Famous Ancestors of "Commoner" Royals

[crisiñaki]

hey, this thread is for a curiosity I have, which "commoner royals" (or royals by marriage) have famous ancestors?

My curiosity on the subject started because I learned that one of Iñaki Urdangarin's ancestors (San Valentin of Berriochoa) is the second patron saint of the Basque Country

Bilboko Elizbarrutia - Diócesis de Bilbao :: Patronos y santos

I also know that Laurentien's father is an important politician in the Netherlands, that one of Jaime de Marichalar's ancestors was Minister of War of King Alfonso XII, I have heard of Menchu's mother (Letizia's great grandmother), I think her name is Plácida del Valle, called "La Patatina", but I don't know why she was famous in Asturias

I hope other people can give more light on this subject

[sirhon11234]

The Princess of Wales was descended from King Charles II, King Richard II, and Mary, Queen of Scots.

[morhange]

The Countess of Mornington's great-grandfather founded the Daily Mail newspaper.

[Elsa M.]

Originally Posted by crisiñaki

I have heard of Menchu's mother (Letizia's great grandmother), I think her name is Plácida del Valle, called "La Patatina", but I don't know why she was famous in Asturias

I know there's a book entitled "Los Ortiz":
LOS ORTIZ: LA FAMILIA ASTURIANA DE LA PRINCESA LETIZIA: en su libreria Casa del Libro

It seems all the Ortiz women were famous for being strong, but nothing historically prominent... as least from what I've read.

However, there's an article from Hola about Letizia's ancestry, where it's said that her maternal great-grandfather (Miguel Rocasolano) was a French aristocrat from Lyon.
After arriving in Spain, he bought the estate of «las 40 fanegas» (now corresponding to the "Paseo de la Habana" and neighbourings). But in 1950, he's ruined and all his children had to strugle in life. Letizia's grandfather, Francisco Rocasolano, as we all know, had to survive as a taxi driver.

[Elsa M.]

Originally Posted by crisiñaki

one of Jaime de Marichalar's ancestors was Minister of War of King Alfonso XII

His grandfather, Luis de Marichalar y Monreal, was the Vizcount of Eza and a minister of Alfonso XIII, a senator, a mayor and a "pioneering" censor.

From November 2nd 1913 till July 21st 1914, Luis de Marichalar was the first aedile of Madrid.

EL MUNDO

[crisiñaki]

Thanks for the info Elsa, the French Aristocrat thing was just another Hola mistake (which they seem to be doing lately a lot) but you're right, all women of the family are known for their strong character
I'm still curious about La Patatina, want to know why she was called that
And thanks for correcting me about Jaime's grandpa, since there are so many Alfonsos, I wrote the wrong one

[Elsa M.]

Originally Posted by crisiñaki

Thanks for the info Elsa, the French Aristocrat thing was just another Hola mistake

I didn't know that, sorry.
Anyway, her ancestry goes back to some French names, at least the line drawn by this genealogy website... but I don't know if they were really aristocrats.

Ancestry of Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano

[LaPlusBelle]

What's an aedile?

[PrincessKoreen]

Originally Posted by sirhon11234

The Princess of Wales was descended from King Charles II, King Richard II, and Mary, Queen of Scots.

That cannot be true because King Richard II had no children. However, she was descended from an illegitimate son of Charles II.

[PrincessKoreen]

As we see here:

Sarah comes from aristocracy with royal Stuart ancestry. On her father's side, Sarah is a descendant of King Charles II of England from two of his illegitimate sons Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond and James Crofts "Scott". She is a great-great-granddaughter of William Montagu-Douglas-Scott, 6th Duke of Buccleuch and a great-granddaughter of Mervyn Wingfield, 8th Viscount Powerscourt. She is also a distant cousin of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, an aunt of Queen Elizabeth II.[2]

[Zonk]

Also, Brooke Sheilds. According to Wikipedia (and found elsewhere) she is....

Her paternal grandparents were Francis Xavier Shields, a tennis star of Irish descent, and his second wife, the Italian princess Donna Marina Torlonia di Civitella-Cesi, a half-Italian, half-American socialite who was a sister of Don Alessandro Torlonia, 5th Prince di Civitella-Cesi, the husband of Infanta Beatriz of Spain (an aunt of King Juan Carlos I of Spain).

As mentioned above, her grandmother (Donna Marina) was the sister of Don Alessandro, who was the grandfather of Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg!

[crownprincessrhey]

wow, never thought brooke shields has some royal lineage

[madeleine victoria]

Originally Posted by Elsa M.

I didn't know that, sorry.
Anyway, her ancestry goes back to some French names, at least the line drawn by this genealogy website... but I don't know if they were really aristocrats.

Ancestry of Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano

If this is true, then Letizia has some French aristocratic blood?

[Maura724]

When Harald and Sonja's engagement was announced, there was a newspaper that did extensive research into her family history and found out that, ironically, Sonja Haraldsen had royal ancestors.

[Odette]

Someday, the great great grandchildren of Prince Albert's two children will find out they have princely connections. I do not know how important it will sound then.
When Silvia Sommerlath and Maria Teresa Mestre became royal fiancees there was extensive work done to connect them to royals or aristocrats of some sort but nothing came out of it.

[iowabelle]

Originally Posted by Maura724

When Harald and Sonja's engagement was announced, there was a newspaper that did extensive research into her family history and found out that, ironically, Sonja Haraldsen had royal ancestors.

Given that Norway has a fairly small and confined population, I think you'd expect to find some royal or aristocratic relations if you go back 500 or more years. (Most of the English population of England has some connection to the royals, for example.)

I've written about this before, but Mary Bowes was poet and dramatist buried in the Poets' Corner at Westminster Abbey. Through her first husband, the 9th Earl of Strathmore, she became an ancestress of the Queen Mother. A recent biography, Wedlock, has been published. Her second husband was a monster and the ensuing legal case revolutionized divorce law in Britain.

[Vasaborg]

Originally Posted by PrincessKoreen

That cannot be true because King Richard II had no children. However, she was descended from an illegitimate son of Charles II.

She was also descended from James II, brother of Charles II.

[MAfan]

Princess Mathilde of Belgium is a descendant of the Counts of Savoy through several members of this family.

[jonnydep]

below are a few connections, ancestors of the queen mother and british royals !!
queen elizabeth, the queen mother was a descendant of one rev. robert porteus II, a second cousin of george washington, first president of the USA.

elizabeth can claim descent from three kings
1, robert II of scotland
2, brian boru king of ireland
3, henry VII of england

however her sister in law, the duchess of windsor can also claim descent from three kings
1, edward III of england
2, simon de montacute, king of the isle of man
3, king powhatan the red indian whose daughter pocahontas married john rolf, one of the first settlers in the states.

both are descended from british dukes that of portland (the queen mother) and of manchester (the duchess of windsor)
elizabeth has another connection with a british dukedom (besides that of portland), that of wellington for her french ancestress hyacinthe roland had married (or comnon law wife ?) the brother of the first duke of wellington, the marquess wellesley. he in turn later married marianne paterson nee caton, the granddaugther of one of signatories of the declaration of american independance. her first husband was robert paterson, whose sister elizabeth had married jerome bonaparte, later king of westphalia. also the wellington family has a royal connection today with the exiled hohenzollerns of germany and prussia

as for diana, princess of wales and camilla, duchess of cornwall, they share a common ancestor in a duke of richmond, himself a descendant of king charles II.

the duchess of kent claims descent from oliver cromwell, well i could go on............

[Vasaborg]

Originally Posted by jonnydep

queen elizabeth, the queen mother was a descendant of one rev. robert porteus II, a second cousin of george washington, first president of the USA.

elizabeth can claim descent from three kings
1, robert II of scotland
2, brian boru king of ireland
3, henry VII of england

however her sister in law, the duchess of windsor can also claim descent from three kings
1, edward III of england
2, simon de montacute, king of the isle of man
3, king powhatan the red indian whose daughter pocahontas married john rolf, one of the first settlers in the states.

both are descended from british dukes that of portland and of manchester.
elizabeth has another connection with a british dukedom (besides that of portland), that of wellington for her french ancestress hyacinthe roland had married the brother of the first duke of wellington, the marquess wellesley. he in turn later married marianne paterson nee caton, the granddaugther of one of signatories of declaration of american independance. her first husband was robert paterson, whose sister elizabeth had married jerome bonaparte, later king of westphalia. also the the wellington family has a royal connection today with the exiled hohenzollerns of germany and prussia

as for diana, princess of wales and camilla, duchess of cornwall, they share a common ancestor in a duke of richmond, himself a descendant of king charles II.

the duchess of kent claims descent from oliver cromwell, well i could go on............

Can you tell me how the Late Queen Mother was descended from King Henry VII ?