30 January 2024 , 00:14
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Actor and comedian Bob Odenkirk was left gobsmacked after his family line was confirmed to be linked to that of King Charles III.
The Better Call Saul star was appearing on US genealogy series Finding Your Roots when he was told the shocking discovery. The revelation awkwardly came after the American insisted he was "not a monarchist".
The popular show's host Henry Louis Gates Jr, made the connection after being able to trace Odenkirk's family roots back five generations to Friedrich Carl Steinholz, who was the actor's fifth great grandfather born in Plön, Germany in 1755. The findings showed how Steinholz's mother conceived him out of wedlock with the Duke of Plön, who was in fact tied to other royal families across Europe thanks to intermarriage.
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Prior to the reveal, Odenkirk told the show: "I’m an American. I’m not a monarchist. I don’t believe in that. You know, I feel like it’s a little twisted. I understand why society built itself around monarchs and leaders, and they passed them down through generations.
"I understand that goes through every society, every civilisation. But I think that we’ve gotten to a better place with democracy and we should keep going down that road."
That's when Gates jumped in the give him the huge surprise that he was 11th cousins with Charles, which led to Odenkirk jokingly changing his tune immediately. He laughed: "Well maybe I'll change my mind on that."
The pair got in to a jovial back and forth, with Gates "criticising" Odenkirk for "trashing" his newfound family. "How they make a living. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. You ain't been royal for more than five minutes!" joked Gates, before Odenkirk admitted it was "crazy".
The actor found the reveal hilariousElsewhere in the PBS-played episode, actress Iliza Shlesinger took a look at her family's roots.
King Charles was recently supported by his wife, Queen Camilla, as he left hospital three days after he had prostate treatment. The monarch smiled and waved as he left hospital following his three-nights stay after undergoing a procedure to correct an enlarged prostate.
A Buckingham Palace statement read on Monday: "The King was this afternoon discharged from hospital following planned medical treatment and has rescheduled forthcoming public engagements to allow for a period of private recuperation. He would like to thank the medical team and all those involved in supporting his hospital visit, and is grateful for all the kind messages he has received in recent days."