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Meghan and Harry may have stirred up tensions with the rest of the Royal Family in recent weeks after snippets of an unauthorised biography provided new dramatic insight into Megxit. Insiders have suggested that the supposed rift with Prince William and Kate Middleton began shortly after their introduction to Meghan, and that she struggled to fit in with the rest of the Firm. Still, the royals have not responded openly, and all senior members publicly wished the Duchess of Sussex a happy birthday earlier this week.

However, the same cannot be said for previous tensions between Meghan’s family and the royal household.

Amateur historian Michael Reed looked into how the Duchess of Sussex’s family tree was connected to Tudor England.

He claimed Meghan is related to John Hussey, 1st Baron Hussey of Sleaford, who was born in 1465, through her white father, Thomas Markle.

He was knighted after displaying his loyalty to Henry VII, at the Battle of Blackheath in 1497.

Sir John went on to be a diplomatic envoy for Henry VIII, and an esquire of the body and chamberlain to the King’s daughter Princess Mary.

The knight later carried the canopy over Princess Elizabeth, Henry VIII’s second daughter, who would go on to become Queen Elizabeth I.

However, Sir John fell out of royal favour when he was unable to subdue a rebellion in 1536, called the Pilgrimage of Grace.

Sir John’s loyalty was then questioned by the monarch, who had a reputation for violence, and he was found guilty of treason.

He became a prisoner in the Tower of London and was executed.

The crown also confiscated his estates and his title was forfeited — even when his children were allowed to return to Parliament during Elizabeth I’s reign, Sir John’s assets were not returned.

During his research, conducted back in 2017, Mr Reed told The Telegraph: “It’s incredible that Meghan’s great-great-great maternal grandfather was a slave and the other great-great-great paternal grandmother was a New Hampshire landowner, who had royal blood.”

Mr Reed also claimed that Meghan’s family may have already been aware of the link after discovering that an individual called Mike Markle had conducted his own independent research more than two decades ago.

He is thought to be the Duchess’ great-uncle.

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It is believed that Meghan and Harry may also be related through a mutual ancestor, High Sheriff of County Durham Ralph Bowes, who was born in 1480.

The Duchess of Sussex’s heritage was of particular interest to royal watchers in the lead-up to her royal wedding.

Not only was she considered a “commoner”, like Kate Middleton, having come from a non-aristocratic background, but she is a biracial American who was already divorced when she met Harry.

When news of her engagement to Harry broke, many supporters pointed out how the Royal Family would be modernised by her arrival.

King Edward VIII was not allowed to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson because of the monarch’s role in the Church of England less than a century ago.

Additionally, Meghan is thought to be the first British royal with black heritage in modern history.

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