Madam, – Michael O’Brien (March 25th) wondered about any sense of deprivation that Elizabeth II might feel were we not to trace her roots to some Irish locality. I believe that I may be able to provide assistance in this respect.
Through her late mother – Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (daughter of the 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne) – Elizabeth II is directly descended from the second son of the 3rd Earl of Ormonde, namely Sir Richard Butler of Polestown, Co Kilkenny (c1396-c1443), and his wife, Catherine O’Reilly, daughter of Giolla Iosa (or Gildas) O’Reilly, Lord of Breifne-O’Reilly. Stemming from the offspring of Sir Richard and Lady Catherine, Elizabeth II is also descended from members of the MacMurrough-Kavanagh, Ely O’Carroll, and MacCarthy of Carbery families. – Yours, etc,