The forebears of Meghan Markle, the girlfriend of Prince Harry, were not quite so fortunate, it has emerged.
– Meghan Markle's family tree has shown that beau Prince Harry is a distant cousin (they share an ancestor dating back to the 15th century), but there's a darker revelation: One of her ancestors was beheaded on the orders of Henry VIII. Lord John Hussey was born around 1465, reports the Telegraph, and quickly became a favorite during Henry VIII's reign. Hussey, whose descendants eventually spawned Markle about 15 generations later, served as a king's ambassador, worked as a chamberlain to one of the king's daughters, and was knighted for his battlefield prowess. But that all changed after a 1536 rebellion against Henry, after which Hussey was found guilty of treason, thrown in prison, and, eventually sent to his death. Another discovery of note: that Markle's great-great-great-grandfather on her mom's side was a slave in Georgia. Interest in Markle has been on the upswing since she and Harry made their first official public debut together in September, fueling rumors that Markle may soon be moving to the UK for good. A recent farewell from her Suits body double has only added to those whispers.