Karen Vogel: The Last in Line to be Queen of England
It is so very true. Assuming that 4,972 others die before she does when the time comes.
Karen Vogel is a 38 year old German living her life in Rostock, Germany. According those who study genealogy, she is the last in a long line of descendants to be queen of England. This would be a far cry from her therapist job in a local hospital in the former east German city. Like the thousands that are before her, she a direct descendant to Sophia of Hanover, a princess that was selected by the English Parliament to be queen in 1701.
Karen has only been to the UK once, ten years ago, to check out the remote possibilities and where she could end up one day. Through a complex maze of marriages over the centuries that began with Sophia's son, George I, genealogists tracked the descendants and in 2001 Karen was notified of her status.
You might ask how? In this case, the UK succession rules date back to 1701 Act of Settlement. At the time, Princess Anne was going to die without any heir and the Parliament wanted to prevent a Catholic from getting the throne when she died. The Act gives the crown to Anne's closest Protestant relative, which was Sophia of Hanover (and all her non-Catholic descendants!). Any illegitimate kids were also excluded. Oddly enough, in the 21st century, those rules still are in effect.
Karen's great grandmother times eight backwards in time was Sophia. Prior to Karen being born, her mother, now 81, was the last in the line. In fact, her mom recalls how her great grandparents told of how they received a gift from then Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. It was a pair of regal Spaniel dogs that they still have.
