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Royal History in the Headlines

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Cleopatra, King Tut, Nicholas and Alexandra, and a host of other figures from royal history made headlines in 2000. Now that the year is over, let's look back at some of the most interesting stories:

DNA TESTS PROVE KING LOUIS XVII DIED IN PRISON -- King Louis XVII was the young son of Marie Antoinette and her husband, Louis XVI. Young Louis was declared king by royalists after his father's execution, but did not live to reign, dying in prison at the age of 10. For centuries hopeful souls believed Louis had miraculously escaped and another boy died in his place. In April 2000, however, scientists announced that tests on the heart of the boy who died in prison proved he was indeed the son of Marie Antoinette.

LAST ROMANOVS DECLARED "PASSION BEARERS" -- In a controversial move, the Archbishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church canonized tsar Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, and their five children. The entire family was imprisoned and executed during the Russian Revolution. They were canonized as "passion bearers," a minor form of sainthood that recognizes the Christian patience and humility they displayed during their captivity.

DIVORCE COURT RULES AGAINST HENRY VIII -- It was only a mock trial held as part of an the American Bar Association conference in London, but some of English monarch Henry VIII's six wives would have been pleased by the outcome. A British judge ruled that first wife Catherine of Aragon deserved "proper housing, a proper palace, and at least one country estate," while an American judge said Catherine deserved half of Henry's property. Under Florida law, that is. Both judges granted third wife Jane Seymour custody of her son, Prince Edward. Of course, Jane died of natural causes when Edward was less than two weeks old, but it's the thought that counts.

DOCUMENT SIGNED BY CLEOPATRA REDISCOVERED -- The Egyptian Museum in Berlin is displaying a decree signed "so be it" by (supposedly) none other than Cleopatra. First discovered in 1904, the papyrus lay forgotten in the museum's archives until 2000. If it was indeed signed by Cleopatra, it is the only known example of her handwriting in existence.

TUT DNA TESTS NIXED -- It has been assumed that Tutankhamen, the boy king who reigned in Egypt more than 3,000 years ago, was probably the son of the previous pharaoh, Akhenaten. But no one has known for sure. It was announced in late 2000 that a team of scientists would test DNA taken from "King Tut's" mummy to see if it matched DNA from Amenhotep III, Akhenaten's father. But was Amenhotep III really Akhenaten's father? Seems no one knows that for sure, either. And it will be a while before scientists are given a chance to unwravel these secrets, because in December the Egyptian government postponed the DNA tests indefinitely, perhaps because some archaeologists had questioned their accuracy and feared they would damage the mummies.