George Washington, the man who would "not" be king . . .

According to an article reported on The Epoch Times, the would-be heir to the throne of the United States has been researched and reported by Ancestry.com. Although George Washington, America's revered first president, was offered kingship but refused, the "what if" question was explored. As George Washington had no children, the crown would have passed to one of his brothers’ sons. Ancestry.com genealogists determined that since President Washington had an older half brother and a younger full brother, ultimately there were four possible succession paths, the article said. The site researched the descendants through each of these possibilities, which meant approximately 8,000 people could factor into the succession equation, with less than 200 of them bearing the Washington surname. As a result, according to the report, the "hypothetical heir" was reported to be Mr. Paul Emery Washington, an 82-year-old retiree living in San Antonio, Texas, who is a descendent of first president George Washington. Said the article, "Given a small twist of fate, Americans could be bowing down to the Washington bloodline today."