The Queen's Westmeath-born granny

Besides being monarchs of their respective countries, what do Kaiser Wilhelm – the last King of Germany; Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, King Harald of Norway, King Karl Gustav of Sweden, Queen Margrethe of Denmark, King Constantine of Greece, King Juan Carlos I of Spain and the present Queen of England have in common?Well, it turns out – they share a common grandmother who was born outside Tyrrellspass.As part of the Westmeath Examiner's “Leading Lakesiders” series, launched last week, journalists have researched the story of Anne de Mortimer (or Anne Mortimer as she is sometimes styled), who was born at New Forest, Tyrrellspass, on December 27 1390.Anne was a direct descendant of William the Conqueror, and it is through her that Queen Elizabeth – and all those monarchs named above, as well as hundreds of other Royals throughout Europe – derive their rank.At 18, Anne married Richard Conisburgh, 4th Earl of Cambridge, and their son, Richard Plantagenet, 3rd Duke of York, was father of brothers Edward IV and Richard III of England. Through Edward IV, Anne is great-great-grandmother of King Henry VIII, and it is through Anne and Richard that the House of York claimed the throne of Britain.The line from Anne de Mortimer (who died at just 21 years of age, giving birth to her son), down to the rest of the European monarchy continued not though Henry VIII, however,