Celebrities related to the royal family

published 7 May 2020

These celebrities might be the kings and queens of Hollywood, but they could actually have more in common with British royalty than we ever thought.

These celebrities have ruled over Hollywood for years, starring in all our favourite films or producing our top shower-singing anthems. They're instantly recognisable and the media is all over their every move, much like our royal family.

So it might come as no surprise to learn that some of them are actually related to the royals!

MORE: How does royal succession work – and who is next in line for the throne? (opens in new tab)

Like the big-time Hollywood director who’s related to the Duchess of Cambridge (opens in new tab), or the A-list actor who’s related (by not too many cousins) to the queen.

We might not be seeing most of them around Buckingham Palace anytime soon, but their links to the royal family go way back into the medieval times.

Johnny Depp

How: Through King Edward III, Johnny Depp is the 20th cousin of Queen Elizabeth II.

In 2011, an episode of Who Do You Think You Are? revealed that the Queen and Johnny Depp are related. One side of Johnny Depp's family is related to Sir William Gascoigne and his wife, Margaret Percy, who are direct descendants of King Edward VII. You might have to go back 500 years to find the royal link, but it's there.

Uma Thurman

How: Uma Thurman and the Queen are 21st cousins, once removed, through King Edward I.

King Edward I, who lived between 1239 to 1307, is the 19th great-grandfather of Queen Elizabeth. As Uma Thurman is also a direct descendent of the English king, the two are related.

Sophie Winkleman

How: Sophie is married to Lord Frederick Windsor, the son of Queen Elizabeth's first cousin, Prince Michael of Kent.

If you're a fan of Channel 4's Peep Show, then this will be a big one for you. Sophie Winkleman, who plays Big Suze in the show, is married to a direct relation of Queen Elizabeth II. Sophie, or Lady Frederrick Winsor as she is also known, married Lord Frederick Windsor in 2009 and the couple have two children together (opens in new tab).

Hilary Duff

How: Hilary Duff is the 18th cousin of Queen Elizabeth, according to a genealogy study.

The two are related through a man called Alexander Spotswood who lived from 1676 to 1740. He was the 10th great-grandson of Edward III, an officer in the British Army and the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia.

Tom Hanks

How: Tom Hanks is a distant cousin of Queen Elizabeth.

The actor is a true member of the Hollywood dynasty, having starred in over 88 films. But he's one of the celebrities related to the royal family (very distantly), as he's the Queen's 24th cousin. It's through King John, who lived between 1199 to 1216, that the two are related.

Michael Douglas

How: Through King Edward III, Michael Douglas is the Queen's 19th cousin, once removed.

Michael Douglas comes from a long lineage of Hollywood royalty, with his father Kirk Douglas being one of the most famous faces of the 1950s. But he's related to English royalty too! Here he is greeting Princess Diana in 1988 at the premiere for film Wall Street.

King Edward III was one of England's longest ruling monarchs, Queen's great-grandfather 17 generations down and a direct ancestor of Michael Douglas.

Celine Dion

How: Celine Dion is the ninth cousin of the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker Bowles.

One of the Queens of Pop but this member of Hollywood royalty is also related to the English royal family, through an ancestor of the Duchess of Cornwall. According to the New England Historic Genealogical Society in the USA, Jean Guyon was one of the first French-Canadian settlers in Quebec.

He is famously related to three out of four people from Quebec and his descendants can be found all over the world - including in the royal family!

Madonna

How: Like Celine Dion, Madonna is related to Camilla Parker Bowles.

Madonna's maternal side is French-Canadian and can be traced back to Jean Guyon, just like Celine Dion and the Duchess of Cornwall.

Guy Richie

How: Guy Richie is the sixth cousin to Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

The Hollywood director is related to the Duchess of Cambridge going back to shared ancestors who lived in the 1700s. But the two are actually quite close, with Guy attending Catherine's wedding to Prince William in 2011.

Hugh Grant

How: Through Henry VII, Hugh Grant is related to Queen Elizabeth II.

It will come as no surprise that this English gent is one of the celebrities related to the royal family, looking at his film roles. Hugh Grant is the ninth cousin of Queen Elizabeth and a direct relation to King Henry VII.

Jamie Lee Curtis

How: Actor Jamie Lee Curtis is married to Christopher Guest, who is a member of British nobility.

Although nobility isn't strictly the royal family, it's close enough! Christopher Guest's official title is 5th Baron Haden-Guest which makes Jamie Lee, Baroness Haden-Guest.

Angelina Jolie

How: Through her French heritage, Angelia Jolie's bloodline can be traced back to King Philip II.

Her connection to the son of Louis VII, King Philip II means that Angelina Jolie is 26th cousins to the Queen and the current royal Windsor family.

Ralph Fiennes

How: Ralph Fiennes is the eighth cousin of Charles, Prince of Wales.

The actor, most famous for playing Voldemort in the Harry Potter franchise, is a direct relation to Prince Charles through King James II of Scotland, who ruled from 1437–1460.

Ellen Degeneres

How: The American talk-show host is related to Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge.

The two are related through their ancestor Sir Thomas Fairfax, making them 15th cousins. Speaking to Hello Magazine in 2016, Ellen said that she wanted to start "hanging out" with her cousin and even offered to make a bath robe for Prince George!

George Bush

How: George Bush is an 11th cousin, once removed of Queen Elizabeth II.

The 43rd President of the United States is related to the Queen through an ancestor called Wolstone Childe, who lived in the 1600s.

Alec Baldwin

How: Going back one of the furthest, Alec Baldwin is related to the Queen through an ancestor who lived in 986.

Although it may be a long way down the line, Alec Baldwin is one of our celebrities related to the royal family. Alec Baldwin and Queen Elizabeth share an ancestor called Ethelred the Unready, making them 29th cousins.

With all these famous connections, who knows what A-lister could be turning up to the palace soon...

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Grace Walsh is a Features Writer for Goodto.com, covering breaking news health stories during the Covid-19 pandemic as well as lifestyle and entertainment topics. She has worked in media since graduating from the University of Warwick in 2019 with a degree in Classical Civilisation and a year spent abroad in Italy. It was here that Grace caught the bug for journalism, after becoming involved in the university’s student newspaper and radio station.