Genealogical research has revealed that the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William and Kate Middleton, are both distantly related to Irish popstar Chris De Burgh, best known for his hit 'The Lady in Red'. The connection also links the royal couple to each other as distant cousins.
Chris De Burgh, who grew up in County Wexford, has ties to both royals through his family name. Kate's ancestry includes the de Burgh line from Ireland, while William's lineage also connects to the same family. The singer previously met William's late mother, Princess Diana, at a public engagement where she named a Virgin Airbus 'Lady In Red'.
Genealogists have traced both William and Kate's roots back to King Edward III and his queen, Philippa of Hainault. Their son, Lionel of Antwerp, married Elizabeth de Burgh, Countess of Ulster. Centuries later, Agnes Gascoigne, a descendant, married Sir Thomas Fairfax, a landowner who fought alongside Henry VIII. William descends from their son Sir Nicholas Fairfax, while Kate descends from his younger brother William, making them fourteenth cousins.
Chris De Burgh, who is married to Diane and has three children, commented on the discovery in 2013: 'I was unaware that there is a distant connection between the de Burgh family and the Middletons. There are probably many others also connected to both families. At least that will give us something to talk about should we ever have a cup of tea together.'
In a related twist, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are also distant cousins, sharing a common ancestor in Ralph Bowes, born in 1480, making them fifteenth cousins.
