Kate Middleton's family tree reveals she is descended from university academics

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception

The Duchess of Cambridge has been revealed to have 'varsity blue' blood - because she is descended from Cambridge University boffins.

Kate Middleton's great great-grandfather Francis Martineau Lupton and great great grand-uncle Sir Charles Lupton were both academics at Trinity College Cambridge.
Both from a rich and successful merchant and manufacturing family and Sir Charles, founder of the world's largest law firm DLA Piper.

Portraits of the Duchess of Cambridge's long lost ancestors have been presented to Trinity College Cambridge after being uncovered by Australian history teacher Michael Reed

The link to the Duchess's title city was uncovered by Australian history teacher Michael Reed and pupils during a class project in Melbourne. The assignment also revealed that her second cousin - thrice removed - is Newnham College graduate Lady Barbara Bullock. Mr Reed, 48, visited Cambridge on Tuesday to present pictures of Kate's long-lost Lupton ancestors to Trinity College.

Francis Martineau Lupton, Kate's great great grandfather (above) and Sir Charles Lupton, Kate Middleton's Great Great Grand Uncle (below)

The Middleton family tree featuring Kate's academic great grandfather and great great uncle

He said: 'This all stems from a class project before Christmas on genealogy which made me look into Kate Middleton's ancestry.

'We had confirmed that Lady Barbara Bullock - nee Lupton - had links to Kate and so when the name Lupton cropped up again I looked into it further.
'We found the connections between her and the Lupton brothers, who studied at Trinity in the mid 19th century.'

Professor David McKitterick, Vice Master of Trinity and College Librarian, said: 'We are grateful to Mr Reed for donating these photographs to Trinity.'

Mr Reed traced the Duchess's family line back five generations to the Marquess of Lansdowne and his brother Thomas FitzMaurice who lived at the Buckinghamshire stately home Cliveden with his wife Mary, 4th Countess of Orkney in the late 18th century.