Duchess of Cambridge descended from academics

OHMYGOSSIP — Britain’s Duchess Catherine is descended from Cambridge University academics Francis Martineau Lupton and Sir Charles Lupton.

Duchess Catherine is descended from Cambridge University academics. The British royal – who before her marriage to Prince William was known as Kate Middleton – has a great great-grandfather, Francis Martineau Lupton, and a great great grand-uncle, Sir Charles Lupton, who were both academics at Trinity College Cambridge.

Both relatives came from a rich and successful family, with Sir Charles the founder of the world’s largest law firm, DLA Piper.

The link was made by Australian history teacher Michael Reed and his pupils during a class project in Melbourne, Australia.

Michael was intrigued when he first discovered the Duchess’ second cousin, thrice removed, is Newnham College, Cambridge, graduate Lady Barbara Bullock.

He said: “This all stems from a class project before Christmas on genealogy which made me look into Duchess Catherine’s ancestry.

“We had confirmed that Lady Barbara Bullock – nee Lupton – had links to Kate and so when the name Lupton cropped up again I looked into it further.

“We found the connections between her and the Lupton brothers, who studied at Trinity in the mid 19th century.”

Michael has now delivered pictures of Catherine’s ancestors to Trinity College, who were very happy to receive them.

Professor David McKitterick, Vice Master of Trinity and College Librarian, said: “We are grateful to Mr. Reed for donating these photographs to Trinity.”