Victoria's Crown

In most of the U.S. you can’t marry your first cousin. In some states – Nevada, for instance – it’s actually a criminal offense. Drive to California, and they’re fine with it. The idea of laws like this is to avoid birth defects, which are twice as likely when the parents are first cousins. Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha married his first cousin Queen Victoria of England. (She was more German than English, but that’s another story. And yes, that means the British royal family should be called Saxe-Coburg, but that’s another story, too.) Together they had nine children. I could be wrong, but I don’t think any of them suffered from birth defects. All nine were married to royalty or nobility all over the continent, earning Victoria the nickname, “Grandmother of Europe.” Albert became a household name, at least to children making prank calls in the late 20^th century. You didn’t get that reference? Ask your mum.