A new documentary claims Queen Victoria secretly married her manservant John Brown and had a love child with him. Historian Dr Fern Riddell presents evidence in the Channel 4 programme that the monarch and Brown were deeply in love, and that Victoria gave birth to a daughter named Mary-Anne, fathered by Brown.
Dr Riddell says she has located a direct descendant of Mary-Anne: Angela Webb, who lives in Minnesota, USA. Webb grew up with family stories of an illegitimate branch of British royalty and possesses heirlooms including a brooch commissioned by Queen Victoria and a handwritten note from the monarch.
The documentary explores how Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert became strained after doctors warned against further pregnancies. Dr Riddell suggests Victoria had a strong sex drive and was drawn to the 'strong, sexy young man' John Brown during this time. Love letters from the Brown family archive are cited as evidence of their relationship.
TV lawyer Rob Rinder appears in the programme to scrutinise the claims, remarking: 'Big claims. If you're right, that changes our understanding of history.' The documentary airs on Channel 4.
