was a carrier btw Alice's kids, is it true, in fact Aliexei, the Tzarevitc, was not healthy- were the Leopold kids sane or ill, can't remember ????? Hemoephilia is a weird illness. Prince Philip, the Prince Consort, who descends from P. Alice is not ill, in fact. the illness did not pass from P. Anne to her son, Philip, well, _I know he's healthy, luckily, the illness seems to have disappered from the RF members nowadays. Sorry, I'm confused.