“Charlemagne is your 38th great-grandfather,” Gates said to Stone. “The first Holy Roman Emperor. He was a mean dude.” Stone’s mouth gaped open in dismay as she slowly processed the ...

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Are you also related to Charlemagne, described as 'one of the most important people in history'? Well, according to scientists, it's not difficult to find out.

Join Tom and Dominic for this next instalment on the Franks and the rise of Charlemagne.

The actress discovered her 38th great-grandfather was one of the most influential historical figures, Charlemagne.

Historians no longer speak dismissively of the ‘Dark Ages’, that deep trench between the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West, and the emergence of the city-states ... was conflated into a single ...