The Royal Family hold huge surnames and have very extensive bloodlines that span a host of generations throughout history. As a result, there are a number of famous faces scattered around the world who you certainly didn’t know were distant relatives of different members of the royal family.
Some of the famous people below never expected to be related to the Queen in a million years. After all, they are all Hollywood actors. And while the royal family is often considered a celebrity in their own right, it’s quite surprising how many mainstream celebrities have interesting royal connections.
From movie stars to singers and child actors, many people have a connection to the crown, although often far removed, according to Insider. Here is a list of the 12 most famous people linked to Her Majesty. Some of them will blow your mind.
READ MORE: Royal Family: The very strange food the Queen likes to have on toast
(Picture: PA)
Paris Hilton
According to reports, the 41-year-old heiress and DJ is a 20th cousin of the Queen by King Henry II who reigned from 1154 to 1189. In her own life t The Hollywood actor and socialite has starred in roles in 8 Simple Rules and Scooby Doo.
Hilton told Cosmopolitan in 2020 that ‘psychics’ said she was related to Marilyn Monroe before her mother made a 23andMe DNA kit which showed she was related to both Marilyn Monroe and Queen Elizabeth .
(Image: Getty)
Hilary Duf
You may know Hillary Duff from her single “So Yesterday” and her iconic role in Lizzie Maguire. But, on top of that, a genealogy study showed she is an 18th cousin of Queen Elizabeth, according to CBS News.
He claimed she was related to Alexander Spotswood, the 10th great-grandson of Edward III. Spotswood was a British Army officer and Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.
(Photo: 2022 Getty Images)
Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes is a prolific successful actor, well known for his role as Harry Potter’s nemesis, Lord Voldemort, and other films such as Schindler’s List, The King’s Man and The Grand Budapest Hotel.
You may not know, however, that it would be a distant cousin of Prince Charles. The Financial Times claims he and Queen Elizabeth II are eighth cousins.
(Photo: Hannes Magerstaedt/Getty Images)
Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields an American actor featured in the 1980 film The Blue Lagoon. But she is also the Queen’s 18th cousin, once removed, according to the FindMyPast.com study.
She is believed to be a descendant of King Henry IV of France, who was assassinated in 1610. The common ancestor she shares with the Queen is John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster and son of Edward III of England.
(Image: 2022 Bravo Media LLC)
Jake Gyllenhaal
American idol Jake Gyllenhaal, who is well known for his roles in Brokeback Mountain, Donnie Darko and The Day After Tomorrow, has a lineage that dates back to King Edward III, who reigned from 1327 to 1377, according to CBS News.
(Image: Shared Content Unit)
Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas, now 77, has starred in many iconic Hollywood films and is particularly famous for his roles in the controversial thrillers Basic Instinct and Fatal Attraction. Apart from that he is Been to just about everything including Jewel of the Nile.
The producer’s ancestor is believed to be King Edward III.
(Picture: Mirrorpix)
Ellen Degeneres
The legendary chat show host who was on American TV for donkey years is the Queen’s 19th cousin, twice removed, by King Edward III.
She is also 15th cousins with the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton through Sir Thomas Fairfax and his wife, Agnes Gascoigne, according to the New England Genealogical Society.
(Image: Getty)
Laura Dern
Laura Dern, who is perhaps best known for her role in Jurassic Park in 1993, but also had roles in Little Fockers, Little Women and Marriage History. Her apparent claim to royalty is to be Her Majesty’s cousin three times. She is also related to Edward III.
(Image: Getty)
Johnny Depp
The man who played Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean may be the Queen’s 20th cousin. Dr. Nick Barratt, a “Who Do You Think You Are?” genealogist, made the possible connection.
He said in 2012: “When I looked into Johnny’s story, I discovered a probable connection to the royal family. I have since compiled the family tree which shows how. It takes going back over 500 years back to reach the point where his ancestors become Royal.”
(Image: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for ZFF)
Hugh Grant
You can think of him as being linked to the Prime Minister, being well-loved by fans for his role as Prime Minister in the Christmas movie Love Actually. But Hugh can trace his lineage to King Henry VII of England and King James IV of Scotland, according to the Radio Times.
(Photo: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Beyonce
Everyone knows Texas-born singer Beyoncé, who shot to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of Destiny’s Child and was married to rapper and producer Jay-Z.
However, few people may know that she would be the Queen’s 25th cousin once removed. According to FindMyPast.com, the common ancestor she shares is King Henry II, who was Queen Elizabeth’s 24th great-grandfather.
(Image: Getty)
Allison Janney
Actor Allison Janney and the Queen are believed to be related through Edward I, who was King of England between 1272 and 1307, according to the FindMyPast.com study.
(Image: Getty)
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