'McCain the Bruce' Claims are Baloney

John McCain might be a sure thing to be crowned the GOP nominee, but experts say claims that his family is related to a Scottish king are pure fiction. McCain wrote in a 1999 memoir that his great-aunt was descended from Robert the Bruce, who reclaimed Scottish independence in 1314. Medieval experts looked through records and concluded the claim was "a load of baloney," as one genealogist told the Guardian.

The Scottish experts couldn't find any links between McCain and Bruce, although one historian noted that the Scottish warrior-king had a dozen children with up to 200 million distant descendants. "In that sense McCain probably is descended from Bruce. So am I. So are you. So is everyone," he said. McCain's memoir also claims a family connection to Charlemagne. (More John McCain stories.)