While the Princess of Wales may appear every inch the classic British figure – from her countryside charm to her timeless style – her family ties stretch far and wide.
Look a little closer at her ancestry and you uncover a surprising cast of global A-listers, beloved authors and historical heavyweights.
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10 famous people Catherine, Princess of Wales is related to
Guy Ritchie
The director well known for his comedy gangster films is sixth cousin to the Princess of Wales. They share ancestors dating back to the 1700s, and their families have kept in touch over the generations. Guy even attended the royal wedding in 2011.
Dakota and Elle Fanning
Genealogy experts at Ancestry.com traced the Princess’s family line back several centuries and discovered that Catherine is distantly related to actresses Dakota and Elle Fanning. The sisters are the 22nd great-granddaughters of King Edward III, and Kate – though born to non-aristocratic parents – also descends from the same medieval monarch through her father, Michael Middleton.
Ellen DeGeneres
Retired American TV presenter and comedian Ellen DeGeneres was reported to have been delighted to discover her royal connection through a shared ancestor, Sir Thomas Fairfax. Fairfax was an important general of the English Civil Wars. Ellen and the Princess of Wales are 15th cousins.
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Jane Austen
Catherine shares distant roots with beloved novelist Jane Austen through Henry Percy, the 2nd Earl of Northumberland, who lived in the 15th century.
Beatrix Potter
Catherine’s great-great-great uncle, Dr Arthur Lupton, had a brother-in-law, Lord Ashton, who was a first cousin of author and illustrator Beatrix Potter.
The Princess honoured this family connection in 2025 while collaborating with the V&A on a display celebrating past British makers and creators. Among her chosen items was a Potter watercolour of a forest glade.
Arthur Ransome
The Swallows and Amazons author also appears on Catherine’s sprawling family tree. Her father, Michael Middleton, is related to the writer through Hugo Lupton, Ransome’s brother-in-law). He was a cousin to Catherine’s great-grandmother, Olive.
George Washington, General George Patton & Meriwether Lewis
Catherine’s ancestry stretches into American history. Through her Gascoigne line – Thomas Fairfax married Agnes Gascoigne, daughter of English knight Sir William Gascoigne – she is:
- Eighth cousin seven times removed to George Washington, the first President of the United States
- Thirteenth cousin twice removed to General George S Patton, the famed WWII commander
- Ninth cousin six times removed to 18th century US explorer Meriwether Lewis.
Modern royal connections
The Middletons’ relationship with the Royal Family predates Kate and William’s courtship. Her grandfather, Peter Middleton, was a friend of the late Prince Philip, and the two even co-piloted a plane together on a South American tour in 1962.
Funnily enough, all these connections mean that Prince William and Catherine are actually related to each other too – fourteenth cousins once removed through his mother and fifteenth cousins through his father.
