Table des matières
Articles les mieux notés dans cette liste selon le vote des lecteurs de talkKs
- Le roi Charles et son épouse : 2 votes
- Le roi d’Espagne : 1 vote
La royauté a longtemps été associée au pouvoir, à la richesse et au prestige. Tout au long de l’histoire, les familles royales se sont mariées pour renforcer leurs alliances, préserver leurs lignées et consolider leurs règnes. Cependant, cette pratique des mariages consanguins a également conduit à une conséquence moins connue : l’augmentation des niveaux de consanguinité au sein des lignées royales. La consanguinité, c’est-à-dire l’acte d’accouplement entre parents proches, peut entraîner un risque plus élevé de troubles génétiques et de complications de santé.
Une perspective historique des mariages royaux
Si l’on se penche sur l’histoire, les mariages mixtes royaux étaient une pratique courante motivée par le désir de maintenir le pouvoir et la richesse au sein d’un groupe choisi. Les rois et les reines se mariaient souvent dans d’autres familles puissantes afin de renforcer leurs positions politiques ou de préserver leur statut social. Cela se traduisait souvent par des mariages entre parents proches, tels que des cousins ou même des oncles et des nièces.
European royal families, in particular, were known for engaging in these practices. The Habsbourg, a powerful dynasty that ruled over various countries, including Spain, took intermarriage to an extreme. Their goal of keeping power within their own bloodline eventually led to fertility issues and the eventual disappearance of the Spanish branch of the family.
La mâchoire des Habsbourg, également connue sous le nom de prognathisme mandibulaire, est une condition physique caractérisée par une mâchoire inférieure allongée, résultat de la pratique courante des mariages mixtes chez les Habsbourg. Cette maladie génétique, transmise de génération en génération, est devenue un trait distinctif des Habsbourg et constitue un exemple classique des conséquences potentielles de la consanguinité.
Similarly, the British Royal Family also had its share of cousin marriages throughout history. Queen Victoria, for example, married her first cousin, Prince Albert, and King George V married his cousin, Princess Mary of Teck. These unions were seen as a way to maintain bloodline purity and strengthen family ties.
Consanguinité extrême au sein de la population britannique
Une étude récente highlighting the prevalence of extreme inbreeding in the UK population adds another layer of understanding to the historical phenomenon of inbreeding among royal families and early European society at large. The study’s findings of thousands of individuals in the UK being the result of extreme inbreeding between close relatives echo the patterns observed within royal lineages. This has led some individuals to form derogatory stereotypes such as “Britain is a nation full of inbreds”. Please note that this harmful overgeneralization lacks substantial factual backing.
This research analyzed DNA samples stored in the UK Biobank and found evidence that a fraction of the participants had been conceived by parents who were either first or second-degree relatives. First-degree relatives share 50% of an individual’s genes, such as parents or children, while second-degree relatives share 25% of the same DNA, including uncles, grandparents, and half-siblings. Extrapolating these findings to the wider population in England and Wales suggests an estimate of 13,200 individuals born as a result of inbreeding, although the researchers cautioned that the actual figure could be even higher.
Subsequently, the researchers analyzed the medical records of those individuals and drew comparisons with the broader population. Their findings indicate that these individuals faced a slightly elevated risk of experiencing various health effects. On average, they exhibited a slight decrease in height, lower cognitive abilities, and reduced fertility. Additionally, they had a higher likelihood of encountering lung function issues and contracting diseases compared to the average person.
Modern times have witnessed a shift away from such marriages and an increased focus on understanding and mitigating genetic risks. As society continues to evolve and genetic research advances, it is crucial that we remain cognizant of our history while striving for healthier futures for all families – royal or otherwise.
Conséquences génétiques de la consanguinité
Lorsque des parents proches ont des enfants ensemble, il y a un risque accru que leur progéniture hérite de deux copies d’un gène récessif associé à des problèmes de santé ou à des troubles génétiques. Cela se produit lorsque les deux parents sont porteurs d’un gène muté, et parce qu’ils sont étroitement liés, il y a plus de chances qu’ils partagent des ancêtres communs qui portaient également ces gènes.
Consanguineous marriages, where the spouses are closely related, have been linked to several well-known genetic disorders. Some examples include hemophilia, cystic fibrosis, and Tay-Sachs disease. Hemophilia, a rare genetic condition that affects the blood’s ability to clot properly, in particular, was quite common among European royalty and earned the nickname “the Royal Disease”. Queen Victoria, a carrier of the hemophilia gene, passed it on to several of her descendants, resulting in them suffering from the disorder. Her son Prince Leopold and her grandson Prince Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert (later known as Kaiser Wilhelm II), were among those affected. The prevalence of hemophilia among European royalty can be attributed to these marriages within the family. Even the recently deceased Queen Elizabeth II suffered from this disease.
Autres risques pour la santé
En plus des troubles génétiques, la consanguinité peut également entraîner une baisse des taux de fertilité. La probabilité accrue d’anomalies congénitales ou de défauts génétiques chez les individus consanguins peut avoir un impact négatif sur leur capacité à se reproduire.
Furthermore, inbred offspring may have weakened immune systems, making them more susceptible to infections and diseases. Their compromised immune systems are a result of inheriting multiple harmful genes from closely related parents.
Les cas extrêmes de consanguinité peuvent même entraîner des malformations physiques. Par exemple, Charles II d’Espagne, un personnage historique, présentait une mâchoire Habsbourg prononcée, qui est une mâchoire inférieure saillante. Cette difformité physique était le résultat de générations de mariages royaux mixtes au sein de sa famille.
However, modern awareness of the potential risks of inbreeding has led to a decline in consanguineous relationships among royalty. The British Royal Family, for instance, is now more diverse than its predecessors. Members of the royal family marry partners from various backgrounds without any family connections, reducing the likelihood of inbreeding.
Moreover, advances in genetic screening and counseling have provided couples who are related with the knowledge to make informed decisions about having children. This has significantly decreased the prevalence of inherited disorders caused by consanguinity, as couples can now understand and manage the potential risks associated with their genetic background.
Dans cet article, nous plongeons dans le monde intriguant de la royauté et explorons les membres de la famille royale les plus consanguins à travers l’histoire. Des monarchies européennes aux royaumes insulaires du Pacifique, ces individus portent le fardeau d’une lignée caractérisée par des liens de sang étroits.
Use Up/Down vote buttons and comment section under each list item to tell us your opinion and rank these based on your preference.
-
1Le roi Charles et son épouse
Le prince Charles et Camilla sont probablement cousins au second degré. L’arrière-grand-mère de Camilla, Alice Keppel, était la maîtresse d’Édouard VII d’Angleterre, et ensemble ils ont eu une fille, Sonia. Camilla, l’actuelle épouse du prince Charles, est la petite-fille de Sonia. Charles et Camilla sont cousins au second degré une fois éloignés, ils sont donc le produit d’un mariage entre cousins germains.
-
2Le roi d’Espagne
La famille royale d’Espagne est un bon exemple de consanguinité. Les parents du roi actuel, Juan Carlos et Sophie de Grèce, ont tous deux des problèmes de consanguinité. Du côté de Juan Carlos, nous voyons les restes de l’hémophilie transmis en raison des mariages mixtes relatés par la reine Victoria. Les oncles de Juan Carlos, Alfonso et Gonzalo, sont tous deux morts d’un manque de coagulation sanguine qui aurait été causé par leur légère consanguinité.
La mère du roi, Sophia, a sans doute l’un des pires cas de consanguinité moderne. Deux de ses arrière-grands-parents étaient frère et sœur, et ce qui est encore pire, c’est le fait que ses arrière-grands-parents sont aussi ses arrière-arrière-grands-parents parce que la famille royale allemande s’est mariée entre eux.
-
3 Prince Philip
Le prince Philip, le mari de la défunte reine Elizabeth, est également un produit de la consanguinité royale. Le prince Philip, comme la reine, est le produit malheureux des mariages mixtes qui ont enveloppé les mariages royaux européens au 19ème siècle.
Pour entrer dans les détails, les arrière-grands-parents maternels du prince Philip étaient la reine Victoria du Royaume-Uni et le prince Albert de Saxe-Cobourg et Gotha. Ils étaient cousins germains, partageant le même groupe de grands-parents. Cette relation familiale étroite met en évidence la pratique des mariages mixtes à l’époque victorienne et son impact sur les générations suivantes.
Additionally, both of Prince Philip's great-grandfathers played roles in perpetuating the pattern of inbreeding. His maternal great-grandfather, King Christian IX of Denmark, was a prominent figure in European royal circles. King Christian's daughter, Princess Alexandra of Denmark, married Queen Victoria's son, Edward VII, further consolidating the interconnections between royal families.
Prince Philip's other great-grandfather was Grand Duke Louis IV of Hesse and by Rhine. He married Queen Victoria's second daughter, Princess Alice, making them Prince Philip's maternal great-grandparents. What makes this connection particularly notable is that Grand Duke Louis IV was the uncle of Prince Philip's paternal great-grandfather, Grand Duke Ludwig III of Hesse and by Rhine. The marriage of Prince Philip's great-grandparents, Princess Alice and Grand Duke Louis IV, effectively made their children both first cousins and second cousins.
-
4Roi et Reine de Grèce
Le roi et la reine de Grèce, Constantin II et Anne-Marie de Danemark, sont cousins à deux reprises, tout comme la reine Elizabeth II et le prince Philip. Ils sont tous deux descendants de la reine Victoria et du roi Christian, le 9e du Danemark. Cependant, contrairement à la reine et au prince d’Angleterre, le roi et la reine de Grèce sont triplement apparentés. Ils partagent exactement le même coefficient de consanguinité, ce qui signifie exactement la même quantité de consanguinité.
-
5Impératrice Napoléon
Empress Napoleon, also known as Mary Louise of Austria, was part of an incredibly inbred family. When Napoleon struggled to provide an heir with his first wife, Josephine, he forced Josephine's daughter to marry his brother. This meant that his stepson was also his brother. However, the most inbred member of the Napoleonic family was Napoleon's second wife, Empress Napoleon. Born as Maria Ludovica Leopoldina Franziska Therese Josepha Lucia, Mary Louise hailed from the House of Habsburg, a family known for its extensive history of intermarriage and consanguinity. In the case of Mary Louise, her parents were double first cousins, intensifying the level of shared ancestry within her immediate family.
-
6 Alfonso, the Prince of Spain
Alfonso, the Prince of Spain, was the heir to the Spanish throne in the 1920s, during a highly unstable time in Spanish politics. Like Edward VIII of England, Alfonso renounced his rights to the Spanish throne to marry a commoner. Unfortunately, he passed away in 1938 due to a car accident. His hemophilia, a condition that prevents blood clotting, caused him to bleed to death. Inbreeding within the Spanish royal family played a role in the occurrence of recessive genes inherited by Alfonso. As the great-grandchild of Queen Victoria, who carried hemophilia in her family, Alfonso faced increased risk. The Spanish royal family has a history of marrying close relatives, as mentioned before. Ultimately, Alfonso suffered due to the inbreeding of his ancestors and Queen Victoria's ambition to solidify her reputation as the grandmother of Europe.
-
7Archiduchesse Gizella d’Autriche
Archduchess Gizella of Austria, daughter of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elizabeth, is a lesser-known figure in history. She was the neglected daughter of her parents, who were first cousins. The intense strain caused by their inbreeding affected their children's health. For example, their eldest daughter Sophie died in infancy, likely due to the effects of inbreeding. Another child, Rudolf, suffered from genetic abnormalities and chronic depression, eventually taking his own life. Recent studies have shown a common occurrence of depression within the Habsburg dynasty, suggesting a genetic link. Gizella herself became a figurehead for the consequences of Habsburg inbreeding. She was forced to marry her own cousin at the request of her mother, resulting in physical and emotional suffering for her children. Among her four children, all of them shared eight great-grandparents, who, unfortunately, were not genetically diverse. This situation further compounded the issues caused by inbreeding.
-
8 Ludwig, the Mad King of Bavaria
Ludwig II, the Mad King of Bavaria, was a beloved cousin of Empress Elizabeth of Austria. He had a strong appreciation for the arts and commissioned the magnificent Neuschwanstein Castle in the 1800s. However, Ludwig suffered from intense feelings of depression, and his inbreeding is believed to be a significant contributing factor to his mental health struggles. Despite his artistic achievements, Ludwig was eventually dethroned, with his counselors claiming he was insane. Modern studies suggest that Ludwig's depression stemmed from intense guilt over his homosexuality. Nevertheless, inbreeding likely played a role in the intensity of his depression. Interestingly, Ludwig's successor was even more mentally unstable than he was.
-
9Reine Liliuokalani d’Hawaï
La reine Liliuokalani d’Hawaï, le dernier monarque régnant d’Hawaï, avait également un haut degré de consanguinité dans son ascendance. Il est important de noter qu’il existe un stéréotype malheureux selon lequel Hawaï aurait une consanguinité endémique, ce qui n’était pas nécessairement vrai à l’époque moderne. Cependant, la famille de Liliuokalani avait des liens de sang étroits. Son grand-père, le grand chef Kamehameha, a été son arrière-grand-père à deux reprises parce que ses deux grands-pères étaient frères.
-
10Le roi Harald V de Norvège
King Harald V of Norway holds the distinction of being one of the most inbred royals currently alive. His parents were first cousins, which significantly limited the number of unique great-grandparents he had. While most people have eight unique great-grandparents, Harald only has six. His grandmother and grandfather were not only siblings but also first cousins to each other. Further back in his ancestry, his great-grandmother, who appears twice, was the niece of his great-grandfather. This extensive inbreeding within Harald's lineage makes him the most inbred royal of the present time.
Commentaires0