Ah, Helen, you have to put John of Gaunt in his place and times. He was the uncle of a king, father of a king, the grandfather of another - Henry V at that - and a power equal to any statesman we have ever seen in his time. He was also the great-great-grandfather of Henry VII. He was known as M. d'Espagne for his failed Spanish military adventures and he could really do no wrong in England. Marrying Kat Swynforde and making the Beauforts legitimate led directly to Henry Tudor being able to overthrow Richard III and found the Tudor dynasty. Not bad for one guy, eh?

Morganatic marriage is not common these days, but Jackie's sources have led her slightly astray. It merely means that no rights of title or inheritance accue to the morganatic partner. It hasn't been used formally in Britain for many years, but it is still legally possible, I'm told.


The idiot also known as Capfka ...