INBREEDING ISN’T JUST A TARGARYEN THING

Late Queen Elizabeth II and the late Prince Philip were third cousins, both descendants of Queen Victoria, who had nine children. It was customary in European royalty to marry close relatives to maintain power and titles. However, intermarriage between close relatives increases the likelihood of birth defects and harmful genetic mutations.

One such genetic disorder is the Habsburg jaw, a pronounced facial deformity resulting from generations of inbreeding, as found in a 2019 study. It is prevalent in the Habsburg dynasty of Spanish and Austrian kings and their wives.