A British Channel4 documentary is claiming that Edward IV was illegitimate and that Britain's real monarch is a decendant of the Duke of Clarence.
I'd take what Channel 4 says with a pinch of salt...they are hardly unbiased, having a quite openly republican stance here in the UK. I saw the program, and it was indeed quite interesting..even claiming the entire Tudor dynasty was illegitmate, and that the present Royal family should not be reigning. However, legitimacy can be argued in many ways throughout history, what ultimately counts is who wins the battles
It would make for some interesting AH though. KIng Richard III always claimed that Edward IV was illegitmate, and we all know that after Henry Tudor's victory, Richard was tarred very heavily...that's where all the 'Crookback Dick' stuff comes from it seems. The show did explore some AH, theorising that it could be a Catholic country today. There's certainly some interesting PODs there. How would a victorious Richard III have changed things? Would there have still been a Cromwell later on, setting the fioundations of parliamentary government? Might not have been, so it's an interesting thought!
However legitimacy can be claimed in many ways, and depending on how things are juggled. Legitimate in bloodline or not, Henry VII won by force of arms, and sometimes that's all the legitimacy a ruler needs...
Sargon