Royal Cousins

[Lady Bluffton]

Can we get a thread going about how closely related the current reigning royals are?

Example -- isn't Queen Margrethe the 1st cousin of King Carl Gustav??? (Wasn't Queen Ingrid the sister of Carl Gustav's dad???)

 

[m 12]

Queen Sofia of Spain is sister of King Kostantite of Greece. So, the prince felipe and the infantas are cousins to price pablos, alexia, nicholas, theodora and phillipos.

Also, because Anne- Marie is from greece price pablos, alexia, nicholas, theodora and phillipos are cousins to prince frederick and joachim of denmark.

 

[norwegianne]

Note: I'm talking monarchs here... And I'm using Harald V of Norway as my starting point for this post.

Harald of Norway and Albert of Belgium are first cousins - their mothers (Crown Princess Märtha and Queen Astrid were sisters).

Harald and Margrethe are second cousins - their grandfathers Haakon VII and Christian X were brothers. In addition, they're also second cousins another way, as Harald's grandmother, Princess Ingeborg of Sweden, was a sister to Haakon and Christian. This also means that Albert of Belgium also is a second cousin to the Danish monarch, as he and Harald share Ingeborg as a mutual grandmother.

Harald and Elizabeth II are also second cousins as Harald's grandmother, Maud, was a sister to Elizabeth's grandfather, George.

Harald and Constantine (and therefore also Sofia), are third cousins by way of Christian X, and also by way of Queen Victoria. I'm doing a genealogy project, and without being nearly half way done or anything, Harald and Constantine are related in at least seven different ways. Mutual ancestors include Christian X (3rd cousins), Queen Victoria (3rd cousins), Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia (4th cousins once removed), Christian Albrecht of Gottorp (8th cousins once removed), Friedrich II of Hesse (6th cousins), Frederik 5 of Denmark (half 6th cousins), and Frederik 2 of Denmark (11th cousins once removed)

Harald and Ernst August of Hannover are also 3rd cousins.

As are Harald and Juan Carlos of Spain.

Harald and Carl Gustaf of Sweden are 2. cousins once removed (Oscar II of Sweden), 3rd cousins (Queen Victoria), 4th cousins (Wilhelm of Schleswig Holstein Beck Glucksburg) 5th cousins (Friederich Wilhelm III of Prussia), 10th cousins (Frederik 3 of Denmark) and 12 cousins once removed (Christian 3 of Denmark)

Harald and Beatrix are 4th cousins once removed.

 

[soCal girl]

Carl Gustaf is cousins with Queen Margrethe and therefore Princess Benedikte and Queen Anne-Marie. Then that means Victoria, Carl Philip, and Madeleine are second cousins of Frederick and Joachim plus all the Greek offspring of King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie.

Aren't Queen Margrethe and Queen Elizabeth first cousins? I was watching a documentary on Queen Elizabeth and Margrethe was on it and I'm pretty sure the caption said that they were cousins. If they are, through what royal are they related?

 

[auntie]

Aren't Queen Margrethe and Queen Elizabeth first cousins? I was watching a documentary on Queen Elizabeth and Margrethe was on it and I'm pretty sure the caption said that they were cousins. If they are, through what royal are they related?

Elizabeth and Margertethe are third cousins twice : through Queen Victoria and King Christian of Denmark.

 

[auntie]

Note: I'm talking monarchs here... And I'm using Harald V of Norway as my starting point for this post...

Given the current state of things, it would be wuite dangerous of the current royals of Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Great Britain and even Belgium to intermarry, as it would not be the first time! Which is a risk as far as genetic diseases are concerened.

 

[tdarlene]

aren't queen sofia of spain and price ernst-august firts cousins?????

 

[Lila Rose]

Filip of Belgium and Henri of Luxoumburg are cousins in first line.( King Albert is the brother of Josephine-Charlotte )

 

[Juanita]

So, if i get everything, all the European Royal Families are connected...

 

[Toledo]

Can we get a thread going about how closely related the current reigning royals are?
Example -- isn't Queen Margrethe the 1st cousin of King Carl Gustav??? (Wasn't Queen Ingrid the sister of Carl Gustav's dad???)

I found some sites related to royal relations, not just Europeans but World royalty too. Hope this helps our inquisitive minds with new information on how royalty is related to current members and, as a extra, their past lineages:

Royalty and nobility lineages in countries outside of Europe


Royal and Noble Genealogical Data on the Web


Directory of Royal Genealogical Data


Royal Descents of famous people


Starke Genealogy Index of German Nobility

 

[Toledo]

Now, this is a must have and must print out for everyone here! I just found one of the most complete PDF genealogical trees on the British Royals. If you view it with the browser you have to use the zoom in because I'm afraid it lists everybody. Enjoy:
http://www.achievements.co.uk/services/royal/RFT.pdf

 

[Australian]

Now, this is a must have and must print out for everyone here! I just found one of the most complete PDF genealogical trees on the British Royals. If you view it with the browser you have to use the zoom in because I'm afraid it lists everybody. Enjoy:
http://www.achievements.co.uk/services/royal/RFT.pdf

Thanks a lot for that link Toledo!

 

[Furienna]

Yeah! Thanks!

 

[Toledo]

Your welcome to you both.

 

[christinacg]

King Albert II of Belgium and Victor Emmanuel of Italy are first cousins (Alberts dad King Leopold and Victor's Mom Queen Marie Jose were brother and sister.)

And yes Tdarlene, Sofia and Ernst August are first cousins as well.

 

[soCal girl]

It makes me dizzy trying to figure out the family lineage of some of these royals. I wonder if the royals themselves know exactly how they're all related to one another. Do they know that this royal is their third cousin twice removed by this royal? It just gets confusing after awhile.

 

[norwegianne]

It makes me dizzy trying to figure out the family lineage of some of these royals. I wonder if the royals themselves know exactly how they're all related to one another. Do they know that this royal is their third cousin twice removed by this royal? It just gets confusing after awhile.

I wonder if they just don't think: "hey, they're family" without going into long fussy diatribes regarding how they're family.

I mean, most of them are related in one way or another, near or distant. Philippe of Belgium and Albert of Monaco are sixth cousins... if not even closer, but that's not something you go around remembering.

 

[morhange]

Six modern monarchies have descendents from Queen Victoria: Great Britain of course, and Spain, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Luxembourg. And Belgium is descended from the same family as Queen V, the Coburgs.

 

[Marengo]

I don't believe the Luxembourg RF descends from Queen Victoria. Only Princess Sybilla (nee Weiller) and her children do, through Princess Beatrice and her daughter Queen Ena.

 

[Furienna]

Victoria belonged to the house of Hannover. Her husband Albert was a Coburg.

 

[norwegianne]

Victoria belonged to the house of Hannover. Her husband Albert was a Coburg.

Her mother was a Coburg.

 

[Royal Fan]

How is the Last Tsar (Nicholas II) Related to Elizabeth II

 

[Furienna]

Well, the Brittish queen Alexandra and the Russian empress Dagmar (Maria) were two sisters from Denmark. Only that made the Brittish king George V and Tsar Nikolai II cousins. I also believe, that Nikolai's wife, Alix of Hessen, was Brittish queen Victoria's granddaughter and thus related to the Brittish royals. If Nikolai had gotten grandchildren, they would have been Queen Elizabeth II's third cousins in two different ways.

 

[Lady Bluffton]

I've always been fascinated by these intricate and extremely intertwined family trees -- gives a new dimension to why maybe the leading royals are "marrying out" (i.e. commoners like Mary Donaldson, Maxima, etc.). New blood is needed! Imagine what a series of genetic marker tests would be like for some of our fave royals!?!

 

[Furienna]

Yes, the new blood is needed. It's no wonder that some diseases were so common among the royals back in the day. They could only marry their cousins!

 

[Toledo]

Six modern monarchies have descendents from Queen Victoria: Great Britain of course, and Spain, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Luxembourg. And Belgium is descended from the same family as Queen V, the Coburgs.

That is the best short explanation on royal links I have ever read anywhere!

 

[KikkiB]

I've always been fascinated by these intricate and extremely intertwined family trees -- gives a new dimension to why maybe the leading royals are "marrying out" (i.e. commoners like Mary Donaldson, Maxima, etc.). New blood is needed! Imagine what a series of genetic marker tests would be like for some of our fave royals!?!

I've also been thinking about the genetics of the royal families of Europe. I know that King Olav and CP Märtha asked a genetics-guy whether or not it was wise for them to marry, since they were first cousins.

But then again, there might be an advantage of the close relations. Say -heavens forbid - that someone should need a kidney or something, a match would more easily be found. At least I think so, with my minimal knowledge of the topic

 

[Toledo]

While checking a name of a Brazilian prince with google I found an interesting link that surpised me. Is about the legendary beauty, Princess Fawiza of Egypt who seems to be related, through her children, to the Brazilian Imperial family. Brazil's Prince Joaozinho of Braganza is the grandson of Fawiza of Egypt, former wife of the Shah of Iran. Thus, the current claimant of Iran is related to the Braganzas-Brazil by his half sister's side, the daugther of the Shah and Queen Fawiza.
Chirine Family Tree (the modern family link between the Royal House of Egypt and the Imperial House of Brazil)

Here are some more on the Imperial House of Brazil's connections to other royals.

 

[Toledo]

Yes, the new blood is needed. It's no wonder that some diseases were so common among the royals back in the day. They could only marry their cousins!

The European Royals need quite a few generations not to marry any more cousins to stop that dangerous family tradition.
I'll suggest during this century the Princes only marry contestants of the Miss World pageant and the Princeses mary only football/soccer players

 

[linneatherose]

I've always been fascinated by these intricate and extremely intertwined family trees -- gives a new dimension to why maybe the leading royals are "marrying out" (i.e. commoners like Mary Donaldson, Maxima, etc.). New blood is needed! Imagine what a series of genetic marker tests would be like for some of our fave royals!?!

I agree. Even if every young royal marries outside of the family lines, genetic flaws WILL show up repeatedly for a few generations at least. And I DON'T mean dyslexia.
Over the years there have been many studies done on the Amish and Quaker communities in the US, and the findings regarding genetic problems in intermarrying communities were SHOCKING! And some of these communities aren't as closely related as royals. Besides... for anyone non-royal, isn't marrying a cousin pretty taboo? Even "gross?" Why shouldn't the same apply for royals?
I'm glad to see all of this new blood. Hooray for all of the commoners coming into the royal houses! I hope every prince and princess finds a "Mary"!