The Mail on Sunday

Would YOU pay £80 to learn you’re related to Prince Philip?

- By Toby Walne

CONSUMERS are spending £70 million a year on simple DNA tests to learn more about their heritage. But the tests have drawn criticism from s o me wh o believe they are a waste of money.

TV programmes such as Danny Dyer’s Right Royal Family – based on the soap star’s discovery that he is descended from King Edward III – have encouraged the boom.

DNA stands for deoxyribon­ucleic acid, the chemical that carries the genetic code for human life. It includes all the informatio­n that makes up an individual person. Given groups share specific details, common lineages can be plotted going back thousands of years.

Keen to plot my own lineage, I signed up to three top selling DNA testers – Ancestry DNA (£78.99), 23andMe (£ 79) and Living DNA (£99). Getting a test was easy with kits available online. Each added £10 of postage costs – up to £20 for express delivery.

Ancestry DNA sent a test tube to spit in and post back to discover my ‘complete ethnicity, geographic­al and cultural origins’. I blithely ticked all the boxes – including having my details shared with other ‘relatives’ who could email me out of the blue.

23andMe also included a test tube to spit in. In addition it offered me a ‘ full’ test that would identify genetic variants associated with increased risk for certain health conditions. This would cost £149.

With Living DNA’s kit, I took a mouth swab by rubbing the inside of my cheek with a plastic stick. Seven weeks later, the results started coming in via email.

23andMe’s informatio­n was contained on a webpage, including pie charts and lots of genealogy facts. I was told I am 99.6 per cent European – 68 per cent from Britain or Ireland. It also asked if I wanted to contact ‘DNA relatives’.

On my mother’s side, I was told I am related to Marie Antoinette and Prince Philip. On my father’s side, I was linked to United States founding father Alexander Hamilton. My Greek Royal connection could explain my poor driving skills but the findings seemed meaningles­s and designed to make me appear more interestin­g at parties. I also discovered there is more Neandertha­l in me than most people.

Living DNA told me I was 100 per cent European with 55 per cent from Britain or Ireland – the rest from Viking invaders or Norman Conquest visitors. Like 23andMe, there were lots of fancy charts and history but this time no relatives to impress my friends with.

Ancestry DNA said I was 65 per cent from England, Wales or Northweste­rn Europe – but Ireland and Scotland accounted for a chunky 31 per cent of my make-up. Vikings accounted for the rest. It offered interestin­g details on a possible Irish heritage but apart from this not much else unless I was willing to build a family tree – with a separate search service offered at £10.99 a month.

Then I clicked on its ‘DNA matches’ and dozens of ‘long-lost relatives’ came out of the woodwork, most of whom appeared to be American. There were emails waiting for me from close genetic relatives which somewhat spooked me.

For those interested in their heritage, a DNA test offers an opportunit­y to discover facts about their family history and, if so inclined, meet interestin­g new people with a family connection. But it was more fun than value for money – and not worth £80 to discover I am British.

Mark Thomas, professor of evolutiona­ry genetics at University Coll ege London, was i nvolved in identifyin­g the remains of 15th Century King Richard III in a car park in Leicester seven years ago. He says: ‘These tests strongly rely on ‘confirmati­on bias’ – a scientific term used to describe the fact that you will discover what you want to find. But it is flawed to look at genetics hundreds or thousands of years ago and draw race or tribal assumption­s.’

Others are equally underwhelm­ed. Dr Giles Yeo, a geneticist at the University of Cambridge, says: ‘The informatio­n given is rarely specific to the individual despite what the slick marketing from these firms may have you believe.’

Martyn James, of complaints group Resolver, says: ‘It is junk science – and does not really tell you anything special. At best, it is just a bit of fun.’

Everything we know about our heritage usually comes from parents and grandparen­ts. DNA testing enables you to dig a little deeper. But as the science is new and relatively few people have been DNA tested – and then put on to a database – it rarely helps you discover direct descendant­s.

Ancestry DNA was founded by the Mormon Church and has more than ten million customers. Its UK arm recorded pre- tax profits of £216,000 in the financial year ending December 2017.

23andMe is privately run and has more than five million customers. According to Forbes magazine, American founder Anne Wojcicki is worth more than £300 million.

Living DNA was set up by David Nicholson and Hannah Morden in 2016. The firm – based in Frome, Somerset – had an average of three employees in the year ending December 2017.

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 ??  ?? ROYAL LINK: Toby Walne was told that he was related to the Duke of Edinburgh on his mother’s side
ROYAL LINK: Toby Walne was told that he was related to the Duke of Edinburgh on his mother’s side
 ??  ?? YOU TUBE: DNA tests are done by spitting or taking a mouth swab
YOU TUBE: DNA tests are done by spitting or taking a mouth swab

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