WILLS and Kate fever has swept the country since the announcement that the Royal Wedding will be taking place next spring.

But while the couple prepare to tie the knot at Westminster Abbey on April 29 next year, evidence has emerged of bride-to-be Kate Middleton's links to Norfolk and Suffolk – including an ancestor who died in Lowestoft.

Mark Fellgett, of Bradwell, conducted the research into the Middleton family tree on the internet after the wedding was announced at the start of last week and discovered some interesting links to the area.

These included a great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather Thomas Powditch, who died in Yarmouth in 1727 and a great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother Grace Kitteredge, who died in Lowestoft in 1782.

Other ancestors from the county, include Harriet Stone, who was born in King's Lynn; David Stone, a labourer from Sprowston, near Norwich and David Martineau, a surgeon from Norwich.

Another of her ancestors was former Norwich Mayor Philip Meadows who took civic office in 1734 and died in 1752.

Mr Fellgett said: 'It is just interesting to see that some of her relations seem to have come from round here. I decided to have a look out of historical curiosity. I quite like the Royal Family, I think they do a good job for us. Basically, it is just interesting to see that someone is doing well for themselves. It is not very often that you get a common person joining the Royal Family.'