Game of Thrones star Kit Harington has discovered his family’s connection to the origins of James Bond.
After spending the better part of a decade playing a Prince Who Was Promised (allegedly), it turns out his actual family may be tied into the legacy of Britain’s greatest fictional spy.
On a recent episode of My Grandparents’ War on Channel 4, Kit researched his grandparents’ involvement in World War II because he’d never been able to meet his grandfather John.
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It turns out that John, 22nd-time great-grandson of King Edward III, was recruited by naval intelligence and came into contact with James Bond creator Ian Fleming.
While there’s no definitive proof John inspired Bond, this information was a huge revelation for Kit and his own father, Sir David Harington.
“We couldn’t find out huge details about it, but we know he was spying on [the enemy],” he told The Telegraph.
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“I said, ‘I think it’s really worth looking into my father’s parents, because I’ve heard some rumours, some… Chinese whispers… about what they’d been involved with’.”
Kit also discovered that his grandmother fought against the Nazis in World War II as one of the codebreakers stationed in Bermuda to decipher enemy messages.
Like most leading men of his generation, Kit has been linked to playing James Bond over the years, but he actually told Digital Spy a few years ago he had no interest in the role.
Maybe the Jon Snow actor will change his mind about playing 007 now that Daniel Craig has actually left the role?
The James Bond movies are available to stream now on Prime Video UK.
