Queen Elizabeth II extended family tree: People related to Her Majesty who may shock you
THE QUEEN is the head of the British monarchy and is descended from one of the most privileged families in the world - but here are some surprising people related to Her Majesty.
George VI knew Queen Elizabeth would be monarch says expert
The Queen is Head of the Commonwealth with a family lineage descending from hundreds of years of royalty. Her Royal Family connections extend beyond the British Isles to Europe, where most notably King Harald V of Norway is her second cousin. The Queen has amassed enormous wealth during her lifetime, with palatial homes, jewels and hundreds of staff at her disposal. Her accent, exquisite manners and decorum marks her out as elite, with upper-class members of the UK often said to speak “The Queen’s English”
But despite her regal status, the Queen is distantly related to a host of US famous faces, who are as American as can be.
But who are they?
Beyonce
She may already be known as Queen Bey but it seems Beyonce is descended from actual royalty as she and the Queen are distant cousins.
Beyonce is the Queen’s 25th cousin, once removed, according to CBS News.
The ancestor they both descend from is Henry II.
Johnny Depp
Pirates of the Caribbean star and hell-raiser Johnny Depp is the 20th cousin of the Queen.
Genealogist Nick Barratt, of BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are?, said the link between the actor and the Queen comes from Edward III, who died in 1377.
Michael Douglas
Hollywood acting legend Michael Douglas is the 19th cousin once removed of the Queen through King Edward II of England.
Hilary Duff
Texas-born singer Hilary Duff is the “most royal” celebrity in the United States as she is the most closely related to the Queen, CBS News said citing FindMyPast.com.
The former child actress, tops the top 20 list of “American Entertainment Royalty”.
CBS wrote: “Hilary’s link to the UK monarch is Duff's "gateway ancestor," according to the site, is Alexander Spotswood (1676-1740), an officer in the British Army, a Lieutenant Governor of Virginia and the 10th great-grandson of Edward III.
A gateway ancestor is a person with a long-proven descent from royalty.
“Duff, 24, is also a descendant of Catherine Car, a woman believed by some historians to be the illegitimate daughter of Henry VIII.”
The website added The Blue Lagoon actress Brooke Shields is the Queen’s 18th cousin once removed, through King Henry IV of France.
Celebrity siblings Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal are also 19th cousins to the Queen.