When we think of celebrities and royals, we usually imagine red carpets versus royal palaces—two worlds that rarely collide. But genealogy has a funny way of blurring those lines. Believe it or not, some of Hollywood’s brightest stars share bloodlines with European monarchs, including the late Queen Elizabeth II herself. One of the most surprising names on the list? None other than Beyoncé—your very own Queen Bey.
Yes, you read that right. Beyoncé and Queen Elizabeth are distant cousins, connected through royal blood that dates back to medieval times. And she’s not the only one. Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, and even Hilary Duff all have family ties to British or European royalty. Let’s dive into how these unlikely family trees connect and why the stories are both fascinating and fun.
Beyoncé: The Queen Who’s Actually a Cousin of the Queen
Beyoncé doesn’t just carry the title of “Queen Bey” because of her unmatched talent and cultural influence—she also has distant royal roots. According to genealogical research, Beyoncé is the 25th cousin, once removed of Queen Elizabeth II. Their connection traces back to King Henry II of England, who ruled in the 12th century.
If you’ve ever seen one of those confusing family trees that stretches for pages, you’ll understand just how complex this connection is. In fact, one genealogy website jokingly described the chain of relationships as:
“Queen Elizabeth II … is Beyoncé’s step-father’s wife’s first cousin’s mother’s ex-husband’s ex-wife’s first cousin’s wife’s aunt’s husband’s father’s wife’s nephew’s wife.”
Translation: it’s complicated. But the gist is this—centuries of intermarriages among Europe’s noble families eventually led to connections that now include celebrities in the United States. So the next time you hear “Bow Down,” remember that Beyoncé has a royal pedigree to back it up.
Angelina Jolie: A Maleficent Royal Connection
Angelina Jolie, known for her commanding screen presence, also has a seat in the extended royal family tree. Jolie is said to be the 26th cousin of Queen Elizabeth II through Philip II of France.
It almost feels poetic—Jolie, who portrayed the iconic Disney villain Maleficent, actually has a historical link to real European royalty. Her connection comes from her mother’s side of the family, with French ancestry that runs deep into medieval history.
Brad Pitt: Hollywood Royalty Meets English Royalty
It turns out Angelina wasn’t the only one in her relationship with a royal connection. Brad Pitt also has his own ties to the monarchy. Pitt is reportedly a 25th cousin, twice removed of Queen Elizabeth, also through Henry II of England.
That means when Brangelina was still Hollywood’s golden couple, both members of the partnership had a distant royal claim. Talk about a power couple—Hollywood stardom on one side and centuries of royal lineage on the other.
Johnny Depp: From Pirates to Princes
Johnny Depp’s eccentric characters might make him seem like an unlikely royal cousin, but the actor shares ancestry with the Queen as well. Depp is connected to Edward III of England, making him the Queen’s 20th cousin.
Edward III reigned during the 14th century and left behind a vast lineage that spread across Europe and beyond. Depp’s connection is closer than many others on this list, which makes his royal ties particularly interesting.
Hilary Duff: America’s Most Royal Celebrity
While Beyoncé often gets the spotlight for her royal cousin status, Hilary Duff has actually been crowned the “most royal” celebrity by genealogists. Duff, best known for her role in Lizzie McGuire, is 18th cousin to Queen Elizabeth through Edward III.
Her connection is closer than Beyoncé’s, Angelina’s, or Brad’s. In fact, some researchers have said Duff has one of the most direct lines to British royalty among modern American celebrities. Not bad for a Disney Channel star turned pop icon.
Madonna and Camilla: A Cousin Connection
Not all celebrity-royal relationships lead back to the Queen herself. Pop legend Madonna has a surprising tie to Camilla, Queen Consort, wife of King Charles III. Through French-Canadian ancestry dating back to the 17th century, Madonna and Camilla are actually ninth cousins.
That means when Camilla attended King Charles’s coronation, her distant cousin Madonna was probably somewhere watching with millions of others—though with a very different front-row seat.
Paris Hilton: Heiress Meets History
Paris Hilton, the socialite and businesswoman who turned “That’s hot” into a cultural catchphrase, also has a royal thread in her family tree. Like Beyoncé and Brad Pitt, Paris connects to Queen Elizabeth through Henry II of England, making her about the 20th cousin to the monarch.
So while Hilton is famous for her reality-TV royalty status, she actually has some medieval royal legitimacy in her ancestry.
Why So Many Celebrities Share Royal Ties
If you’re wondering why so many famous names pop up in royal genealogies, the answer lies in history. European royals and nobles often intermarried, keeping power and property within a tight circle. Over centuries, their descendants spread across continents, especially as people emigrated to North America.
With the growth of genealogy websites and DNA research, surprising links are easier to uncover than ever before. And because royals like Henry II and Edward III had many descendants, their bloodlines spread far and wide. That’s why, when you trace back 20 or 25 generations, you can often find some kind of royal connection.
In fact, genealogists argue that a huge percentage of people with European ancestry today are technically related to medieval monarchs. The difference with celebrities, of course, is that their connections make headlines.
Why We Love These Stories
Part of the fun in discovering Beyoncé’s or Angelina Jolie’s ties to royalty is the blend of glamour, history, and surprise. It humanizes royals by reminding us that their family trees are just as sprawling and complicated as anyone else’s. It also elevates celebrities in a playful way—turns out the red carpet isn’t too far removed from the royal court.
For fans, these stories are irresistible. The idea that our favorite stars might secretly be cousins to kings and queens feels like uncovering a hidden fairytale in real life.
Royal Final Thought
Beyoncé may dominate the music world, but she also holds a quiet spot in history as a distant cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Hilary Duff, Paris Hilton, and Madonna all have their own surprising places in Europe’s noble family tree as well.
These connections remind us that history is closer than it seems—and sometimes, the most unexpected people are linked in ways we could never imagine. Whether you’re a pop star, an actor, or a monarch, at the end of the day, we’re all connected through the vast web of ancestry.
So the next time you hear Beyoncé sing “Who run the world? Girls,” remember: she’s not just speaking as a cultural icon. She’s got centuries of royal lineage backing her up.
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