Sir, – It is a matter of genealogical record that Prince Harry does indeed have a significant amount of Irish ancestry, including some famous names, inherited from his mother's side ("Prince Harry is an Irishman trapped in a royal body", Patrick Logue, May 23rd).
Quite apart from the fact that Prince Harry’s maternal grandmother, one Frances Roche was a daughter of Baron Fermoy, her husband Earl Spencer had direct ancestors in the Bingham family, holders to this day of the Earldom of Lucan.
How did the Binghams come to hold that Irish title? When the earldom was recreated in 1795, the first holder of the new version was Charles Bingham, whose maternal grandmother was one Charlotte Sarsfield. She was a niece of the original Earl of Lucan, better known to Irish history as Patrick Sarsfield. The title had become dormant on his death in 1693, and his status as a leading Jacobite ensured that it would remain so for over a century.
Charles Bingham’s daughter, Lavinia married another aristocrat, the second Earl Spencer and they were direct ancestors of Lady Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales and mother of the princes William and Harry.
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All of which means that in the fullness of time, actuarily speaking probably in the next 10 or 20 years, a great-times-nine nephew of Patrick Sarsfield, hero of Ballyneety, the Siege of Limerick and other patriotic exploits, will become king of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
What will the several GAA clubs named after Sarsfield make of that? – Yours, etc,
DAVID D’ARCY,
Dublin 4.