Genealogical research has found that both the Prince and Princess of Wales share royal ancestry with Irish singer Chris de Burgh – and are also 14th cousins
DUNDEE, UNITED KINGDOM – JANUARY 29: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge arrive to officially open V&A Dundee, Scotland’s first design museum on January 29, 2019 in Dundee, Scotland. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Visit Dundee
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, share an unexpected genetic connection with a renowned Irish pop star.
Genealogical investigations have revealed that both royals are related to singer Chris De Burgh – and intriguingly, to each other as well. Chris De Burgh, the voice behind the hit “Lady in Red” and a native of County Wexford, shares ancestral ties with both royals, with a branch of Kate’s family tree tracing back to Ireland.
While it has long been known that Kate, mother of three, is connected to the de Burghs, it is now believed that Prince William also shares this distant familial link. Interestingly, Chris de Burgh also had connections with William’s late mother, Princess Diana, who once attended a public event with the singer. She was present when de Burgh christened a Virgin Airbus ‘Lady In Red’.
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Genealogists make royal discovery
In another twist, genealogists have discovered that both royals can trace their lineage back to King Edward III and his queen, Philippa of Hainault. Queen Philippa didn’t just wear the crown; she also served as regent in 1346 while Edward was engaged in the Hundred Years’ War.
Their son, Lionel of Antwerp, wed Irish heiress Elizabeth de Burgh, Countess of Ulster. Fast forward several centuries, and we find Agnes Gascoigne, a great-great-great-great-great granddaughter, marrying Sir Thomas Fairfax.
Sir Thomas was a landowner who fought alongside Henry VIII. The couple resided at Gilling Castle in Yorkshire and raised a large family of six sons and six daughters.
Britain’s Prince William, Prince of Wales and Britain’s Catherine, Princess of Wales arrive to attend a State Banquet at Windsor Castle.(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
William is a descendant of Sir Nicholas Fairfax, while Kate traces her lineage to his younger brother William, making them fourteenth cousins.
The revelation of singer Chris de Burgh’s connection to the Royal family was first made public in 2013. The artist, who shares his life with wife Diane and their three children, expressed surprise at the news, saying: “I was unaware that there is a distant connection between the de Burgh family and the Middletons.
“There are probably many others also connected to both families. At least that will give us something to talk about should we ever have a cup of tea together.”
The revelation of singer Chris de Burgh’s connection to the Royal family was first made public in 2013.(Image: Rex Features)
Chris de Burgh’s mother was Maeve Emily de Burgh, daughter of General Sir Eric de Burgh, a British army officer who served as chief of the general staff in India. They do not directly descend from Edward III but share the surname of his daughter-in-law.
Patrick Cracroft-Brennan, editor of the online reference work Cracroft’s Peerage, previously told Channel 4 News: “Her great-great-grandmother, Frances Elizabeth Greenhow, was the 10 x great-granddaughter of Sir William Gascoigne, a Yorkshire knight who died in 1487. He married Lady Margaret Percy, 4th and youngest daughter of Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland.
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“The Earl descended from King Edward III through both his parents. Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana both descend from Sir William Gascoigne and his wife Lady Margaret. This makes William and Kate fourteenth cousins once removed through his mother and fifteenth cousins through his father.”
In an unexpected turn of events, Prince William’s brother, Harry, is also distantly related to his wife, Meghan Markle. The Mail discovered in their family tree that the couple shares a distant relative named Ralph Bowes, born in 1480.
With ties to Meghan’s father and a tenuous link to the Royal Family, the paper revealed that Harry and Meghan are indeed 15th cousins.
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