Top 10 Celebrities with Aristocratic Connections
These celebs are royalty in more ways than one. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down celebs with fascinating royal, aristocratic, or noble ancestry, however distant or tenuous.
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00:00I've come across quite a few extraordinary genealogical links, never anything like this.
00:04Welcome to Miss Mojo, and today we're counting down celebs with fascinating,
00:08royal, aristocratic or noble ancestry, however distant or tenuous.
00:13Cumberbatch is due to play King Richard III in the hollow crown, the Wars of the Roses.
00:20He's also a cousin.
00:23Number 10. Rose Leslie
00:24Known for her roles in Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey, Leslie has a fascinating background.
00:30My daddy was a fancy lord and I lived in a towel that touched the cloud.
00:33Born Rose Eleanor Arbuthnot Leslie, she comes from the Scottish noble Leslie family.
00:39Her childhood home was Lickley Head Castle, a 15th century estate in Aberdeenshire.
00:45Rose's father, Sebastian Arbuthnot Leslie, is the Aberdeenshire chieftain of Clan Leslie,
00:50while her mother, Candida Mary Sibyl Leslie, belongs to Clan Fraser.
00:55Je suis prêt.
01:02Find a place in our home.
01:04Beyond her immediate family, Rose's lineage includes connections to King
01:07Charles II of England and Scotland. This heritage is part of her identity,
01:12providing her with a unique perspective and connection to history,
01:15which enriches her roles in period dramas.
01:18That has been pretty, um, influential in my life, yeah.
01:22Number 9. Tom Hiddleston
01:24What am I? You're my son.
01:38What more than that?
01:40This Prince of Asgard also has some low-key earthly royal connections.
01:45Born Thomas William Hiddleston, Hiddleston's great-great-grandfather, Sir Edmund Vestey,
01:50was a wealthy baronet, cementing his aristocratic roots.
01:54I pray you to proceed and justly and religiously unfold,
01:58if I may now with conscience make this claim.
02:01Educated at prestigious institutions such as Eton College and the University of Cambridge,
02:07Hiddleston's upbringing was steeped in the traditions of British elite society.
02:11The background, combined with his classical training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art,
02:16has contributed to his nuanced portrayals of complex characters,
02:19seamlessly blending his heritage with his acting skills.
02:23Such outward things dwell not in my desires,
02:27but if it be a sin to covet honour, I am the most offending soul alive.
02:33Number 8. Hugh Grant
02:35Particularly celebrated for his roles in romantic comedies,
02:38the famously Oxford University-educated Grant has intriguing historical connections.
02:43Of course the college knew I'd do it from the first day I came here,
02:46because my grandfather had done it, and my great-grandfather.
02:51We give the college a great deal of money, and they agree to punish us for our frivolity.
02:55He is related to King Henry VII of England through a distant lineage,
02:59linking him to the Tudor dynasty.
03:02Grant's ancestry has connections to Scottish nobility,
03:04with his family tree tracing back to notable figures.
03:07For some reason, I panicked tonight, and I went with gentile Edinburgh old lady.
03:13It was pretty much Janet from Dr. Finley's case.
03:18His mother, Fine Vola Susan Maclean, descended from the Macleans of Scotland,
03:22a prominent clan with deep roots in Scottish history.
03:25Additionally, Grant's paternal great-grandfather,
03:28Dr. James Stewart, was a notable physician and historian.
03:32My mother is determined to see me distinguished.
03:34As?
03:35Anything.
03:37A great orator, a leading politician, I think even a barrister would serve.
03:42Number seven, Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal.
03:44I have to help you with it, it is actually Gyllenhaal.
03:48Gyllenhello?
03:49There it is.
03:50There it is right there.
03:52This dynamic sibling duo traces part of their heritage to a Swedish noble family.
03:57This family lineage dates back to the 17th century, with roots in the military,
04:01being ennobled in 1652 under Queen Christina of Sweden.
04:05We look forward to our further meeting with you.
04:09We would like news of your men of genius.
04:12Jake and Maggie's ancestor, Nils Gunnarsson Hall,
04:15was the progenitor of this noble line, having served as a cavalry lieutenant,
04:20and this history is preserved through the family's noble surname,
04:24distinguishing their storied past.
04:26The Gyllenhaals' noble status is highlighted by their coat of arms,
04:30a symbol of their historical significance and contributions to Swedish society.
04:35We're pretty great people. I mean, I'm half Swedish, you know,
04:37but we're pretty great people and, you know, we come with simple instructions.
04:41Number six, Ralph Fiennes.
04:43All you have to do is tell me what it's worth to you.
04:47What's a person worth to you?
04:48No, no, no, no. What's one worth to you?
04:51This star may be the king of dark roles,
04:53like his starring turns in Schindler's List and the Harry Potter series,
04:57but he also has significant bloodlines.
04:59He is an eighth cousin to Prince Charles,
05:02stemming from a shared ancestry with King James II of Scotland.
05:05Fiennes boasts ties to the Twisselton Wycombe Fiennes family,
05:10an English aristocratic family with deep historical roots.
05:13Back then, to be called a gentleman would have been a death sentence,
05:20not the mark of honor it is today.
05:24His father, Mark Fiennes, was a farmer and photographer,
05:28while his mother, Jennifer Lash, was a novelist and painter.
05:31Educated at institutions such as Bishop Wordsworth School
05:35and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art,
05:37Fiennes' background reflects a blend of the arts and nobility.
05:41I can add colors to the chameleon, change shapes with proteus for advantages,
05:47and set the murderous Machiavelli to school.
05:51Can I do this and cannot get a crown?
05:54Number five, Hilary Duff.
05:56I have to take a picture of this to send to my mom,
05:59but it's gonna have to be like a pano because it's so long.
06:02It's very unusual.
06:03God, I have so many questions. I don't even know where to begin.
06:06This singer and actor has a fascinating personal history.
06:08She is a descendant of King Edward III of England through her father's side.
06:13This connection places her as the 18th cousin of Queen Elizabeth II,
06:17making Duff one of the closest American celebrities related to the royal family.
06:22Her ancestry includes Alexander Spotswood,
06:24a British army officer and colonial governor of Virginia,
06:28who is the 10th great-grandson of Edward III.
06:32So what I'm really gathering looking at this house
06:35is that Alexander Spotswood was a boss, like a really important man.
06:41Furthermore, Hilary Duff's roots extend beyond the English monarchy.
06:45She is also connected to Robert the Bruce, the famous Scottish king known for leading Scotland
06:51during the First War of Scottish Independence against England.
06:55I just feel honored that I have this line of
06:58strong people who fought for what they believed in.
07:02There's so many stories and there's so much to be proud of.
07:054. Brooke Shields
07:07Here's a model example of a celebrity with roots in aristocracy.
07:11Shields is a direct descendant of Henry IV of France, also known as Henry of Navarre,
07:17who was the first French monarch of the House of Bourbon.
07:20Where we're sitting now is a huge building overlooking a vast courtyard,
07:25much bigger than anything we have in Britain,
07:27and it is the great palace in which Henry IV, your ancestor, lived.
07:32Shields' lineage extends through her father's side, with her paternal grandmother,
07:36Donna Marina Torlonia, belonging to an Italian noble family.
07:40The Torlonia family held princely status in Italy, further cementing Shields' heritage.
07:46This one is a banker to the Vatican.
07:50Wow, how fascinating, really?
07:53Yes, they made so much money they could marry into the high nobility.
07:56Additionally, her maternal ancestry encompasses ties to French,
08:00Italian, and German nobility.
08:02Brooke Shields' distinguished family ties
08:04adds genuine historical depth to her career in the spotlight.
08:08A saint, and you have a great king, and you've got Philip II, who's not a bad king,
08:13Charles V, a great emperor, Ferdinand, another emperor. You've got it all.
08:18Got it all.
08:19Everything.
08:20Number three, Paris Hilton.
08:21The things that I love are obviously things that sparkle, because who doesn't like to sparkle?
08:27This socialite, actress, and businesswoman has notable historical connections.
08:31She is a descendant of Conrad Hilton, the founder of Hilton Hotels,
08:35which established the Hilton family's prominence.
08:38You want the celebrity treatment no matter who you are. It matters where you stay.
08:41That's hot.
08:42Totally.
08:43More specifically, Paris Hilton's lineage traces back to European nobility
08:47through her maternal grandmother, Baroness de Longueuil.
08:50The title of Baroness de Longueuil is a Canadian peerage
08:54granted by King Louis XIV of France in 1700.
08:57Her great-grandfather, Jean de Longueuil, was the fourth baron of de Longueuil.
09:02This aristocratic title is one of the few hereditary titles recognized by the monarch of
09:07Canada, tying Paris Hilton to both American entrepreneurial success and European nobility.
09:14If I was a bag, this would be me. It's covered in over 60,000 Swarovski crystals.
09:20I can't remember how much it costs.
09:21Number two, Benedict Cumberbatch.
09:24I do but dream on sovereignty,
09:28like one that stands upon a promontory and spies afar offshore.
09:33This beloved heartthrob, widely admired for his roles in Sherlock and the MCU,
09:37is distantly related to King Richard III of England, linking him to the Plantagenet dynasty.
09:42Cumberbatch's lineage also incorporates ties to prominent British families,
09:46with his ancestors serving in significant roles throughout history.
09:50We are in Buckingham Palace, the very heart of the British nation.
09:53Sherlock Holmes, put your trousers on.
09:57His paternal great-great-grandfather, Henry Alfred Cumberbatch, was a diplomat who served
10:02at the Consul General of Queen Victoria in Turkey and Lebanon. Educated at prestigious
10:07institutions such as Harrow School and the University of Manchester, Cumberbatch's
10:12background reflects a blend of noble heritage and academic excellence.
10:17Lost, long, forever found. Or sensed you from the backstage of my death,
10:26as kings glimpse shadows on a battleground.
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10:461. Madonna
10:55You may not have expected this one, but Madonna indeed has some royal relatives in her line.
10:59She is related to Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, making her a distant cousin of British royalty.
11:05Madonna's family history also includes ties to French-Canadian ancestors who were part
11:10of the original settlers in Quebec, with some tracing back to French nobility.
11:21Her heritage has also been shown to have distant connections to King Edward III of England,
11:25and her family tree even extends very distantly to French King Louis IX.
11:30Plus, she herself is now music royalty, so that counts too, right?
11:41What other celebs could have made this list? Let us know in the comments.
11:49Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from Ms Mojo.
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