DEAR ABBY: This is in response to "Royally Speaking," who stated that Henry VII and Henry VIII were not related to Kings Henry I through VI. This is not so!
All monarchs of England can trace their ancestry directly back to Egbert, who is considered the first king of all England and reigned from 802 to 839. Of course, not all monarchs have the same lineage.
Another interesting fact about the numbering of these monarchs before 1066 is that they were given names to tell them apart. Thus, there was Alfred the Great, Edward the Elder, Edgar the Peaceful, Ethelred the Unready and Edward the Confessor, to name a few.
William the Conqueror, in 1066, started the numbering process by being William I. He didn't like the title "The Conqueror" because he maintained he did not "conquer," but only took what was rightfully his. Since he was illegitimate, he was also known as William the Bastard. I'm sure he did not like that title either. -- ROBERT G.D. WILLIAMS, NEW ORLEANS
DEAR ROBERT THE HISTORIAN (OR ROBERT THE WISE): Several readers (including one who claimed to be a direct descendant of Oliver Cromwell, the Lord Protector of England) wrote to tell me that "Royally Speaking" had his facts wrong. Thank you for straightening out the lineage of England's eight kings named Henry.