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Michael Abney-HastingsPretender to the British throne
Date of Birth: 22.07.1942
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
- Early Life and Family
- Emigration to Australia
- Alleged Claim to the British Throne
- Republican Views
- Other Titles and Honors
- Death and Legacy
Early Life and Family
Born in Sussex, England, Michael Abney-Hastings was the son of Walter Strickland Lord and Barbara Abney-Hastings, the 13th Countess of Loudoun. His family moved to Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, where he attended Ampleforth College, a private Catholic school in North Yorkshire.
Emigration to Australia
At the age of 18, Abney-Hastings moved to Jerilderie, New South Wales, where he lived a quiet life as a rice farmer. He married Noelene Margaret McCormick in 1969, and they raised two sons and three daughters.
Alleged Claim to the British Throne
In 2004, Channel 4 aired the documentary "Britain's Real Monarch," which claimed that Abney-Hastings was the senior descendant of George Plantagenet, the first Duke of Clarence. This assertion was based on the theory that Edward IV was illegitimate and that the current royal family's claim to the throne rested on his daughter Elizabeth of York.
Republican Views
Despite his alleged claim to the throne, Abney-Hastings was a staunch republican. He never sought to pursue his rights, though he found the possibility amusing. He also used his courtesy title of Earl of Loudoun sparingly.
Other Titles and Honors
Abney-Hastings was one of seven co-heirs to the Barony of Grey de Ruthyn. He served as a councilor for Jerilderie, first elected in 2004 and re-elected in 2008.
Death and Legacy
Abney-Hastings died on June 30, 2012, at the age of 69. His eldest son, Simon Abney-Hastings, inherited his father's courtesy title of Lord Mauchline and became the 15th Earl of Loudoun. He also inherited any potential claim to the British throne.
