Michael Abney-Hastings, 14th Earl of Loudoun
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Michael Edward Abney-Hastings, 14th Earl of Loudoun (born July 22, 1942) is a British-born Australian rice researcher. Educated at Ampleforth College in England he now lives in Jerilderie, New South Wales, after moving there in the 1960s. He is the son of Barbara Abney-Hastings, 13th Countess of Loudoun, and succeeded her as Earl of Loudoun on November 1, 2002.
Abney-Hastings is the heir-general of George Plantagenet, 1st Duke of Clarence. In 2004, a documentary broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom claimed that King Edward IV of England was biologically illegitimate, and therefore that Abney-Hastings is the rightful King of England (and thus also Australia). The programme attracted widespread attention in the United Kingdom.
His other notable ancestors include, Lady Mary Boleyn, King James IV of Scotland and Mary Tudor, Duchess of Suffolk and Dowager Queen of France.
[edit] Support for the claim
Those supporting Abney-Hastings' claim to the English throne use the theory
- 'At the time of Edward's ascension to the throne, the law of the land was that the heir had to be legitimate. As it has now been proved that he was not legitimate, his heirs were not legitimate and did not have the right to pass on the throne, and so on. The right of conquest would not be a factor, as they were not conquering a legitimate king'.
Supporters of the documentary's argument add that the Act of Settlement 1701 is invalid, as William III of England was not the rightful king, and therefore a parliament summoned by him had no legal status and the Act did not receive the Royal Assent, as it was not approved by the legitimate monarch at the time, George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon. Their case can also draw support from the doubtful validity of Edward IV's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, which allows them to argue that even if Edward was legitimate, his descendants were not.
Abney-Hastings is a committed republican and has expressed no interest in pursuing his claim to the throne, although he is amused by it. He has two sons and three daughters. His eldest son Simon holds the courtesy title Lord Mauchline. He is currently one of the seven co-heirs to the Barony of Grey de Ruthyn.
Friends of the Abney-Hastings family in Australia have said that Simon is more likely than his father to pursue the claim to the throne when he inherits it.
| Peerage of Scotland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Barbara Abney-Hastings |
Earl of Loudoun | Succeeded by Current Incumbent |
| Preceded by The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Lindsay |
United Kingdom Order of Precedence (gentlemen) |
Succeeded by The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Kinnoull |
