Christopher Columbus 'was son of Polish king'

The explorer, Christopher Columbus, was the son of a Polish king living in exile in Madeira and hid his royal roots to protect his father, a new book claims.

Christopher Columbus arriving at one of the Caribbean islands on his voyage of discovery Photo: GETTY

By Fiona Govan in Madrid 4:40PM GMT 28 Nov 2010

A Portuguese historian believes he has solved the 500 year-old mystery of the adventurer's true identity after a thorough investigation of medieval documents and chronicles.

The origins of the man who discovered the Americas has long been a subject of speculation.

Contemporary accounts named his birth place as the Italian port of Genoa to a family of wool weavers but over the centuries it has been claimed that he was a native of Greece, Spain, France, Portugal and even Scotland.

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