15 Celebrities That Are Descendants of Great Historical Figures

Families can be a bit confusing. And not just when it comes to behavior and relationships, but also when it comes to bloodlines. Today, many companies use genetics to trace your ancestors, all the way back to many generations. These very companies have researched famous celebrities and found out some surprising facts about their antecedents.

Bright Side delved into just a handful of these celebrities and found some relationships. Enough for us to exclaim that history truly repeats itself.

1. Beyoncé Knowles is the 25th cousin of Queen Elizabeth II.

Beyoncé Knowles, well known for being music royalty, has royal blood running in her veins too. She is the 25th cousin to Queen Elizabeth, once removed since they both share King Henry II as a common ancestor.

2. Angelina Jolie has lineage from King Phillip II of France.

King Phillip II of France ruled from 1180 to 1223 and is known to have brought financial stability to his country. He also increased the royal coffers. Actress Angelina Jolie carries French royal blood considering she is a direct descendant of Philip II. Strangely enough, she played Queen Olympias in the 2004 movie Alexander, opposite Val Kilmer’s Phillip II, only this was Phillip II of Macedonia.

3. Brad Pitt is a descendant of King Henry II of England.

Brad Pitt is no less royal either. He can trace his ancestry back to King Henry II of England, who ruled from 1154 until his death in 1189. Coincidentally, King Henry II’s wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, was first married to French royalty, making Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie somewhat predestined to a failed marriage. This also makes Pitt a 25th cousin, twice removed, to Queen Elizabeth.

4. Jane Austen is Anna Chancellor’s great-aunt.

In 1995, Anna Chancellor starred as Caroline Bingley in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice BBC Miniseries. But she has a deeper connection to Jane Austen as well. The highly venerated author is an 8-time great aunt to Chancellor.

5. H.H. Asquith is Helena Bonham Carter’s great-grandfather.

Helena Bonham Carter is best known for her off-the-beaten-path roles, like that of Mrs. Lovett in Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. But she comes from illustrious family background. Herbert Henry Asquith, the Prime Minister of the UK from 1908 to 1916, was her paternal great-grandfather. She is also related to Jane Austen, and subsequently to Anna Chancellor.

6. Harry Lloyd is a descendant of Charles Dickens.

Harry Lloyd, who plays Viserys Targaryen in Game of Thrones is the great-great-great-grandson of the famous Charles Dickens, the author. Lloyd’s mother, Marion is the descendant of the seventh child of Dickens, Henry Fielding Dickens, who in turn had 5 children.

7. Benedict Cumberbatch is the 16th cousin to King Richard III.

Benedict Cumberbatch is distantly related to King Richard III, who ruled England from 1452 to 1485. He was the last English king to have died during a battle, and later, there was a whole investigation into finding his remains, enough for a reburial. Cumberbatch, who plays Doctor Strange in the Marvel movies, is the 16th cousin to the king. He also read a poem at his royal ancestor’s reburial.

8. King Henry I is the ancestor of Sigourney Weaver.

There seem to be many celebrities who can trace their lineage right back to English kings. King Henry I, who ruled from 1100 to his death in 1135 may have died without a male heir, but his bloodlines spread far and wide. Actress Sigourney Weaver, known for her role in Alien, is a descendant of Henry I, and this also makes her the 24th cousin of the Queen, once removed.

9. Jake Gyllenhaal has antecedents back to King Edward III.

King Edward III ruled the English from 1312 to 1377 and is known as a rather conventional king, who pursued warfare but could also show great clemency. There are many celebrities who can claim blood relations with him, including Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal. Others include Michael Douglas, Hillary Duff, and more.

10. Meghan Markle is related to William Shakespeare.

We know Meghan Markle is related to the British Royal Family, by way of her marrying Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex. But she already has famous blood in her veins, considering she is cousins with the great playwright, William Shakespeare. Markle is a fifth cousin to the Bard, 12 times removed.

11. Ozzy Osbourne is related to Tsar Nicholas II, and more.

Then there is Ozzy Osbourne, and DNA might prove there is a method to his madness. Researchers say that the singer is not just a descendant of the Neanderthal man, but also a relative of outlaw Jesse James. But his claim to royal fame is with the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II, whose entire family was wiped out in the revolution.

12. Cary Elwes is a descendant of infamous miser John Elwes.

Actor Cary Elwes is related to John Elwes. As a man, John Elwes may have been unremarkable except for the fact that he was an extreme miser. It is also alleged that he was Charles Dickens’s inspiration behind the miserly character, Ebenezer Scrooge, in the classic A Christmas Carol.

13. The Deschanel sisters are related to Louis IV of France.

Zooey and Emily Deschanel have both made their names in Hollywood. Zooey is the star of the series New Girl, while Emily Deschanel was the heroine of Bones. And both can lay claim to royal French blood, all the way back to King Louis IV of France, who ruled from 936 to 954.

14. Anderson Cooper is Cornelius Vanderbilt’s great-grandson.

Anchor and host Anderson Cooper is the great-grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt, the shipping and railroad magnate whose familial wealth was once more than the US treasury. His mother, Gloria Vanderbilt was the granddaughter of Cornelius, but Cooper remembers deciding to start work early, considering the family fortunes were much diminished by the time he was in his teens.

15. Robert Pattinson is a descendant of Vlad the Impaler.

Robert Pattinson may have played the love-sick vampire, Edward Cullen, in the Twilight series, but he has a real-life blood connection to “Dracula.” Bram Stoker’s famous character was allegedly inspired by the Transylvania despot, Vlad the Impaler, and Pattinson is related to him, via the British royal family.

So which of these celebrity connections really caught your interest? Do you know of your family’s famous genealogical connections too?

Angelina Jolie’s relationship with her father, Jon Voight, has been complex and fraught with tension. However, they have managed to reconcile their differences, with Voight becoming a supportive figure in Jolie’s life, particularly during her divorce from Brad Pitt.

My Neighbor Egged My Car Over Halloween Decorations—You Won’t Believe His Reason

I was beyond exhausted—the kind of tired that makes you question if you’ve brushed your teeth or remembered to feed the dog.

Ever since the twins were born, my days had blurred into a never-ending cycle of diaper changes, feeding schedules, and sleepless nights. The last thing I needed was another problem to deal with. But when I stepped outside that morning, I found my car completely covered in eggs.

At first, I thought it was a random prank. Who wouldn’t? Halloween was around the corner, and maybe some kids had gotten a little too excited. I sighed, too tired to even be upset, and grabbed a sponge and bucket, ready to clean up the mess.

But just as I started scrubbing, my neighbor Brad came strutting over with that smug grin of his.

“That was me,” he said, almost proudly. “Your car was ruining the view of my Halloween decorations.”

I blinked at him, trying to process his words through the fog of exhaustion. My car? Ruining his view? His ridiculous display of plastic skeletons, fake cobwebs, and oversized pumpkins?

Furious, but too tired to even start an argument, I just nodded, biting back the urge to say something I might regret. I didn’t have the energy for a confrontation, but in that moment, I silently promised myself that I’d find a way to teach Brad a lesson.

He had no idea who he was messing with.

Don’t get me wrong, Lily and Lucas were my sweet little babies, but taking care of two newborns mostly by myself was incredibly hard. I hadn’t slept a full night in months. Halloween was coming, and the whole neighborhood was excited—except me.

I didn’t have the energy to decorate, let alone get into the festive spirit.

Then, there was Brad.

Source: Midjourney

Brad took Halloween way too seriously. Every year, he turned his house into a huge haunted attraction with gravestones, skeletons, big jack-o’-lanterns, and more.

He loved the attention and would smile proudly whenever someone complimented his decorations.

The entire block loved it, but I was too exhausted to care about Brad’s haunted house.

One October morning, things started to fall apart.

Source: Midjourney

I went outside, carrying Lily on one hip and holding Lucas in my arm, when I noticed something. My car was covered in eggs! The eggshells were stuck to the gooey mess, dripping down the windshield like some gross breakfast gone wrong.

“Are you serious?” I muttered, staring at the mess.

The night before, I had parked in front of Brad’s house. I didn’t have much choice since it was easier to park closer to my door with the twins’ stroller.

Source: Midjourney

At first, I thought it was a prank. But when I saw egg splatters near Brad’s porch, I knew it had to be him.

Brad had done this.

Even though he didn’t own the street, Brad acted like he controlled the curb during Halloween.

Furious, I marched over to his house and knocked on the door, maybe harder than I should have, but I didn’t care anymore.

“What?” Brad opened the door with his usual smug expression, crossing his arms.

Source: Midjourney

His house was already decorated. There were cobwebs, plastic skeletons, and a witch sitting on a chair. It was all too much.

I wasted no time. “Did you see who egged my car?”

Without blinking, Brad replied, “I did it. Your car was blocking the view of my decorations.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “You egged my car because it was parked in front of your house? You didn’t ask me to move it—you just trashed it?”

He shrugged like it was no big deal. “How can people see my display if your car is in the way?”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Are you serious?”

Source: Midjourney

Brad nodded, still looking pleased with himself. “I’m the Halloween King. People come from all over to see my decorations. You’re always parked there. It’s inconsiderate and ruins the vibe.”

I was juggling two newborns, barely holding it together, and he was talking about ruining the vibe?

“Well, sorry if my life interferes with your spooky setup,” I snapped. “I’ve got newborn twins, Brad.”

“I know,” he said, leaning against the doorframe. “Maybe park somewhere else.”

“I park there because it’s easier with the babies and the stroller!”

Brad shrugged again. “Not my problem. You can park there after Halloween.”

I stood there, speechless, my anger boiling inside. But being so tired, I couldn’t even argue anymore.

Source: Midjourney

“Fine,” I snapped, and stormed back inside, shaking with anger and disbelief.

As I washed the egg off my car, something clicked. Brad wasn’t just an annoying neighbor—he was a bully. And I had had enough. If he wanted to play dirty, fine. I could play smarter.

Later that night, while rocking Lily to sleep, an idea hit me. Brad’s weakness was his pride. He needed his haunted house to be the best. I didn’t have the energy for a fight, but revenge? That, I could handle.

The next day, I casually strolled over to Brad’s yard while he was adding more decorations.

Source: Midjourney

“Hey, Brad,” I said, faking cheerfulness. “I’ve been thinking. It was inconsiderate of me to block your display. Have you thought about upgrading it?”

He looked suspicious. “Upgrade?”

“Yeah, with things like fog machines or ghost projectors. Your setup is great, but those would really impress people.”

His eyes lit up. I knew I had him.

I suggested brands I had researched—terrible machines with awful reviews. But he didn’t need to know that.

Source: Midjourney

“You think so?” he asked, already planning his next move.

“Oh, definitely. You’d be the talk of the neighborhood.”

Satisfied, I walked away, waiting for Halloween.

When Halloween night came, Brad’s house looked like a scene from a horror movie. He had gone all out, as I expected.

Crowds gathered to admire his setup, and Brad was in the middle of it, enjoying the attention.

I watched from my porch, feeling like a villain in a movie. His display looked impressive—until it didn’t.

Right on cue, the fog machine sputtered and started spraying water like a garden hose. The crowd gasped, and kids laughed.

Source: Midjourney

Brad rushed to fix it, but then his ghost projector malfunctioned. Instead of a spooky ghost, it showed a strange blob, making the kids laugh even more.

Then, one of his giant inflatables collapsed, rolling across the yard. Some teenagers, seeing the disaster, threw eggs at his house for fun.

Brad was frantic, running around trying to save his haunted house, but it was too late. His Halloween display had turned into a joke.

The next morning, just as I was feeding Lucas, there was a knock at the door. Brad stood there, looking defeated.

“I, uh, wanted to apologize,” he mumbled. “I overreacted.”

I crossed my arms, waiting. “Yeah, you did.”

He shifted uncomfortably. “I didn’t realize how hard it must be with the twins. I’m sorry.”

I let him squirm for a bit. “Thanks for apologizing, Brad. I’m sure it won’t happen again.”

He nodded quickly. “It won’t.”

As he turned to leave, I couldn’t help but add, “Funny how things work out, huh?”

Brad had no response.

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