Claim to Fame

Napier antiques dealer and former New Zealand hockey representative Kevin Percy, 74, is claiming to be the rightful heir to Alnwick Castle, the family home of the Earl of Northumberland, on an estate conservatively valued at $685m. He has written to the Queen to seek her support for the exhumation of the 5th Earl of Northumberland, who died in 1560, to see if the remains match his own DNA. Percy has spent years working with genealogists and the London College of Arms to try to gather evidence for his claim that his family has been denied their rights to one of Britain’s most famous dynasties. Percy said: “I can think of nothing worse than going to my grave without knowing I’ve done my best for my family and our bloodline. I and my New Zealand family are not trying to cheat and deceive.” Alnwick Castle, which celebrated its 700th anniversary this week, was also the backdrop for the film Elizabeth, starring Cate Blanchett, and the television series Blackadder. Percy represented New Zealand at hockey at the 1960 Rome Olympics.