Kate Middleton, the soon-to-be-Princess of Wales, has been in the media spotlight for some time now. It’s hard to stay out of the public eye when you are romantically involved with a Prince, you know. In November of 2010, Kate Middleton’s genealogy became a topic of interest overnight following her engagement to Price William. The upcoming royal wedding is generating a lot of buzz in all kinds of areas, including genealogy. Kate’s family tree has been researched by many genealogists, and it is very interesting. As it turns out, Kate Middleton is herself descended from royalty and can trace her roots back to Edward III.
Of course, since Edward III was from way, way back in the day (we’re talking the 1300’s here people) he has many descendants. Over a million people can trace their family history back to Edward III. Edward III is Kate Middleton’s 21 x great grandfathers. Ms. Middleton is also descended from the House of Fairfax, a noble British lineage that counts among its other descendants the renowned genealogy researcher Anthony Adolph. Anthony Adolph is Kate Middleton’s 11th cousin, once removed.
Other interesting folks in Kate Middleton’s family tree include Ellen DeGeneres (15th cousin) and Guy Ritchie, who was married to Madonna. Guy Ritchie is Kate Middleton’s 7th cousin, once removed. One of the most interesting things about Kate’s Fairfax ancestry is that she is directly related to Prince William’s great grandmother – she is her 15th cousin. This makes her Prince William’s 18th cousin, three times removed.
Royal weddings are wonderfully exciting in and of themselves. They are also exciting for genealogists, as they offer opportunities to learn more about the royal (and soon-to-be-royal) families. People that can trace their roots back to the Fairfaxes now have an exciting new focus for their family history research, too.
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