by Alex David
The current relationships between the British and
European royal houses however stem from more recent intermarrying that took place between the 19th and early 20th century. Listed below are the details of how the British Royal Family is currently most closely related to all the other European royal families. The families are listed roughly in the order of their sovereigns’ closeness in blood to Queen Elizabeth II or Prince Charles.
The Royal Family of Norway
The two families are most closely related through King Edward VII (1841-1910), whose daughter Princess Maud married the future King Haakon VII of Norway in 1896.
Queen Elizabeth II and King Harald V of Norway are
second cousins.
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The Royal Family of Denmark
The two families are most closely related through two equal lines. The first line stems from King Christian IX of Denmark (1818-1906), whose daughter Princess
Alexandra of Denmark married the future King Edward VII in 1863. The second line stems from Queen Victoria
(1819-1901), whose granddaughter Princess Margaret of Connaught married into the Swedish Royal Family in
1905. Princess Margaret’s daughter, Princess Ingrid of Sweden, married the future King Frederick IX on Denmark in 1935. Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark are third cousins through both lines.
The Royal Family of Sweden
The two families are most closely related through two equal lines, both descended from Queen Victoria (1819-1901). The first line stems from Prince Arthur, seventh son of Queen Victoria, whose daughter Princess Margaret of Connaught married the future King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden in 1905. The second line stems from Prince
Leopold, eighth son of Queen Victoria, whose
granddaughter Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha married Crown Prince Gustav Adolf of Sweden in 1932.
Queen Elizabeth II and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden are third cousins through both lines.
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The Royal Family of Spain
The two families are most closely related through King George I of Greece (1845-1913), the paternal grandfather of Prince Philip and a great-grandfather of Princess Sophia of Greece who married the future King Juan Carlos of Spain in 1962. Prince Charles and King Felipe VI of Spain are second cousins once removed through this line.
Additionally, the two families are related through Queen Victoria (1819-1901), whose granddaughter Princess
Victoria Eugenie married King Alfonso XIII of Spain in 1906. Queen Elizabeth II and King Felipe VI of Spain are third cousins once removed through this line.
The Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg
The two families are most closely related through King Christian IX of Denmark (1818-1906), maternal
grandfather of King George V, and a great-great-
grandfather of Princess Josephine-Charlotte of Belgium who married the future Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg in 1953. Queen Elizabeth II and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg are third cousins once removed.
The Royal Family of Belgium
The two families are most closely related through King Christian IX of Denmark (1818-1906), maternal
grandfather of King George V, and a great-grandfather of Princess Astrid of Sweden who married the future King Leopold III of Belgium in 1926. Queen Elizabeth II and King Philippe of Belgium are third cousins once removed 404
through this line. Additionally, the two families are distantly related through Duke Francis of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (1750-1806), maternal grandfather of Queen Victoria and father of Leopold I, the first King of Belgium.
Queen Elizabeth II and King Philippe of Belgium are fifth cousins through this second line.
The Royal Family of the Netherlands
The two families are related through multiple distant lines, the closest of which is through Tsar Paul I of Russia (1754-1801), a great-great-great-grandfather of Prince Philip and a grandfather of King William III of the Netherlands (1817-1890). Prince Charles and King
Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands are fifth cousins through this line. Additionally, the two families are related through a common German ancestor, Duke
Frederick II Eugene of Wurttemberg (1732-1797), a great-great-grandfather of both Queen Mary of Teck and of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. Queen Elizabeth II and King Willem-Alexander are fifth cousins once
removed through this line.
The Princely Family of Monaco
The two families are most-closely related through Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden (1755-1801), an
ancestor of both Prince Philip and Prince Louis II of Monaco who reigned 1922-1949. Prince Charles and
Prince Albert II of Monaco are fifth cousins once removed through this line. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Albert II 405
of Monaco are also distantly related through John
William Friso, Prince of Orange (1687-1711) (see below).
The Princely Family of Liechtenstein
The two families are distantly related through John William Friso, Prince of Orange, (1687-1711) who has been proven to be an ancestor of all the European royal houses existing today. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein are seventh cousins once removed through this line. Additionally, the two families are also related through Louis Rudolph, Duke of
Brunswick-Wolfenbuttel (1671-1735), an ancestor of both Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, and Prince Franz Joseph II of Liechtenstein who reigned 1938-1989.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Hans-Adam II of
Liechtenstein are eighth cousins through this line.
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Queen Elizabeth II’s Descent
from William the Conqueror
and from Alfred the Great
Queen Elizabeth II, and the rest of the present Royal Family, are direct descendants of both King William the Conqueror (c.1027/28-1087) and King Alfred the Great (c.848/49-899). Because of royal intermarrying through the centuries, Elizabeth II is actually descended from both kings through multiple lines, both British and foreign, counting different numbers of generations. The line of descent chosen below follows the official Historical Line of Succession to the English/British throne, particularly between Edward III and Queen Elizabeth York when the throne was contested by different lines during the Wars of the Roses.
According to the official Historical Line of Succession, there have been 32 generations between William the
Conqueror and Elizabeth II, and 39 generations between Alfred the Great and Elizabeth II. If alternative lines of descent are followed during the Wars of the Roses, the numbers of generations can be reduced to 30 and 37
respectively.
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The Historical Line of Succession
Queen Elizabeth II (1926-)
daughter of
King George VI (1895-1952)
son of
King George V (1865-1936)
son of
King Edward VII (1841-1910)
son of
Queen Victoria (1819-1901)
daughter of
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (1767-1820) son of
King George III (1738-1820)
son of
Frederick, Prince of Wales (1707-1751)
son of
King George II (1683-1760)
son of
King George I (1660-1727)
son of
Sophia, Electress Consort of Hanover (1630-1714) daughter of
Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia (1596-1662) daughter of
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King James I of England and VI of Scotland (1566-1625) son of
Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1587)
daughter of
King James V of Scotland (1512-1542)
son of
Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scotland (1489-1541) daughter of
Queen Elizabeth of York (1466-1503)
daughter of
King Edward IV (1442-
1483)
son of
Richard, 3rd Duke of York (1411-1460)
son of
Anne de Mortimer, Countess of Cambridge (1390-1411) daughter of
Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March (1374-1398) son of
Philippa of Clarence, 5th Countess of Ulster (1355-1382) daughter of
Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence (1338-1368) son of
King Edward III (1312-1377)
son of
King Edward II (1284-1327)
son of
King Edward I (1239-1307)
son of
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King Henry III (1207-1272)
son of
King John (1166-1216)
son of
King Henry II (1133-1189)
son of
Empress Matilda (1102-1167)
daughter of
King Henry I and Matilda of Scotland
(continues separately below)
Descent from William the Conqueror:
King Henry I (c.1068/69-1135)
son of
William the Conqueror (c.1027/28-1087).
Descent from Alfred the Great:
Matilda of Scotland (c.1080-1118)
daughter of
Margaret of Wessex, Queen of Scotland (c.1045/46-1093)
daughter of
Edward Aetheling (1016-1057)
son of
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King Edmund Ironside (c.988/993-1016)
son of
King Aethelred the Unready (c.966/68-1016)
son of
King Edgar the Peaceful (c.943/44-975)
son of
King Edmund the Elder (c.920/21-946)
son of
King Edward the Elder (c.870s-924)
son of
King Alfred the Great (c.848/49-899).
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The Current
Line of Succession
The current Line of Succession is governed by the
Succession to the Crown Act 2013, which replaced the previous Act of Settlement of 1701. Under the previous Act, the following succession rules used to be in force:
Male preference primogeniture: brothers had
precedence over sisters among siblings, and the
descendants of brothers came before the
descendants of sisters on a line-of-descent by line-of-descent basis. Older siblings had precedence
over younger siblings (all males first, then all
females), and older siblings’ lines had precedence
over younger siblings’ lines.
People who married Roman Catholics, who
converted to Roman Catholicism, and who were
raised Roman Catholics, were all excluded from
the succession.
The new Succession to the Crown Act of 2013 had its origins in the Perth Agreement of 28 October 2011, when 412
the heads of government of all Commonwealth Realms, sharing the British monarch as head of state, agreed to change the existing succession rules during a meeting in Perth, Australia. The subsequent Act was passed by the British Parliament on 25 April 2013 but only came into force on 26 March 2015, after similar legislation was approved in all other Commonwealth Realms. The new
Act instituted the following changes:
Absolute primogeniture replaces male preference
primogeniture: older siblings have precedence over
younger siblings regardless of gender. Older siblings’
descent lines have precedence over younger siblings’
descent lines regardless of gender. The changes
however only affect those born after 28 October
2011 (the date of the Perth Agreement). For those
born before that date their place in the line of
succession remains the same as it was under the Act of Settlement of 1701 (i.e. male-preference
primogeniture applies).
The restriction on marrying Roman Catholics has
been removed and those who previously married
Roman Catholics have been reinstated in the Line of Succession. However people who have converted to
Roman Catholicism or have been raised Roman
Catholics remain excluded from the succession.
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The first six people in the Line of Succession must seek the monarch’s consent before marrying. Failure to obtain the monarch’s consent results in their
exclusion from the succession. This provision
replaces a different Act, the previous Royal
Marriages Act of 1772 which required all
descendants of King George II, regardless of place in the line of succession, to obtain the current
monarch’s consent before marrying in order for the
marriage to be legal in the United Kingdom.
The first 50 individuals
in the Line of Succession
as of 16 May 2019:
Previously excluded from the Line of Succession for having married Roman Catholics, later reinstated
according to the new succession rules.
People whose place in the Line of Succession has been affected by absolute primogeniture.
Prince Charles’ family
1 Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (b. 1948), eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II
2 Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (b. 1982), elder son of Charles, Prince of Wales
3 Prince George of Cambridge (b. 2013), first son of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
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4 Princess Charlotte of Cambridge (b. 2015), daughter of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
5 Prince Louis of Cambridge (b. 2018), second son of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge
6 Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (b. 1984), younger son of Charles, Prince of Wales
7 Archie Mountbatten-Windsor (b. 2019), son of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
Prince Andrew’s family
8 Prince Andrew, Duke of York (b. 1960), second son of Queen Elizabeth II
9 Princess Beatrice of York (b. 1988), elder daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York
10 Princess Eugenie of York (b. 1990), younger daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Edward’s family
11 Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (b. 1964), third and youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II
12 James, Viscount Severn (b. 2007), son of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
13 Lady Louise Windsor (b. 2003), daughter of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Princess Anne’s family
14 Princess Anne, Princess Royal (b. 1950), daughter of Queen Elizabeth II
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15 Peter Phillips (b. 1977), son of Anne, Princess Royal 16 Savannah Phillips (b. 2010), elder daughter of Peter Phillips
17 Isla Phillips (b. 2012), younger daughter of Peter Phillips
18 Zara Tindall (b. 1981), daughter of Anne, Princess Royal
19 Mia Tindall (b. 2014) elder daughter of Zara Tindall 20 Lena Tindall (b. 2018) younger daughter of Zara Tindall
Descendants of Princess Margaret, the Queen’s late sister, daughter of King George VI
21 David Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon (b. 1961), son of Princess Margaret
22 Charles Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley (b. 1999), son of David Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon
23 Margarita Armstrong-Jones (b. 2002) daughter of David Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon
24 Lady Sarah Chatto (b. 1964) daughter of Princess Margaret
25 Samuel Chatto (b. 1996) elder son of Lady Sarah Chatto
26 Arthur Chatto (b. 1999) younger son of Lady Sarah Chatto
The family of the Duke of Gloucester, grandson of King George V
27 Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester (b. 1944), grandson of King George V
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28 Alexander, Earl of Ulster (b. 1974), son of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
29 Xan Windsor, Lord Culloden (b. 2007)
, son of Alexander, Earl of Ulster
30 Lady Cosima Windsor (b. 2010), daughter of Alexander, Earl of Ulster
31 Lady Davina Lewis (b. 1977), elder daughter of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
32 Senna Lewis (b. 2010), daughter of Lady Davina Lewis 33 Tane Lewis (b. 2012), son of Lady Davina Lewis
34 Lady Rose Gilman (b. 1980), younger daughter of Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
35 Lyla Gilman (b. 2010), daughter of Lady Rose Gilman 36 Rufus Gilman (b. 2012), son of Lady Rose Gilman
The family of the Duke of Kent, grandson of King George V
37 Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (b. 1935), grandson of King George V
38 George, Earl of St Andrews, (b. 1962), elder son of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
(--) Edward, Lord Downpatrick (b. 1988), son of George, Earl of St Andrews. EXCLUDED AS A ROMAN CATHOLIC
(--) Lady Marina Windsor (b. 1992), elder daughter of George, Earl of St Andrew. EXCLUDED AS A ROMAN
CATHOLIC
39 Lady Amelia Windsor (b. 1995), younger daughter of George, Earl of S Andrews
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(--) Lord Nicholas Windsor (b. 1970), younger son of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent. EXCLUDED AS ROMAN
CATHOLIC
(--) Albert Windsor (b. 2007), eldest son of Lord Nicholas Windsor. EXCLUDED AS ROMAN CATHOLIC
(--) Leopold Windsor (b. 2009), second son of Lord
Nicholas Windsor. EXCLUDED AS ROMAN CATHOLIC
(--) Louis Windsor (b. 2014), third son of Lord Nicholas Windsor. EXCLUDED AS ROMAN CATHOLIC
