Russell Crowe reveals his ancestor was beheaded
The Oscar-winning Gladiator actor has been exploring his ancestry and revealed his connection to the "Old Fox", who sided with Bonnie Prince Charlie during the 1745 Jacobite rising and was sentenced to death for treason.
Thursday 4 January 2024 14:10, UK
Hollywood star Russell Crowe has revealed he is the distant relative of a notorious Jacobite lord who was the last man to be executed by beheading in Britain.
The Oscar-winning Gladiator actor has been exploring his ancestry, and while he knew he had Scottish heritage, he recently discovered he is related to Simon Fraser, the 11th Lord Lovat - known as the Old Fox.
Known for his scheming plots and switching sides to and fro between the government and Jacobite causes, his clan was eventually among those defeated at the battle of Culloden in 1746 and he was executed the following year.
Fans of the Outlander novels and TV series will recognise him as the grandfather of lead character Jamie Fraser, played by Sam Heughan.
On X, Crowe said he had begun by trying to trace his Italian roots, something made difficult by "folkloric family tales and misspelling".
He discovered his great-great-grandfather Luigi Ghezzi had moved to New Zealand in 1864 after meeting Mary Ann Curtain in Cape Town.
The 59-year-old actor added that John (Jock) Frazer on his father's mother's side arrived in New Zealand in 1841 and could be directly connected back to Simon Fraser, the 11th Lord Lovat.
Crowe said: "He's quite the character. The Old Fox they used to call him.
"Seems his Machiavellian ways caught up to him at the age of 80, and he has a claim to infamy as the last man to have the head chopped off his living body in the Tower of London. His death even coined a phrase.
"Apparently, they set up temporary stands for the gentry to watch him die.
"One of these stands collapsed which resulted in the death of nine onlookers. Being told this just before he was put to death made him laugh.
"He was still laughing when the blade struck his neck, thereby 'laughing his head off'."
Crowe also said his DNA suggested a strong Irish link, but he is currently uncertain where exactly this comes from.
The 11th Lord Lovat's execution at Tower Hill in London drew huge crowds.
He had sided with Bonnie Prince Charlie during the 1745 Jacobite rising and was sentenced to death for treason.
Read more from Sky News:
Most anticipated films coming to cinemas in 2024
Marvel star shares update on recovery after near-fatal accident
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Sky News app for free
Crowe has taken an interest in Scottish history previously.
He is a supporter of the Clanranald Trust which has created the Duncarron fort near Denny, an authentic replica of a medieval stronghold.
The actor, who was born in New Zealand before moving to Australia, donated a battering ram from the film Robin Hood to the fort.
Click to subscribe to Backstage wherever you get your podcasts
In 2018, forensic experts were called in to try and identify if remains removed from a Highland crypt were those of the 11th Lord Lovat.
While official records stated he had been buried beneath the floor of a chapel in the Tower of London, his clan believed his remains had been "intercepted" and returned to Scotland.
However Professor Dame Sue Black determined the remains at Wardlaw Mausoleum were those of a woman and not the "Old Fox".