Will Young, the singer known for hits like “Evergreen” and “Leave Right Now,” made a surprising discovery about his family history. On the BBC series Who Do You Think You Are? aired on 3 June, the 46-year-old Pop Idol winner found out he is descended from British royalty.
During the episode, Young learned about his ancestors from 20 generations ago. He discovered that he is related to King Edward I of England, who ruled from 1239 to 1307. The show presented a family tree tracing Young’s lineage back to the king.
At first, Young found the news hard to believe. He told the show’s historians, “You’ve made it up, haven’t you?” and said, “That’s unbelievable.” After the news settled, he added, “This is just amazing, I can’t believe it. It’s wonderful.”
Reflecting on this revelation, Young joked about how it might affect him. “Being related to a king, will it change my behaviour?” he asked. Then he laughed and said, “The short answer is yes. What you are beholding is essentially a future despot.”
In addition to the royal connection, Young learned about his grandfather, Digby Young, who was an RAF pilot during World War II. His grandfather died before Will was born and was a prisoner of war. To honor him, Young showed off a new tattoo of a bomber plane.
Outside of his music career, Young recently spoke about possible new directions in life. In an interview with Metro, the two-time Brit Award winner said he has considered a career change. “If I don’t end up fostering, I’ve been looking into training to become a school counsellor,” he explained.
He added, “I think there’s a huge need for school counsellors, so I will definitely be helping and guiding younger people. I’m of that age now.”
