Genetic test proves President Harding DID father a love child with mistress who he would have sex with in a West Wing closet

  • DNA testing proves President Harding fathered a daughter in 1919 with his longtime mistress Nan Britton, who was 31 years his junior
  • In 1927, four years after Harding's death in office, Britton wrote a book on their affair called 'The President's Daughter' 
  • Harding's family condemned the account of the affair as false at the time, since it was believed that the president was sterile 

One of the sauciest legends of the White House has finally been proven true, thanks to DNA testing. 

Relatives of President Warren G Harding revealed to the New York Times on Wednesday that he did indeed father a daughter in 1919 with his longtime mistress Nan Britton, after receiving the results of a genetic test linking them to the son of the love child.

Rumors of Harding's infidelity became tabloid fodder in 1927, when Britton authored a tell-all on their secret relationship, revealing juicy facts like the fact that they used to have sex in a West Wing closet.

But Britton's claim that she bore Harding's one-and-only offspring was treated with heavy skepticism, as the president's family insisted that he had was sterile due to a childhood case of the mumps. 

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DNA testing has confirmed that President Warren G Harding (pictured) fathered a daughter with his mistress Nan Britton in 1919. When Britton made the claim in an explosive memoir published in 1927, Harding's family said she was lying since they believed Harding was sterile
DNA testing has confirmed that President Warren G Harding fathered a daughter with his mistress Nan Britton in 1919. When Britton made the claim in an explosive memoir published in 1927, Harding's family said she was lying since they believed Harding was sterile. Nan Britton pictured on the left with her daughter Elizabeth Ann, right

It's true: DNA testing has confirmed that President Warren G Harding (left) fathered a daughter (Elizabeth Ann, far right) with his mistress Nan Britton (center) in 1919. When Britton made the claim in an explosive memoir published in 1927, Harding's family said she was lying since they believed Harding was sterile

For nearly a century, the question of Harding's paternity hung over both families, but Britton's daughter, Elizabeth Ann Blaesing, refused to submit to DNA tests up until her death in 2005. 

However, one of her sons, James Blaesing, was more open to finding out the truth once and for all, and recently agreed to undergo genetic testing when approached by a grand-nephew of the president, Dr Peter Harding. 

As he was growing up, Dr Harding says he believed the family claim that the president had been infertile. 

But after comparing Britton's book to a collection of love letters released last year between Harding and another mistress, Carrie Phillips, the 72-year-old began to have doubts.

Harding pictured above with his wife, Florence, in 1923, the year he died in office. Florence followed him in death a year later 

Harding pictured above with his wife, Florence, in 1923, the year he died in office. Florence followed him in death a year later 

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Family resemblance: It's hard to deny that Harding and Elizabeth have quite similar facial expressions 

'It's sort of Shakespearean and operatic,' Dr Harding told the New York Times. 'This story hangs over the whole presidential history because it was an unsolved mystery.'

So Dr Harding and his cousin Abigail, a grand-niece of the president, approached Blaesing to ask him about undergoing a genetic test offered by Ancestry.com. 

When the results came back, it proved that  Blaesing was a second-cousin to Dr Harding. 

'I have no doubts left,' Abigail Harding, a retired high school biology teacher from Ohio, said. 'When he's related to me, he's related to Peter, he's related to a third cousin - there's too many nails in the coffin, so to speak. I'm completely convinced.'

However, other Harding family members are less inclined to accept the results. 

Single mother: Britton's daughter Elizabeth Ann, right, was born in October 1919. Harding never met her, but allegedly financially supported her until his untimely death in 1923 

Single mother: Britton's daughter Elizabeth Ann, right, was born in October 1919. Harding never met her, but allegedly financially supported her until his untimely death in 1923 

No choice: When Harding died in 1923, he did not leave Elizabeth Ann anything in his will. Britton allegedly wrote the tell-all to make enough money to support her daughter 

No choice: When Harding died in 1923, he did not leave Elizabeth Ann anything in his will. Britton allegedly wrote the tell-all to make enough money to support her daughter 

WHEN WARREN MET NAN: HOW THE 29TH PRESIDENT STARTED AFFAIR WITH WOMAN 31 YEARS HIS JUNIOR

Nan Britton and Warren Harding both hailed from Marion, Ohio. 

Britton's father knew Harding and she even had Harding's sister Daisy as a teacher. 

In 1917, 20-year-old Britton reached out to Harding, then a 51-year-old senator, for help finding a job and he agreed to meet up with her in New York.

It was at a hotel on this first rendezvous that, in her words, Britton 'became Mr Harding's bride.'

The secret couple continued to meet up behind the back of Harding's wife Florence, including trysts in his senate office were they conceived Elizabeth Ann, who was born in October 1919. 

While Harding never met his love child, he supported her financially and continued his affair with Britton even after being elected president in 1920. 

In her memoir, she writes that they would meet up to 'make love' in a 'small closet in the anteroom' of the West Wing. 

Their rendezvous continued right up until Harding's death in 1923, at the age of 57. 

It's believed that Britton felt forced to pen an account of their relationship since upon his death, he left no part of his estate to Elizabeth and only Daisy Harding offered to help the mother and daughter out financially. 

'I'm not questioning the accuracy of anybody's tests or anything,' Dr. Richard Harding, 69, another grandnephew and a child psychiatrist in South Carolina, said. 'But it's still in my mind still to be proven.' 

He said if he is convinced the tests are valid, then he will welcome Elizabeth's descendants into the Harding family: 'I hope they'll find their new place in history is meaningful and productive for them.'  

For Blaesing, the results of the test are perhaps less meaningful, since he always believed his grandmother's story that she had been the president's mistress. 

'She loved him until the day she died,' he said. 'When she talked about him, she would get the biggest smile on her face. She just loved this guy. He was everything.'

He said he underwent the tests not for himself, but for his grandmother, who was labeled a 'degenerate' and 'diabolical' when she published her memoir about Harding.

'I went through this growing up in school. They belittled him and her,' Blaesing, a 65-year-old construction contractor in Portland, Oregon, said. 'I wanted to prove who she was and prove everyone was wrong.' 

According to Britton's book, the two both hailed from Marion, Ohio, where her father knew Harding and she had Harding's sister Daisy as a schoolteacher. 

Growing up, Britton would hand pictures of Harding's face on her bedroom walls and loiter outside his office at the Marion Daily Star, hoping to catch him on his way home.  

In 1917, 20-year-old Britton reached out to Harding, then a 51-year-old senator, for help finding a job and he agreed to meet up with her in New York, where she working as a secretary at the time. 

It was at a hotel on this first rendezvous that, in her words, Britton 'became Mr Harding's bride.' 

The other woman: Britton looks glamorous in a portrait from 1928,  a year after she published the memoir about her affair with Harding 

The other woman: Britton looks glamorous in a portrait from 1928,  a year after she published the memoir about her affair with Harding 

The secret couple continued to meet up behind the back of Harding's wife Florence, including trysts in his senate office were they conceived Elizabeth Ann, who was born in October 1919. 

While Harding never met his love child, he supported her financially and continued his affair with Britton even after being elected president in 1920. 

In her memoir, she writes that they would meet up to 'make love' in a 'small closet in the anteroom' of the West Wing. 

Their rendezvous continued right up until Harding's death in 1923, at the age of 57. 

It's believed that Britton felt forced to pen an account of their relationship since upon his death, he left no part of his estate to Elizabeth and only Daisy Harding offered to help the mother and daughter out financially. 

Britton died in Clackamas County, Oregon in 1991, at the age of 94. Her daughter succeeded her in death in 2005. 

WILL HARDING NOW BE REMEMBERED FOR HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN OFFICE INSTEAD OF HIS TORRID AFFAIRS 

Harding historian James D Robenault wrote in an article for the Washington Post on Thursday that he hopes this new confirmation of Elizabeth Ann's legitimacy will help mend the 29th president's legacy in American history books.

Robenault writes that Britton's book tainted opinions on Harding right after his death, even though he was a popular president in office.

'One of Harding's problems was that he died in office and that his wife died a year later. Imagine JFK's legacy had there been no Jackie before the sex scandals emerged? Imagine Bill Clinton dying before the Monica Lewinsky scandal was revealed and no Hillary to answer the charges of the 'vast right-wing conspiracy'' Robenault writes. 

Combined with the Teapot Dome corruption scandal, which Robenault says Harding had no part in anyway, and Harding is considered one of the least popular presidents in history.

However, Robenault points out that Harding did a lot for the country, at a time when it was reeling from a post World War I depression. 

Among his accomplishments is advocating equal rights for African-Americans, founding the Bureau of the Budget and leading the charge on international disarmament efforts. 

Robenalt is the author of 'The Harding Affair, Love and Espionage During the Great War'. He practices law in Cleveland at Thompson Hine LLP.

 

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