Just in case there's any misunderstanding, I'm no royalist either.I'm not sure, Allan, that the Royals can actually trace their direct British lineage back very far, at least only by making some sideways leaps. But I don't want to get too racist about it -as I said, most of us in these islands are mongrels anyway.

And yes, ABCD, the current dynasty does have a long-faced look - I think I'd call it horse-faced (not to their faces, you understand) but I suppose they can't help it.I doubt if there's much genetic connection between, say, Charles and the Tudors, though. Perhaps they just get long-faced because of having to spend so much of their time at boring, po-faced events. Charles, it has to be said, has tried to address this by choosing the (then) chubby-cheeked Diana as the mother of his children, so maybe the features will improve now that the Royals are importing some commoners into the bloodline.

Marje