Summary
- Kate Middleton, despite being labeled a "commoner," is actually related to George Washington, the first President of the United States, through a common ancestor.
- Kate Middleton and Prince William are more closely related than previously thought, as both of William's parents (Princess Diana and the Queen Mother) are also cousins of George Washington.
- Kate Middleton has ties to the royal family even before marrying Prince William, as she is a descendant of King Edward III and shares a common ancestor with him.
The Royal Family is said to be a royally British institution that sets the standards for what upper-class British society lives like. With the Royals' vast amounts of wealth, traditions, and historical heirlooms (like the century-old tiara Meghan Markle wore), it is what a lot of British people aim their standards and values towards and seem to be a crucial part of society that people from all around the world are fascinated by.
One person who seemed to change some of the standards of the Royal Family is Kate Middleton. She was classed as a 'commoner' when she married into the family, as famously most royals will either marry other royalty or members of upper-class society, neither of which Kate was classed as. However, it seems that Kate may not be as common as previously thought, as she is believed to be related to someone who can be classed as US royalty.
Kate Middleton Is Related To George Washington
While he may not be classed as actual royalty, George Washington is one of the most famous people in US history, having been one of the Founding Fathers of the US Constitution. Not only that, but it appears that Kate has some very strong links to him.
When Kate and Prince William first became engaged, there was some research that went into Kate's family history to find out where she came from. What they found proved that while she may have been labeled as a 'commoner' in Britain, her family could be classed as much further up in society than previously thought.
The New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston did some digging, and discovered that Kate is an eighth cousin eight times removed to George Washington, the first President of the United States.
It is also believed that their common ancestor is Sir William Gascoigne, a Knight of Gawthorpe and Justice of the Peace of the West Riding, where Kate's first link to British royalty is believed to have started.
Kate Middleton Steps Down From Her Royal Duties As She Takes Inspiration From Meghan Markle
Kate is stepping away from the spotlight to focus on her kids, much like her sister-in-law did a few years ago.
As well as George Washington, Kate has some other familial ties to famous US historical figures. This includes Meriwether Lewis, who was a part of the famous 19th-century Western expedition with William Clark. Lewis is believed to be Kate's ninth cousin seven times removed.
Kate Middleton And Prince William Are Cousins
There has been an ongoing history whereby members of the Royal Family will marry other royals or members of upper-class society, who they may sometimes end up being related to. For example, King Charles went on to marry his relative, Princess Diana.
Where most people thought the same couldn't be said for Kate and William, this couldn't be further from the truth.
With Kate being seen as middle-class and William being royalty, many thought there was no possibility they could be related. However, it turns out that both Kate and William are related to George Washington in one way or another.
It turns out that William's mother, Princess Diana, and his great-grandmother, the Queen Mother (mother to Queen Elizabeth II), are also cousins of George Washington. As he has relatives on both sides of his family related to George Washington, this suggests that Kate and William are more closely related than was previously thought.
Kate Middleton Has Other Ties To The Royal Family
Not only are Kate and William related to US 'royalty', but even though Kate may now be married into the Royal Family, it turns out that she also has some royal ancestors which means that before she even married William, she was much closer related to the royals than previously thought, and may even have been classed as royalty herself.
Is Kate Middleton Jealous Of Meghan Markle’s Career?
Kate's jealousy may have motivated her husband Prine William to leak rumors about Meghan to the press.
It turns out that Kate is a descendant of King Edward III, who was King of England in the 14th Century and is also an ancestor of Prince William.
Kate is related to King Edward through her great-great-grandmother, Frances Elizabeth Greenhow, who was the ten times great-granddaughter of Sir William Gascoigne. He was married to Lady Margaret Percy, whose father was Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland. With both of his parents being descendants of King Edward, this is where the two are linked.
This tie to King Edward doesn't only apply to Kate, as Prince William is also a descendant of his, through both his father, King Charles, and his mother. This makes Kate and William fourteenth cousins once removed through Diana and fifteenth cousins through King Charles.
They might be cousins, but as they are so distantly related, it doesn't cause an issue with them being married. Besides, 50 million Americans alone are said to be related in some way to King Edward III, so they're unlikely to be the only ones who are married but distantly related.
Kate Middleton Admitted She Was "So Isolated" In A Rental That Cost Less Than $930 Per Month During Her First Year Of Motherhood
Kate Middleton may have motherhood down pat these days, but after Prince George was born she, like so many new moms, struggled.
In fact, they are so distantly related that Kate and William briefly first met as school children and then started dating when they were in their late teens, so did not know of one another until this point; whereas people more closely related would at least be aware that each other exists.
