The Crown star Claire Foy breaks down in tears as she discovers her ancestor’s tragic fate

Claire Foy broke down in tears as she learnt of the tragic fate of her great-grandfather, who drowned in a river during a cross-country race.

The Crown star explored her ancestry as part of BBC One’s Who Do You Think You Are? and was left heartbroken by the revelation of her relative’s death.

She was taken to the river in Carlisle where the tragic incident took place and was handed an old newspaper that described the death of Henry Stimpson, her great-grandfather.

“I think it’s even sadder because it’s 400 yards from where they went in. Maybe if someone had just run down, they might have seen, but obviously, nobody did,” Foy said of the incident.