CLEOPATRA, the queen of Ancient Egypt, whose powers of seduction had Julius Caesar and Mark Antony in her thrall, was in reality short, fat and ugly, experts at the British Museum have concluded. Screen goddesses and beauties who have depicted the legendary femme fatale, from Elizabeth Taylor and Vivien Leigh to Sophia Loren, did her rather more than justice, according to a new exhibition at the museum. The real Cleopatra was rather plain, even severe in appearance, with noticeably bad teeth. She was probably no more than five feet tall and with a tendency to plumpness. – AFP