Comedian Josh Widdicombe related to Henry VIII through King's illegitimate daughter with Anne Boleyn's sister

Comedian Josh Widdicombe recently had an interesting discovery about his life. Apparently, he is distantly related to the British royal family.

In the new series of BBC genealogy show "Who Do You Think You Are?" which begins airing on October 12, Widdicombe found out that he is related to Henry VIII. The comedian said about his newfound connection with the controversial English monarch from the 16th century, "To say it's exceeded my expectations is the understatement of a lifetime."

"I was just expecting a couple of farmers. It's proper blue blood, isn't it?" he added.

Widdicombe's connection to the Tudor King is through his 13x great-grandmother Lady Catherine Knollys, who was apparently the lovechild of the monarch through his extra-marital relationship with his future wife Anne Boleyn's sister Mary. It is claimed that Mary's two children, Henry Carey and Catherine Carey, were fathered by Henry, but he never acknowledged it.

Widdicombe is also 23x great-grandson of Edward I, who was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Apart from British royalty, The "Last Leg" star has a connection with French blue-bloods as well. King Philip III was his 24x great-grandfather, reports Mail Online.

King Henry VIII, who ruled England for 36 years from 1509 until his death in 1547, can easily be named the most controversial monarch in history. In his work as a ruler, he broke with Rome and changed the course of England's cultural history. However, it was his personal life that attracted attention and shocked the world.

The King married six women in his lifetime, despite living in a time when divorce and remarriage were almost impossible especially for a monarch. It is said that it was his desperation for a son to keep his family's grasp on the throne that led to his numerous marriages in the belief that a different woman could provide him a male heir.

His marriages were with Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr respectively. He officially divorced Catherine, who used to be his brother's wife before him, after 24 years of marriage and years of trying to get their union annulled. Before this, he had already married Anne Boleyn, and soon welcomed their daughter Elizabeth who later became Queen and is known for the Elizabethan era.

He executed Boleyn on treason charges, got their marriage annulled on grounds that he was previously physically involved with her sister Mary, and went on to marry Jane Seymour. Jane died from an infection after giving birth to their son, Prince Edward, and Henry went on to marry Anne of Cleves. However, it was not long before he got the marriage annulled so he could marry 17-year-old Catherine Howard. The new Queen was beheaded like her first cousin Anne Boleyn after her extra-marital affairs came to light, and the King married his last wife, the wealthy widow Catherine Parr.

Parr helped Henry reconcile with his daughters Mary and Elizabeth, from his previous marriages with his first wife Catherine and second wife Anne Boleyn respectively, and got the Princesses back in the line of succession. Their marriage ended after three years upon Henry's death at the age of 55 in 1547.