As we reach n = 21, however,the number of different ancestors in that generation becomes a significant fraction of the entire size of the population.As we go back yet further from here, it is interesting to see how the remaining number of people in that generation that you are not descended from diminishes rapidly.

For example, at n=21 the percentage of the population you are descended from is 36.7 %, which means of course that you are not descended from the other 63.3 %.This means that,in the generation in question,when people were looking around for partners for procreation,prospective partners that you are descended from represent about a third of that population and so will assign themselves in that proportion to those you are not descended from and thus create offspring that you are descended from.

The preceeding generation,therefore (n=22) will thus contain a number of people you are not descended from which is down on the generation n=21 by 36.7 %.By taking the new ratio in generation n=22 between those you are descended from and those you are not,we can then repeat the logic and calculate the figures for n=23, and so on.We can thus complete the Table:

n                                                Number of different ancestors                    % of population

21                                                          734,733                                              36.7 %

22                                                         1,199,086                                            60.1 %

23                                                         1,679,634                                            83.9 %

24                                                         1,948,741                                            97.4 %

Here is therefore a Table of monarchs and your chances of being descended from them :

n                Epoch                  Monarch                    Chance(%)               1 Chance in...

9                 1663                   Charles II                    0.01                           10,000

11              1604                   James I                       0.05                              2000

13              1530                  Henry VIII                   0.2                                 500                                    

15              1470             Edw IV.,Rich III               1.08                                 93

17                1399            Rich II., Hen IV                4.2                                   24

19                1333                Edward III                   20.2                                   5

20                1300                 Edward I                     31.0                                  3

22                1233                 Henry III                      60.0                       3 chances in 5

23                1200                  John                            84.0                        5 chances in 6

24                1168                  Henry II                      97.4                       Near certainty.

             ---- Michael Marshall

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