DNA Project Reveals Actor Tom Conti Related to Napoleon
Scottish actor Tom Conti is related to French military leader Napoleon, according to a new report.
A DNA test report of the 70-year-old revealed that his DNA matched the DNA of the heroic military leader, Napoleon.
Researchers from the ScotlandsDNA made this stunning discovery while analysing the roots of people from Scotland.
Researchers had taken samples of saliva from more than 1,000 people to know more about their ancestry.
The DNA study also found that Napoleon belong to Conti's father side of the family.
Conti was really shocked to know he was related to the French emperor who died in 1821 because his father, Alfonso was Italian whereas his mother, Mary McGoldick was Scottish, according to the Observe report.
"Some friends said they weren't surprised to find out Napoleon and I was related, but it came as quite a shock to me," Daily Mail quoted Tom Conti as saying.
"In fact, I didn't believe it at first. I burst out laughing when they told me. I have got used to it now and am really rather pleased," he added.
In 2011, Napoleon's DNA was extracted from three surviving beard hairs. Recently when Conti took the DNA test they found exact match with the Napoleon's DNA.
Researchers earlier believed that there would be a few direct descendants of Napoleon in Britain, but shockingly they found Conti's DNA matching with Napolian's.
Tom Conti is an actor, theatre director and novelist and was born in Paisley, Scotland in 1941. Conti has done several films and television shows such as Dundee Repertory, whose life is it anyway?, Jeffery Bernard is Unwell, Shirley Valentine, Merry Christmas,Mr. Lawrence and Saving Grace.
Conti has been married to Scottish actress Kara Wilson since 1967 and their daughter Nina is an actress and ventriloquist.
Conti's mother, Mary McGoldick was an Irish Catholic, and Tom Conti suspected she may have had distant Spanish routes, according to the Daily Mail report.
"She was of Irish stock and I thought her thick black hair, which I inherited, would reveal a Spanish connection, perhaps from Armada sailors shipwrecked in Ireland,' said Conti.
The ScotlandsDNA programme was led by Dr Jim Wilson and Alistair Moffatt , researchers at the Edinburgh University .
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