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In the royal family, marrying your distant cousin — or even your second cousin — is not that strange. After all, Queen Elizabeth II is married to her second (and third) cousin, Prince Philip. And Prince William and Kate Middleton are also related. But what about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex? Are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle related? Find out ahead.

Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Visit Birmingham
Prince Harry And Meghan Markle share similar ancestry. | Oli Scarff – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Like many members of royalty, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s ancestry crosses paths. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex might have had two very different upbringings, but their bloodline shows that they are in fact, distant cousins. The Queen Mother and Thomas Markle’s (Meghan Markle’s father) ancestor, Ralph Bowes (1480-1518) is Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather.

Bowes was the High Sheriff of County Durham, and his family seat was Streatlam Castle in England’s North East region. According to reports, Bowes’ grandson, Christopher Hussey, moved to America in 1632 and was one of the founders of Nantucket, Massachusetts. His great-grandson, Sir George Bowes, worked in parliament during King Charles II’s reign and is a distant grandparent of Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, the Queen Mother. When Elizabeth Bowes Lyon married King George VI, she linked the royal family to the Bowes family tree, thus creating a future connection between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

As we mentioned, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle aren’t the only royal couple with a shared family tree. Here’s a look at other royal relatives.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip

Her Majesty and her husband are allegedly second cousins once removed. They both share not one but two ancestors: King Christian IX of Denmark and Queen Victoria (their great, great-grandmother).

The way in which they are related gets confusing, but, in a nutshell, Queen Elizabeth II is related to Christan IX on her father’s side. Her grandfather’s mother was Alexandra of Denmark, aka Christian IX’s daughter. She is also related to Queen Victoria via her father’s genes. Her great-grandfather was Edward VII (Alexandra of Denmark’s husband), and his mother was Queen Victoria.

Prince Philip’s relation to Christian IX comes from his father’s side of the family, too. Christian IX of Denmark was Prince Philip’s grandfather’s father (so, his great-grandfather). His relation to Queen Victoria comes from his mother’s side, as she was his mother’s great-grandmother.

Princess Diana and Prince Charles

Princess Diana and Prince Charles were also related. Apparently, the two were 7th cousins once removed by way of William Cavendish, the 3rd Duke of Devonshire.

Kate Middleton and Prince William

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are also related. According to reports, Prince William and Kate Middleton are 11th cousins once removed. Their shared ancestor is Sir William Blakiston, a Baronet.

Camilla Parker Bowles and Prince Charles

Prince Charles is also related to his second wife. Their shared ancestry allegedly dates back to the 17th century. And, get this: Camilla’s great-grandmother was Prince Charles’s great-grandfather, King Edwar VII’s mistress. That said, there’s no say on whether this is how they are related. Camilla Parker Bowles and the late Princess Diana were also related.

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