Brooke Shields
American actress and model Brooke Shields has a surprising connection to British history through her maternal lineage. Her family tree leads back to King Henry IV of England, who reigned in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. Through her father, Shields also has links to numerous noble Italian families, her paternal grandmother being Italian-American aristocrat Marina Torlonia di Civitella-Cesi.
Hugh Grant
Rom-com favorite Hugh Grant boasts not one but two noteworthy royal ties. On his maternal side, he can trace his heritage back to the reign of Henry VII. Additionally, he counts King James IV of Scotland among his ancestors, further enriching his royal lineage. These connections establish Grant as the 9th cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Benedict Cumberbatch
Renowned for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes and with a name and voice that certainly sound regal, Benedict Cumberbatch boasts a family connection that’s equally captivating. He is reportedly a 17th cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, being related through 15th century monarch King Richard III.
Cara Delevingne
British model and actress Cara Delevingne might be a queen of fashion, but she is also related to actual kings and queens. As a distant cousin of Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, the late Queen Elizabeth II’s granddaughters, Delevingne can include a regal strut in her next catwalk performance knowing she is part of the family.
Jake Gyllenhaal
Actor Jake Gyllenhaal shares a distant familial connection with the British royal family. Their common link is King Edward III, a monarch from the 14th century. While the connection from the murky 14th century British royals’ up to present day is distant, Jake is also descended from Swedish nobility, with the Gyllenhaal family even having their own historic coat of arms.
Johnny Depp
The enigmatic Johnny Depp has a surprising connection to British royalty. He is reportedly a distant relative of both the late Queen Elizabeth II and her late husband Prince Philip. This ancestral tie comes from both Depp and Elizabeth II being directly linked to Edward III. This would make Depp the Queen’s 20th cousin.
Ralph Fiennes
Acclaimed actor Ralph Fiennes is related to the royals thanks to his connection to the reigning monarch, King Charles III. In a pure blood connection Fiennes’ Voldemort character would be proud of, Fiennes and the current King are eighth cousins, with both being descended from James II, King of Scotland.
Tom Hanks
Beloved actor Tom Hanks, known for his iconic roles in films like Forrest Gump and Cast Away, has a lesser-known connection to the British royal family. He is said to be a third cousin, four times removed, of Queen Elizabeth II. The connection comes from being a descendant of King John, who ruled England in the 12th century.
Uma Thurman
Uma Thurman certainly looks like a member of the royal family, and her lineage proves that she is, in fact, a royal. She is directly descended from Edward Longshanks or King Edward I of England. This would make Thurman the 21st cousin, once removed, to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres is best known for her comedy and TV work, and yes, she is a royal. Genealogists have traced Ellen’s family tree back to Sir Thomas Fairfax, a prominent 17th-century English nobleman and military leader. This ancestral link makes Ellen a distant cousin of Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge.
Catherine Oxenberg
While she’s best known for her role on the ABC soap opera Dynasty, Catherine Oxenberg has also played Princess Diana on two separate occasions. The actress should know a thing or two about princesses, given that her mother is Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia. Oxenberg is also a second cousin once removed of King Charles III, the current British monarch.
Tilda Swinton
Tilda Swinton has an undeniable air of regality, which, as it turns out, might be due to her royal blood. The actress is a direct descendent of Robert the Bruce, the Scottish king who fought a protracted war against Edward I for independence from the English in the 14th century.
Bill Hader
Best known for his starring role on HBO’s Barry – which he also co-created and wrote – Bill Hader’s ancestry links him to two of the most powerful dynasties in history. Hader is a distant relative of King Edward I of England, and the 40th great-great-grandson of Charlemagne, the Roman Emperor who conquered much of Europe.
Madonna
Widely considered pop royalty, Madonna also qualifies as British royalty. According to the Boston-based New England Historic Genealogical Society, the singer is descended from French-Canadian Madeleine Ernard and her husband Zacharie Cloutier, which makes her a ninth cousin of Camilla Parker Bowles, or – as she’s more commonly known these days – Queen Camilla.
Kit Harington
Hundreds of years before Jon Snow was the winner of Game of Thrones’ game of thrones, Kit Harington’s ancestors were ruling in real life. Harington’s grandmother married the 12th Baronet Harington (his elder brother is in line to become the 16th), meaning the actor is a descendent of King Charles II.
Robert Pattinson
Robert Pattinson became a household name with his portrayal of vampire Edward Cullen in 2008’s Twilight, and it seems he was born for the role. The actor is a distant relative of Vlad the Impaler, the bloodthirsty ruler of Wallachia (modern day Romania) and the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
Thandiwe Newton
Formerly known as Thandie, in 2021 Thandiwe Newton announced that she was changing the spelling of her first name to reflect her Shona ancestry. Newton’s mother was a Shona princess, which – under the ethnic group’s customs – makes the actress a princess too. Discussing the name change in an interview with British Vogue, Newton stated: “I’m taking back what’s mine.”
Sigourney Weaver
One of Hollywood’s most celebrated actresses, Sigourney Weaver is the 24th cousin, once removed of the late Queen Elizabeth II. The familial link comes from her relation to King Henry I, the British monarch infamous for having had two of his six wives beheaded after they failed to bear him a son.
Alec Baldwin
One of the most interesting rulers in British history, Æthelred the Unready ascended to the throne at the age of 12 after his older half-brother was assassinated, and he spent his reign embroiled in conflicts with the Danes. One of Æthelred’s direct descendants is Alec Baldwin, and – if rumors are to be believed – it seems the actor inherited some of his ancestor’s pugnacious tendencies.
Ozzy Osbourne
The lead singer of Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne’s status as rock royalty is disputed by few. After using an online DNA testing service, Osbourne discovered that he is related to both King George I and Nicholas II, the Russian Tsar whose disastrous leadership in WWI led to the Russian Revolution.
Hilary Duff
Findmypast, an online genealogy service based in the UK, has awarded Hilary Duff the title of ‘America’s Most Royal Celebrity.’ This prestigious title is the result of Duff being the closest American celebrity relative of Queen Elizabeth II. The American actress is the 18th cousin of the late British monarch.
Laura Dern
With an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy, a BAFTA and five Golden Globes, it’s safe to say that Laura Dern has earned her place on Hollywood’s throne. Dern’s ancestry also links her to more literal thrones, as it can be traced back to Edward III, making her a 19th cousin, thrice removed of Queen Elizabeth II.
Glenn Close
Glenn Close is a descendent of King John, the 13th English monarch whose reign was characterized by turmoil and general calamity. Fortunately, Close has had significantly more luck than her hapless ancestor, with the actress enjoying a hugely successful career on both stage and screen, filling her awards cabinet with some of the most coveted prizes up for grabs.
Meghan Markle
Even before officially joining the Royal Family via her marriage to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle had a strong claim to royalty. A direct descendent of Edward III and a relative of Jane Seymour (King Henry’s third wife), Markle is technically related to Queen Elizabeth II, which also makes her Harry’s 17th cousin.
Rose Leslie
As a wildling, Yvette – Rose Leslie’s character in Game of Thrones – is about as far from nobility as you can get. In real life, however, the actress has not one but two claims to royalty. Leslie’s mother is a descendent of King Charles II, while her father is a chieftain of the Aberdeenshire Leslie clan.
Michael Douglas
A veritable titan of Hollywood, Michael Douglas has starred in some of the most iconic movies of the last last 40 years. The actor is 19th cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, thanks to a bloodline that traces directly back to King Edward III, the British monarch credited with restoring royal authority after his father’s disastrous reign.
Paris Hilton
Born into the Hilton dynasty, Paris Hilton’s lineage has paved the way for a life of fame and fortune. It also links her directly to the British Royal Family. Hilton is related to King Henry II through her father’s side of the family, making her Queen Elizabeth II’s 20th cousin.
Guy Ritchie
Acclaimed British director Guy Ritchie is the sixth cousin of Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge and future queen. The two reportedly have a close personal relationship, and Ritchie was present when Middleton tied the knot with Prince William in 2011’s glamorous royal wedding.
Céline Dion
Thanks to her relation to Jean Guyon – one of the earliest settlers of modern-day Quebec – Céline Dion is the ninth cousin, once removed of Queen Camilla Parker Bowles. This ancestral link also ties Dion to Madonna, and the pop superstars – who have collaborated frequently throughout the years – are tenth cousins, twice removed.
Isaac Hayes
In 1991, iconic soul musician (and voice of South Park’s chef) Isaac Hayes visited Ghana to shoot a music video with Barry White. Struck by the poverty he witnessed, Hayes immediately began raising money for the West African nation and built a 8,000 square foot learning and technology center. In 1992, Hayes was made an honorary king of Ghana’s Ada region in recognition of his humanitarian work.
Allison Janney
Allison Janney’s long, distinguished career has spanned TV, film and stage, and seen the actress take home some of the most prestigious trophies showbiz has to offer. Speaking of prestigious, Janney’s bloodline goes back to King Edward I, technically making her Queen Elizabeth II’s 22nd cousin, once removed.
Christopher Guest
While most celebs on this list are linked to the Royal Family by some ancient quirk in their family tree, Christopher Guest is a fully-fledged member of British nobility. Although he’s not technically a royal, Guest’s impressive formal title is Fifth Baron Haden-Guest, and his family used to hold a seat on the House of Lords.
Elle Fanning
Although she’s best known for playing the Russian empress Catherine the Great, Elle Fanning’s bloodline connects her to a different political dynasty. The 22nd great-granddaughter of Edward III, Fanning is related to Kate Middleton’s mother, making her and her sister Dakota 21st cousins of the Duchess of Cambridge.
Angelina Jolie
One of Hollywood’s most elite starlets, Angelina Jolie apparently comes by her regal poise through a connection to French royalty. Jolie’s mother, Marie Bertrand, is a relative of King Phillip II, whose reign over France lasted for more than 40 years – not bad for a country with a rich history of lopping off its monarchs’ heads.
Akosua Busia
Ghanian actress Akosua Busia is best known for her role opposite Whoopi Goldberg in 1985’s The Color Purple. As the daughter of Kofi Abrefa Busia – former prime minister of the Republic of Ghana and a prince of the royal Wenchi family – Busia is both an actress and a literal princess.
Beyoncé
Beyoncé is widely known as Queen B, and it turns out this moniker isn’t her only link to royalty. The superstar singer and actress is also the 25th cousin once removed of Queen Elizabeth II. There were rumors that Beyoncé was set to perform at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, but this never came to fruition.
Kyra Sedgwick
Best known for her starring role on the long-running TNT police drama The Closer, Kyra Sedgwick technically has some royal blood coursing through her veins. Thanks to some ancestry tracing back to King Henry III, Sedgwick is the 21st cousin, twice removed of Queen Elizabeth II.
Brad Pitt
Much like his ex-wife Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt is a Hollywood superstar with royal blood. While Jolie’s ancestry traces back to French royalty, Pitt’s links him to the British monarchy. As a descendant of King Henry II, the actor is the 15th cousin, twice removed of Queen Elizabeth II. Pitt’s bloodline also ties him to another powerful figure, the former President of the United States Barack Obama.
Sissy Spacek
Throughout a distinguished career, Sissy Spacek has won a number of impressive accolades, including an Oscar, three Golden Globes and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Another honor Spacek can count is her relation to royalty: the actress is a distant relative of King John, making her the 24th cousin of Queen Elizabeth II.
Richard Gere
While his career seems to have declined somewhat in recent decades, Richard Gere was a stalwart of Hollywood throughout the 80s and 90s. The actor is a descendant of King Edward I – the monarch responsible for crushing William Wallace’s Scottish rebellion – making him Queen Elizabeth II’s 22nd cousin, twice removed.
