I Just Found Out These 18 Celebrities Are Related To Actual Royalty, And Some Are Pretty Surprising

    @ everyone on this list, you dropped this: 👑

    Kristen Harris
    by Kristen Harris

    BuzzFeed Staff

    For most of us, movies like The Princess Diaries and What a Girl Wants are basically fairy tales, but a lot of people — celebs included — can actually trace their family trees back to royalty.

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    Here are 18 celebrities who are related to royalty:

    1. Thandiwe Newton is the daughter of a Zimbabwean princess.

    actor who plays Maeve Millay in "Westword"
    Anne-Christine Poujoulat / AFP via Getty Images

    Their royal Shona heritage passes through generations, meaning her daughters are considered princesses as well. 

    2. Hilary Duff has been called "America's most royal celebrity" because she's more closely related to Queen Elizabeth II than any other American in Hollywood is.

    actor who played Lizzie McGuire on Disney Channel
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    They're 18th cousins through Alexander Spotswood, the 10th great-grandson of King Edward III.

    3. Beyoncé is Queen Elizabeth II's 25th cousin once removed.

    "Halo" singer
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    The two queens are related through Henry II. 

    4. Dakota and Elle Fanning are the 22nd great-granddaughters of King Edward III.

    actor who played Penelope Stern in "Oceans 8" and actor who played Aurora in "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil"
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    They're also 21st cousins of Kate, Duchess of Cambridge.

    5. Ralph Fiennes is Prince Charles' eighth cousin.

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    He can trace his family line directly back to James II of Scotland.

    6. Paris Hilton found out she was Queen Elizabeth II's 20th cousin after taking a DNA test.

    reality star known for "The Simple Life"
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    The Hiltons are descended from Henry II. 

    7. Prince of Darkness Ozzy Osbourne is related to Nicholas II, the last czar of Russia.

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    He's also linked to King George I. 

    8. Brooke Shields is Queen Elizabeth II's 18th cousin once removed.

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    She's related to the British royal family through Henry II of France, but her family tree also includes William the Conqueror, Charlemagne, and Catherine de Medici.

    9. Akosua Busia is a Ghanaian princess.

    actor who played Nettie Harris in "The Color Purple"
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    Not only is she part of the royal house of Wenchi, but she's also the daughter of a former prime minister.

    10. Tilda Swinton is a direct descendant of the Scottish king Robert the Bruce.

    actor who played the Ancient One in "Doctor Strange"
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    She's descended from his great-grandson the Duke of Albany.

    11. Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal are Queen Elizabeth II's 19th cousins.

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    They're descended from King Edward III.

    12. Madonna is the ninth cousin of Camilla Parker Bowles, Duchess of Cornwall.

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    Celine Dion is also part of their family tree.

    13. Yaphet Kotto was the great-great-grandson of Cameroon's King Alexander Bell.

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    The king ruled the Douala region during the late 1800s. 

    14. Guy Ritchie is the sixth cousin of Kate, Duchess of Cambridge.

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    He was invited to Kate and Prince William's royal wedding.

    15. Rose Leslie's father is a chieftain of the Aberdeernshire clan.

    actor who played Ygritte in "Game of Thrones"
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    She grew up in Lickleyhead Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

    16. Bill Hader is the 40th great-great-grandson of Charlemagne.

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    He's also descended from Edward I. 

    17. Catherine Oxenberg was born to Prince Paul and Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia.

    actor who played Amanda Carrington in the 80s version of "Dynasty"
    Jon Kopaloff / FilmMagic / Getty Images

    The actor also played royalty, taking on the role of Princess Diana twice.

    18. And finally, Benedict Cumberbatch played his ancestor Richard III in The Hollow Crown.

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    He also read a poem at the king's reburial ceremony.