Royal haemophilia
1996; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 30; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1080/00219266.1996.9655504
ISSN2157-6009
Autores Tópico(s)Autopsy Techniques and Outcomes
ResumoAbstract Queen Victoria carried the allele for haemophilia which was transmitted to three of her children and seven or more grandchildren. One of the affected granddaughters became Queen of Spain and another Tsarina of Russia. The ability of Rasputin to help the haemophiliac Tsarevitch during bleeding episodes gave him influence at court, which ultimately destroyed the credibility of the monarchy and helped to create the conditions which led to the communist revolution. In Spain a succession of heirs, who proved to be physically defective, helped to discredit the liberal forces who encouraged the King to marry a British bride, and was a significant factor in the events which led to the Spanish Civil War. By the laws of genetics, the sons of a haemophiliac cannot inherit the allele so the son of Leopold, Queen Victoria's only haemophiliac son, was a fit man. The origin of the allele is a mystery. None of Queen Victoria's official antecedents were haemophiliac. The allele may have arisen as a mutation in Queen Victoria, or in either of her parents. The possibility that Queen Victoria was illegitimate must be considered, as her mother was under heavy pressure to conceive a child in order to further the extraordinary dynastic ambitions of her brother. The mystery is deepened by the fact that Victoria did not inherit the allele for porphyria which afflicted her putative father, the Duke of Kent. Keywords: Queen VictoriaGenomeHaemophilia
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