Francis told me a few years later that she was sort of thrilled at the way that Diana sort of freed herself as she saw it from the shackles of of royalty and from being a member of the royal family and striking out on her own. >> For over 200 years, Britain’s  most prestigious families kept a secret, one so shameful to Victorian  society that they literally erased it from history. They altered records, destroyed evidence, and separated a mother from her  child forever.

They managed to keep this secret until June 14th, 2013,  when scientists announced a discovery that shook the British monarchy to its core. DNA testing revealed that Prince William, the future king of England, carries Indian ancestry. His great great  great great grandmother was not who the family claimed she was. The truth about what happened to her is absolutely heartbreaking. This is the story of Eliza Kowark, the  woman history tried to forget. The discovery that changed everything. In June 2013,

 the British media was excited about a surprising discovery from Britain’s DNA, a Scottish  genetic testing company. Dr. Jim Wilson, a geneticist at the University of Edinburgh, announced  findings that could change royal history. His team traced Prince William’s mitochondrial DNA which is passed down only through the maternal line back seven  generations. They found something extraordinary. Prince William’s maternal line carried a rare genetic marker HLO group  R30B.

This specific DNA sequence had been found in only 14 other people worldwide. 13 from  India and one from Nepal. No one else in Europe had this marker. The scientists did  not test William directly. Instead, they analyzed saliva samples from two living relatives in his  direct maternal line through Princess Diana. These relatives were connected through an unbroken chain of mothers and daughters, starting with Diana’s mother, Francis  Shankid, and going back to a woman named Eliza Kowark. Here’s where

it  gets complicated. For over two centuries, the Spencer family tree claimed Eliza Kowark was Armenian. Records stated she came from Armenia, a respected  European community. However, DNA evidence suggested a different story. Alistister Moffett, the researcher who investigated  Eliza’s background, explained that her true ethnicity was omitted from the family history and that she was misidentified as Armenian. This false representation  continued even when Diana married Prince

Charles in 1981. The family  knew the truth, but chose to keep it secret. Who was Eliza Kowark? Who was Eliza Kowark? A woman whose existence was  often ignored. She was born around 1790 in Surat Gujarat, India. At that time, India was controlled by the British East  India Company, a powerful corporation that managed the country like a business before it became a  British colony. Surat was a thriving trading center, home to merchants from  around the world. Today, Surat is known for cutting and

polishing 90% of the world’s diamonds. Back then, it was where  fortunes were made and lost. Eliza’s father was probably an Armenian trader  suggested by her last name Kiwark, which is similar to the Armenian name Kavor. Letters sent to her were written in Armenian script and the Armenian community had been in India for centuries  running businesses and building churches. Eliza’s mother was Indian, confirmed by DNA evidence. In this busy city, Eliza met a Scottish

merchant  named Theodore Forbes. Born in 1788, he was the third son of a Scottish family. As the third  son, he would not inherit any family wealth. The oldest son would take the estate, and the second son  might get a smaller settlement. So, Theodore set sail for India to work for the East India Company  in hopes of finding his fortune. Theodore hired Eliza as his housekeeper. However, in this case,  housekeeper meant more than it sounds. Research by Alistister Moffett  shows that

many British men had relationships with Indian women. These were not marriages or partnerships,  but often exploitative and hidden affairs. Theodore and Eliza had two children  together. Catherine was born in 1812 and Alexander followed in 1814.  Theodore never married Eliza. In his records, he called her his housekeeper and labeled her as the purported mother of their daughter,  Catherine, suggesting doubt about her role. This choice of words shows the cruelty of Theodore’s attitude toward the mother

 of his children. The brutal separation. Catherine’s story takes a heartbreaking turn. When she was just a child, Theodore Forbes  decided to return to Britain and took Catherine with him, leaving her mother behind. Imagine being 9 years old and told, “You’re  leaving India forever. The only home you’ve ever known.” Catherine had to leave her mother, Eliza Kowark,  without knowing it would be the last time they would see each other. Eliza never saw Catherine again

and we don’t know what happened to her. There are no records of her death  or grave markers. She vanished from history. Dr. Jim Wilson, the geneticist  who researched this story, commented, “Very little is known about her, including  when she died.” Eliza Kowark, who would become the five times great grandmother of a future king of England,  was left alone and forgotten. Catherine, on the other hand, traveled to Scotland where she  grew up in British society.

She received an education, learned about proper manners, and was told never to mention her mother. Catherine married in Scotland  and had children. Those children had children, and the family line continued through  daughters who carried the rare Indian MTDNA, which later proved the truth of her heritage.  However, the story itself changed. The lie began in Victorian Britain, where society obsessed over  bloodlines and good breeding. The aristocracy valued racial purity  and having Indian

blood was unacceptable. To hide Catherine’s Indian heritage, the family  made a decision. They couldn’t erase Eliza because too many people knew that  Catherine had a mother. Instead, they claimed she was Armenian. Armenia was considered  acceptable, exotic yet European. So Eliza Kiwark became Armenian with her Indian heritage erased from the  story. They adjusted documents and refined their tales. By the time Catherine’s descendants  moved up the social ladder, no one questioned it.

Everyone believed their great great great  grandmother was Armenian. Dr. Jim Wilson explained that mixed heritage is now celebrated, but in the past it was not. Theodore described Eliza as his housekeeper, indicating  that they weren’t married. This shows that Theodore Forbes was ashamed of his relationship with Eliza and their mixed race  children, so he chose to hide it. The lie travels through generations. Let’s follow the path of a hidden truth  passed down through

generations. Katherine Scott Forbes had a daughter, Jane Scott, and Jane had a daughter, Ruth  Gil. Ruth Gil was mostly Scottish with family roots going back many centuries. While the Indian DNA in her background  was becoming less noticeable, it passed from mother to daughter. Ruth Gil married Maurice Ro, the fourth  Baron Formoy. This was significant because Baron Foroy was a friend of  King George V 6th and the Roaches were part of the Irish aristocracy, a high social

class. Ruth and Maurice  had a daughter named Francis Ruth Ro. This connects to Diana’s story. On June 1st, 1954,  Francis Ruth Ro married John Spencer Vicount Althorp at Westminster Abbey. This wedding was a major social  event of the season. Queen Elizabeth II along with Prince Philip, the Queen Mother, and Princesses Margaret and Anne all attended. Francis was only 18  years old, making her the youngest woman to marry at Westminster Abbey in over 50 years. The ceremony was

stunning and received extensive  press coverage. Yet, no one knew, or at least no one said, that Francis carried Indian DNA passed down from a woman named Eliza Quark,  who had been removed from family records 140 years earlier. Francis and John Spencer had five children. One of them was a son  named John, who tragically lived only 10 hours after birth in January 1960. On July 1st, 1961,  they welcomed another child, a daughter named Diana Francis Spencer. Diana grew

up at Park House on the Sandringham estate playing with young princes  Andrew and Edward. After her grandfather died in 1975 and her father became the eighth Earl Spencer,  Diana became Lady Diana Spencer. She was beautiful, charming, and perfectly  suited for a prince. Somewhere in her DNA was a rare haplo group R30B, which would eventually uncover everything. When Lady Diana Spencer married  Prince Charles on July 29th, 1981, about 750 million  people worldwide watched the event on

television. It was called the wedding of the century, a fairy tale come true. Diana wore an amazing dress with a 25- ft train while Charles wore his naval commander  uniform. They kissed on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to roaring crowds. Yet throughout this spectacular day, the hidden truth remained. Official records still labeled Eliza Kowark as Armenian.  The secret was safe. Or so they thought. The DNA doesn’t lie. Here’s the scientific  discovery that changed everything. Mitochondrial DNA

mtDNA is unique.  Unlike regular DANA, which you inherit from both parents, MTDNA comes only from your mother. It also changes very little over generations. This means  that Prince William has the same medna as his mother Diana. She got it from her mother Francis who got it from her mother Ruth and it continues  back through seven generations to his ancestor Catherine and finally to Eliza. This lineage goes back  almost 200 years and the DNA remains unchanged revealing its truth. When Dr. Jim

Wilson’s team analyzed the samples.  They found Haplo group R30B, a very rare genetic marker. Only 14 people worldwide  share it. 13 of these people are from India and one is from Nepal. There are no matches from Armenia, Europe, or anywhere  else. The chances of this being just a coincidence are extremely low. As Dr. Wilson said, the evidence is unassailable. The team also found  South Asian DNA throughout Prince William’s other genes, confirming that Eliza’s ancestry  is

genuinely Indian. When Britain’s DNA announced its findings in June 2013, it made global headlines. Prince William  has Indian DNA. Future King’s hidden heritage revealed. DNA test exposes 200-year  royal secret. This was significant because it means Prince William is 256th Indian. While that’s not a  large percentage, it is legally and genetically accurate. More importantly,  when William becomes king, he will be the first British monarch with confirmed Indian ancestry. For a nation that once

ruled India through colonialism and considered  Indians inferior, this is a surprising twist. Family reactions and royal  silence. Mary Roach, Princess Diana’s maternal aunt, publicly commented on the family’s ancestry.  She responded positively telling the Times, “I always assume that I was part Armenian, so I am delighted that I also have an Indian background.  This shows that even Diana’s relatives believed the Armenian story their whole lives.” The family had been misled, and

Mary  helped uncover the truth by providing a saliva sample for DNA testing. Instead of feeling upset, she felt happy about her heritage. This reflects a shift away  from outdated views on race. However, the actual royal family remained silent.  Prince William and Prince Harry did not comment on their Indian ancestry at all in the 11 years since it was announced. Clarence House in Kensington  Palace did not issue any statements. The British High Commission in Delhi noted that William had no plans

to visit India to explore  his heritage. He visited India in 2016 for royal duties but did not  focus on his ancestry. The silence is puzzling. They may be private people or not want to draw attention to personal matters. However, it is also possible that this revelation makes  them uncomfortable even in modern times. The British government was reportedly eager to strengthen  trade links with India. Having a future king with Indian ancestry  could have been excellent public relations. India is a

key nation in the Commonwealth and an economic power. But the royal  family did not take advantage of this opportunity and the news came and went with little official recognition. What this reveals about history, Eliza Kowark’s story shows how powerful people  can change history. During the British Raj, many housekeepers like Eliza dealt with hidden relationships  and lost identities. Many mixed race children were separated from their Indian mothers and denied their heritage,  leaving few records or

DNA evidence to uncover the truth. The Victorian era was focused  on racial purity, supporting colonialism’s belief in British superiority. The Forbes knew his mixed  race children would face discrimination. He decided to raise Catherine in Britain away from Eliza to give her a better future. This choice worked. Catherine married into Scottish  society while Eliza faded into obscurity and loneliness. Eliza’s story is largely unknown. Her personality, dreams, and final  moments have been lost.

However, her DNA lives on through Prince George, Princess Charlotte,  and Prince Lewis. Only Charlotte can pass on their rare Indian mitochondrial DNA, making this lineage a  unique connection. With over 1.4 billion people, India’s presence in the Commonwealth highlights  the importance of having a British monarch with even a small amount of Indian ancestry. This lineage reveals a complex history,  including the harsh realities of the British Empire and the acknowledgment of shared bloodlines.

Mary Roach’s  pride in her Indian background shows progress since Eliza’s time. However,  some attitudes persist. Even Princess Diana did not learn of her heritage until recently. DNA  testing finally confirmed Eliza Kuark’s identity on June 14th, 2013. After  two centuries of being overlooked, her identity and Indian heritage gained acknowledgement. The future king of England carries her DNA linking her story to today. Eliza, once silenced, now  speaks through

genetic inheritance. The lesson of this story. What can we learn from Elizabeth the First story? First, the truth always comes  out in the end. It might be revealed through DNA tests, historical research, or someone finally speaking up. Second, the official version of history often hides the truth to protect the powerful  in their reputations. Third, our fixation on purity, whether racial  or cultural, can harm real people. Eliza lost her children. Catherine lost  her mother. Many of their

descendants lost touch with their heritage. Fourth, science can help bring justice. Dr. Jim Wilson and his team didn’t intend to reveal a royal scandal. They were doing genetic research. However, they helped give a voice to a woman who had been silenced  for two centuries. Today, there might be a grave marker with Eliza Kowark’s  name in Surat Gujarat. Or there might not be. We don’t know. What we do know is that Eliza was a real person.  She lived, loved, and had children. She

was separated from them through no fault of her own and deserved better than to be erased from history. Now, thanks to DNA, she won’t be forgotten. Prince William is one 256th Indian  because of Eliza Kowark. That’s a mathematical fact, but it’s also a human story about love, loss, power, prejudice, secrets,  and truth. Next time you hear about royal bloodlines and noble ancestry, think of Eliza. Remember that behind  every carefully curated family tree are the people who were cut out, the

branches that were pruned away, and the roots that were hidden. History isn’t just what’s  written in official records. Sometimes the most important stories are the ones someone tried hard to erase. And sometimes  200 years later, DNA reveals the truth.