Will Young has traced his ancestry back to the 14th century, uncovering a distant royal connection and marking the discovery with a meaningful tattoo.
On BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are?, the former Pop Idol winner learned that King Edward I, who ruled England from 1272 to 1307, is his 20-times great-grandfather. Edward I’s granddaughter, Eleanor de Clare, married Hugh Le Despenser—a controversial political figure whose story features prominently in the show.
Reacting to the revelation, the 46-year-old said, “No? Edward the First! No? You are joking? You have made it up. That’s unbelievable. This is just amazing. I cannot believe it. It is wonderful.” He added humorously, “Being related to a king, will it change my behaviour? The short answer is yes. What you are beholding is essentially a future despot… Now get ready for Mr. Nasty.”
The episode delves into the life of Hugh Le Despenser, Will’s 18-times great-grandfather, known as a powerful but notorious figure during King Edward II’s reign. Married to Eleanor de Clare, granddaughter of Edward I, Hugh was infamous for his greed and influence over the king, controlling access to him and demanding large gifts. Despite public hatred, Edward II favored Hugh, calling him “a favourite.” After England’s 1326 invasion, Hugh was captured and executed.
Will reflected on Hugh’s dark legacy: “I don’t think he deserves it from me but I might offer up an apology to the people he harmed. He’s well known in medieval history as an evil person who shaped the country’s direction. It’s like history is being softened by his wife’s family connections—almost propaganda.”
Beyond the medieval past, Will uncovered more about his grandfather, Digby Young, who served as a bomber pilot in the RAF during World War II. Although Will knew Digby was a prisoner of war, he learned new details about his bravery, including surviving engine failure, captivity at Stalag Luft III in Poland, and performing an impromptu amputation to save a Nazi guard’s life during a forced winter march.
Will described Digby as “a very remarkable man” and shared his emotional response: “There is sadness that after the war, some family saw him as a bit of a loser. Now, this is the proper telling of a really decent man. An extraordinary man who didn’t pass down to me or my father—but this means so much to me and my dad.”
Digby later escaped captivity with help from bribery and was promoted to Squadron Leader flying jets, which made Will proud. “It’s completely not how I saw him before. Now I feel like I’ve got another grandfather.”
To honor Digby, Will got a tattoo of his grandfather’s plane and squadron number next to his first tattoo—the Young family motto Sans Peur (“without fear”). “I think Digby certainly showed no fear. So thank you so much.”
Reflecting on the journey, Will said, “This experience has been one of the most eye-opening, fulfilling, and soul-nourishing I’ve ever had. My 20-times great-grandfather was Edward I—that’s bonkers. Then there’s the monster that is Hugh Le Despenser. And my grandfather was an amazing and emotional man. That’s a real gift.”
Since winning Pop Idol in 2002, Will Young has achieved four UK number one singles and four UK number one albums.
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