‘I’m Henry VIII’s relative, I am, I am...’

A GENEALOGICAL expert has discovered that an Irish builder is a direct descendant of the larger-than-life royal who had a liking for chopping off his wives’ heads.

Henry VIII had six wives, but Des Perrott had just two. “At least I didn’t behead any of mine. I divorced one. We became more civilised down the centuries,” Des joked.

He discovered his lineage by chance after agreeing to take part in a series called Black Sheep, which will be screened on RTÉ 1 next Sunday night.