Do you have roots in aristocracy ?

[Prince of Chota]

She must have been an amazing woman to see in person; her personality is so legendary. Your nan must have some very interesting stories about the war (as many of our grandparents do/did).
It's sort of odd that I am distantly related (we share a common ancestor in the seventeenth century), because the ancestor that gives me that line was an American of English descent. Consequently, there are many other Americans from old New England families that share this ancestry, and relation to the current queen.

[kirstengrafin]

Originally Posted by Prince of Chota

One thing I hate is that my father's family shares ancestry with George W. Bush (my grandmother is his 11th cousin)...but at least that means we're also related to Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (via Mary Carpenter--Bush and I are descended from the Carpenters of Homme who came to New England).

I share the same unfortunate distinction, but I appreciate the other interesting ancestors in that particular family line. Prince Charles is my 10th cousin.

[LauraMCS]

Originally Posted by kirstengrafin

I share the same unfortunate distinction, but I appreciate the other interesting ancestors in that particular family line. Prince Charles is my 10th cousin.

I too am related to GWB (through Mayflower pilgrim John Howland). This was traumatic for me and I actually experienced the full cycle of grieving upon learning of this realtion. Happily though, due to some of our shared ancestors, I am related to Franklin D. Roosevelt and Sir Winston Churchill. I am never good at figuring out how I am related to people (i.e. 6th cousin, twice removed) but it's cool seeing how closely we are all related.

[Prince of Chota]

If you are in the same generation, there are no removals. "Generation" counts from the common ancestor.

[Menarue]

I have always been a bit puzzled by the cousin "twice removed" etc. Thanks for clearing that up.
What about kissing cousins? Does that refer to the same generation?
There was a time not that long ago when nobility only married nobility and so when you go back some generations you find that most people of noble descent are related, it can be a hundred, two hundred years ago and in some cases 500 or more but most go back to Charlemagne in the end. Excluding the non-European nobles but even among these there are quite often common roots.

[PrinceOfCanada]

'kissing cousins' is a colloquialism that usually means they're distantly enough related that it's not unreasonable to kiss them in a more than friendly sense.