Purple Secret, a collaborative effort by John Rohl, Martin Warren and David
Hunt, suggests that the mutated gene responsible for porphyria, generally
thought to be the cause of George III’s “madness”, may still exist in present
day royalty. Backing up this theory leads the authors into a fascinating history
of hereditary disease in European royal families and a first-rate explanation of
the genetics involved. Published by Bantam Press £16.99, ISBN
0593041488.
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