15 Celebrities That Are Descendants of Great Historical Figures

Families can be a bit confusing. And not just when it comes to behavior and relationships, but also when it comes to bloodlines. Today, many companies use genetics to trace your ancestors, all the way back to many generations. These very companies have researched famous celebrities and found out some surprising facts about their antecedents.

Bright Side delved into just a handful of these celebrities and found some relationships. Enough for us to exclaim that history truly repeats itself.

1. Beyoncé Knowles is the 25th cousin of Queen Elizabeth II.

Beyoncé Knowles, well known for being music royalty, has royal blood running in her veins too. She is the 25th cousin to Queen Elizabeth, once removed since they both share King Henry II as a common ancestor.

2. Angelina Jolie has lineage from King Phillip II of France.

King Phillip II of France ruled from 1180 to 1223 and is known to have brought financial stability to his country. He also increased the royal coffers. Actress Angelina Jolie carries French royal blood considering she is a direct descendant of Philip II. Strangely enough, she played Queen Olympias in the 2004 movie Alexander, opposite Val Kilmer’s Phillip II, only this was Phillip II of Macedonia.

3. Brad Pitt is a descendant of King Henry II of England.

Brad Pitt is no less royal either. He can trace his ancestry back to King Henry II of England, who ruled from 1154 until his death in 1189. Coincidentally, King Henry II’s wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, was first married to French royalty, making Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie somewhat predestined to a failed marriage. This also makes Pitt a 25th cousin, twice removed, to Queen Elizabeth.

4. Jane Austen is Anna Chancellor’s great-aunt.

In 1995, Anna Chancellor starred as Caroline Bingley in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice BBC Miniseries. But she has a deeper connection to Jane Austen as well. The highly venerated author is an 8-time great aunt to Chancellor.

5. H.H. Asquith is Helena Bonham Carter’s great-grandfather.

Helena Bonham Carter is best known for her off-the-beaten-path roles, like that of Mrs. Lovett in Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. But she comes from illustrious family background. Herbert Henry Asquith, the Prime Minister of the UK from 1908 to 1916, was her paternal great-grandfather. She is also related to Jane Austen, and subsequently to Anna Chancellor.

6. Harry Lloyd is a descendant of Charles Dickens.

Harry Lloyd, who plays Viserys Targaryen in Game of Thrones is the great-great-great-grandson of the famous Charles Dickens, the author. Lloyd’s mother, Marion is the descendant of the seventh child of Dickens, Henry Fielding Dickens, who in turn had 5 children.

7. Benedict Cumberbatch is the 16th cousin to King Richard III.

Benedict Cumberbatch is distantly related to King Richard III, who ruled England from 1452 to 1485. He was the last English king to have died during a battle, and later, there was a whole investigation into finding his remains, enough for a reburial. Cumberbatch, who plays Doctor Strange in the Marvel movies, is the 16th cousin to the king. He also read a poem at his royal ancestor’s reburial.

8. King Henry I is the ancestor of Sigourney Weaver.

There seem to be many celebrities who can trace their lineage right back to English kings. King Henry I, who ruled from 1100 to his death in 1135 may have died without a male heir, but his bloodlines spread far and wide. Actress Sigourney Weaver, known for her role in Alien, is a descendant of Henry I, and this also makes her the 24th cousin of the Queen, once removed.

9. Jake Gyllenhaal has antecedents back to King Edward III.

King Edward III ruled the English from 1312 to 1377 and is known as a rather conventional king, who pursued warfare but could also show great clemency. There are many celebrities who can claim blood relations with him, including Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal. Others include Michael Douglas, Hillary Duff, and more.

10. Meghan Markle is related to William Shakespeare.

We know Meghan Markle is related to the British Royal Family, by way of her marrying Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex. But she already has famous blood in her veins, considering she is cousins with the great playwright, William Shakespeare. Markle is a fifth cousin to the Bard, 12 times removed.

11. Ozzy Osbourne is related to Tsar Nicholas II, and more.

Then there is Ozzy Osbourne, and DNA might prove there is a method to his madness. Researchers say that the singer is not just a descendant of the Neanderthal man, but also a relative of outlaw Jesse James. But his claim to royal fame is with the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II, whose entire family was wiped out in the revolution.

12. Cary Elwes is a descendant of infamous miser John Elwes.

Actor Cary Elwes is related to John Elwes. As a man, John Elwes may have been unremarkable except for the fact that he was an extreme miser. It is also alleged that he was Charles Dickens’s inspiration behind the miserly character, Ebenezer Scrooge, in the classic A Christmas Carol.

13. The Deschanel sisters are related to Louis IV of France.

Zooey and Emily Deschanel have both made their names in Hollywood. Zooey is the star of the series New Girl, while Emily Deschanel was the heroine of Bones. And both can lay claim to royal French blood, all the way back to King Louis IV of France, who ruled from 936 to 954.

14. Anderson Cooper is Cornelius Vanderbilt’s great-grandson.

Anchor and host Anderson Cooper is the great-grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt, the shipping and railroad magnate whose familial wealth was once more than the US treasury. His mother, Gloria Vanderbilt was the granddaughter of Cornelius, but Cooper remembers deciding to start work early, considering the family fortunes were much diminished by the time he was in his teens.

15. Robert Pattinson is a descendant of Vlad the Impaler.

Robert Pattinson may have played the love-sick vampire, Edward Cullen, in the Twilight series, but he has a real-life blood connection to “Dracula.” Bram Stoker’s famous character was allegedly inspired by the Transylvania despot, Vlad the Impaler, and Pattinson is related to him, via the British royal family.

So which of these celebrity connections really caught your interest? Do you know of your family’s famous genealogical connections too?

Angelina Jolie’s relationship with her father, Jon Voight, has been complex and fraught with tension. However, they have managed to reconcile their differences, with Voight becoming a supportive figure in Jolie’s life, particularly during her divorce from Brad Pitt.

My Hypocrite Sister Demanded I Let Our Mom Live in My Home but I Made Another Plan

My Hypocrite Sister Demanded I Let Our Mom Live in My Home but I Made Another Plan

When my sister demanded I take our neglectful mother into my home, I decided to stand up for myself. What happened next tested family bonds, revealed painful truths, and forced us to confront years of unresolved hurt.

When we were kids, my dad worked hard to support us. My mom, though, stayed at home. You’d think she was taking care of us, but she wasn’t. She spent her days on the sofa, glued to the TV. She barely cooked or cleaned. It was like she wasn’t a mom to us at all.

Lazy woman on the sofa | Source: Pexels

Lazy woman on the sofa | Source: Pexels

My sister Amy and I grew up in the same house, but we had very different experiences. I was always the one picking up the slack. By the time I was 10, I was making meals and cleaning. Amy, on the other hand, didn’t lift a finger. She was Mom’s favorite, and it showed.

When I turned 18, my mom kicked me out. She said it was time for me to be independent. Amy, though, got to stay. She was 16 then. I remember Dad argued with Mom about it.

Young woman out on the streets | Source: Pexels

Young woman out on the streets | Source: Pexels

They fought a lot, and soon after, they got divorced. Mom moved on quickly. She remarried almost instantly, but then her new husband died. After her husband’s death, Mom had nowhere to go. She asked to move in with my family. Reluctantly, I said yes. It was a mistake. She acted like she owned the place.

She offered to babysit the kids but only watched them twice a week for half a day. And even then, she neglected them. One time, she didn’t change my baby’s diaper for hours. It was the last straw. I asked her to leave.

Angry woman with a phone | Source: Pexels

Angry woman with a phone | Source: Pexels

That’s when Amy got involved. She started calling me, shaming me for kicking Mom out.

“How could you do that to Mom?” Amy yelled over the phone. “You’re a terrible daughter!”

“Me? What about you, Amy? You said you had no space for her, remember?” I shot back.

Amy’s voice was sharp. “That’s different! I don’t have room. You do!”

Angry woman | Source: Pexels

Angry woman | Source: Pexels

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “So, it’s okay for me to take her in, but not you? That’s hypocritical, Amy.”

“You’re being selfish!” she cried. “She’s our mother! We owe her.”

“Owe her? For what? Neglecting us? Kicking me out? Ruining Dad’s life? She had her chance to be a good mom, and she blew it.”

“You can’t just abandon her! This is cruel!”

Furious woman yells into her phone | Source: Pexels

Furious woman yells into her phone | Source: Pexels

I took a deep breath. “She made her bed, Amy. Now she has to lie in it. If you’re so worried, you take her.”

Amy was silent for a moment. “You can’t do this. I don’t have space.”

“Figure it out, Amy. Just like I had to.”

Two days later, I called Amy again. “Mom’s moving in with you.”

Irritated woman talks on the phone | Source: Pexels

Irritated woman talks on the phone | Source: Pexels

“Are you out of your mind?” Amy shouted. “You can’t just dump her on me!”

“Oh, so now space is an issue?” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “When it’s me, I’m supposed to accommodate her, but you can’t?”

Amy was furious. “You’re ruining everything!”

“No, I’m setting boundaries. If you can’t understand that, it’s your problem.”

Woman drives a car | Source: Pexels

Woman drives a car | Source: Pexels

The next day, I packed Mom’s bags and drove her to Amy’s house. Amy was waiting at the door, looking like she’d seen a ghost.

“She’s all yours,” I said, handing over the bags.

“This isn’t fair,” Amy said, her voice shaking.

“Welcome to my world,” I replied. “Maybe now you’ll see why I couldn’t take it anymore.”

Woman drives a car | Source: Pexels

Woman drives a car | Source: Pexels

As I drove away, I breathed a sigh of relief. I knew Amy was in for a tough time, but it was about time she faced reality. For the first time in years, I felt a sense of peace. I hoped it would last.

Two days after Mom moved in with Amy, my phone rang. I could tell from the caller ID it was Amy, and I knew she wasn’t calling to chat. I picked up, bracing myself for the onslaught.

“She’s driving me crazy!” Amy shouted before I could even say hello. “Mom’s been here two days, and it’s a nightmare.”

Worried woman | Source: Pexels

Worried woman | Source: Pexels

“Well, that’s how I’ve been living,” I replied calmly.

“You don’t understand,” Amy continued, her voice shaking. “She refuses to do anything. She sits on the couch all day, watching TV. She won’t even make herself a sandwich.”

“I understand perfectly,” I said. “I lived it, remember?”

Amy sighed, frustration clear in her voice. “I can’t take it. She’s so demanding. She acts like I owe her everything.”

Woman with a headache | Source: Pexels

Woman with a headache | Source: Pexels

“That’s what I’ve been dealing with for years,” I replied. “Now you see why I asked her to leave.”

Amy was silent for a moment. “I thought you were exaggerating,” she admitted. “But it’s worse than I imagined.”

“I’m sorry you’re going through this,” I said. “But I had to set boundaries for my family’s sake.”

Content woman | Source: Pexels

Content woman | Source: Pexels

After hanging up, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. The house was quieter, more peaceful. My kids seemed happier, too. They weren’t on edge, waiting for the next outburst from their grandmother.

“Mama, can we play a game?” my youngest asked, smiling up at me.

“Of course, sweetie,” I replied, feeling lighter than I had in years.

Woman plays with her daughter | Source: Pexels

Woman plays with her daughter | Source: Pexels

The days passed, and the peace in my home grew. Without Mom’s negative energy, our household felt warmer and more connected. My husband and I had more time for each other, and the kids were thriving.

One evening, as I was preparing dinner, my phone rang again. It was Amy.

“We need to talk,” she said, her voice calmer but still strained.

“Okay, what’s on your mind?” I asked.

Serious woman on her phone | Source: Pexels

Serious woman on her phone | Source: Pexels

“Mom is making my life hell,” she said bluntly. “But I think I understand why you did what you did.”

I paused, letting her words sink in. “Go on.”

“I thought you were being cruel, but now I see you were trying to protect your family,” she admitted. “I just… I don’t know what to do.”

“It’s about setting boundaries,” I said gently. “Mom never learned how to be a proper parent. She expects us to cater to her because that’s all she knows.”

Woman explains something over phone | Source: Pexels

Woman explains something over phone | Source: Pexels

“But how do I deal with her?” Amy asked, desperation creeping back into her voice.

“You have to be firm,” I advised. “Explain what you can and can’t do for her. It won’t be easy, but it’s necessary.”

Amy sighed. “I guess I never realized how much you were dealing with.”

“It was a lot,” I agreed. “But it taught me the importance of putting my immediate family first.”

Woman on her phone on the street | Source: Pexels

Woman on her phone on the street | Source: Pexels

There was a long pause on the line. “I’m sorry I judged you,” Amy finally said. “I was wrong.”

“Thank you,” I said, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. “I’m glad you understand now.”

As I hung up, I reflected on how much things had changed. Growing up, I felt neglected and alone, bearing the brunt of Mom’s indifference. But now, I had a chance to create a different environment for my own kids. Setting boundaries with Mom was hard, but it was the right decision.

Hopeful woman | Source: Pexels

Hopeful woman | Source: Pexels

Amy and I had a lot to work through, but I hoped this experience would bring us closer. She finally saw things from my perspective, and that was a start.

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