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Admittedly, even in present times, it isn’t exactly shocking when members of the royal family marry their (distant) relatives. Royals all over the world have been marrying their cousins for centuries, traditionally as a means of strengthening their political alliances. These days, it happens mostly by chance — for example, although she is considered a commoner, Kate Middleton is actually distantly related to her husband, Prince William. They are 11th cousins once removed. 

That being said, the last royal couple most would ever have suspected of being related are Prince Harry and American Meghan Markle. But believe it or not, they are. And we can’t help but wonder if they may have suspected it. 

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry holding hands, smiling
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry | Karwai Tang/Getty Images

When the news broke that Prince Harry was dating Meghan Markle, the relationship caught worldwide attention, mainly because they came from two different worlds — he was a member of the British royal family, and she was an actor living in Hollywood. But as it turns out, they have a little more in common than we thought.

Prince Harry and Meghan are actually distant cousins, related through Meghan’s father, Thomas, and Harry’s great-grandmother, the Queen Mother, according to Her. The families share a common ancestor, Ralph Bowes, who was a High Sheriff of County Durham in England in the 1400s. 

Ralph Bowes’ granddaughter, Bridget, married a man named John Hussey. One of their grandsons, Christopher Hussey, moved to the U.S. in 1632 as a settler. Christopher, who lived in what is now Massachusetts, was one of Meghan’s father’s ancestors. 

Here’s where it gets interesting. Ralph Bowes’ other grandchild, George Bowes, was a relative of Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, who married George VI and eventually became the Queen Mother, proving that it really is a small world after all. The Queen Mother was Queen Elizabeth II’s mother. 

Common ancestors are probably more, well, common than we might suspect. But it’s amazing that people were able to find out this information about Prince Harry of London and his California-born wife. 

It’s highly unlikely that Prince Harry or Meghan had any idea they were related. Researchers had to do a deep dive into their ancestries to find the information, which wouldn’t have happened if they hadn’t started dating. Plus, their family connection is so distant that they likely would never have thought to research it themselves.

Past royal family members who married relatives 

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Marrying a distant cousin seems to be a trend in the royal family. Prince Charles and Princess Diana were seventh cousins once removed, according to Reader’s Digest. Henry VII and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon were third cousins, sharing a great-great-grandparent, and Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were second cousins once removed on one side of the family and third cousins on the other.

That puts Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s distant connection into perspective.  

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