True blood
He made his name playing Edward, the vampire in the Twilight series, but Robert Pattinson is not just acting here. It comes naturally to him, as he is a distant relative of the real-life historical inspiration for the character Dracula - Vlad the Impaler. Vlad was a member of the House of Drculeti, a branch of the House of Basarab, in the then kingdom of Transylvania. And if that isn’t good enough for you to sink your teeth into, perhaps Pattinson being a distant cousin of Prince Harry and the Duke of Cambridge, William, will seal this royal connection.
Depp roots
He may be the king of versatility, but Johnny Depp shares more than just the love of pastels and holidays in Southern France with the Queen of England. According to Nick Barrat, a well-known English genealogist, Depp is the 20th cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. Their connection dates back to the 14th century, Edward III. The British monarch is Edward’s 17-times great-grand daughter while Depp is a relative of Henry Percy, who died in 1489, and was four-times great grandson of the same Edward. Game of thrones, indeed.
Grant a wish
He could play an English royal any day and pass off as the real deal. Incidentally, Hugh Grant has not one but two connections to the monarchs of England. The Notting Hill star is reported to be related to Henry VII, the first monarch of the House of Tudor, on his maternal side while James IV, the King of Scotland, is also a distant ancestor. This makes him the ninth cousin of the current reigning monarch - Queen Elizabeth II.
French connection
When on the show, Who Do You Think You Are, Brooke Shields not only broke down about her struggles but also learned that she is quite closely connected to the English and French royalty. Having always known that she had links to Irish aristocracy, Shields was surprised to hear that she is directly related to King Henry IV and that Louis XIV was a cousin, many generations removed. No wonder she wanted to study French culture at university.
All in the family
Famed Sherlock Holmes director Guy Ritchie shares the same great-grandparents, David Martineau and Sarah Meadows, with now Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton. Ritchie, HRH’s sixth cousin, is also close friends with Prince William and even got an invitation to the royal wedding in 2011. Incidentally, Ritchie’s ex-wife, Madonna, is a fifth cousin of Camilla Parker Bowles, now the Duchess of Cornwall, while Queen of 90s Pop, Celine Dion also hails from the same family.