Kate Middleton's cousins revealed to be Hollywood stars

Kate Middleton may not have been born into royalty, but her family heritage is nothing to scoff at.  

• Historians have discovered Kate Middleton is related to two famous movie stars.
• Elle and Dakota Fanning are confirmed as distant cousins of the Duchess of Cambridge. 
• In other Royal News, the Queen's shocking celebrity connections have been revealed. 

Historians have unearthed some shocking truths about the Duchess of Cambridge’s fascinating bloodline — and we’re beyond shook.

After rifling through centuries of records, the history buffs at Ancesty.com have linked Britain’s future queen to — wait for it —Dakota and Elle Fanning. Kate is the distant cousin of the famous sisters, who have appeared in countless A-list films since they were kids. 

If you’re straining to see the resemblance, you might want to give up now. The Fanning sisters are the 22nd great-granddaughters of King Edward III, who ruled Britain and Ireland in the 14th century. Kate, although born to commoner parents, is tied to the same king through her father’s ancestry. Michael Middleton also happens to have several descents from King Edward III, which makes Kate loosely related to the celebrity sisters. 

While Dakota has kept mum on her royal connection, Elle has openly discussed the bizarre link in past interviews. 

“It’s so weird,” she told E! News. “I saw it the other day — I looked online and like King Edward III is my great-great-great-grandfather. I was like, ‘Is this real?'”

Despite being called a ‘long-lost princess’ by one historian, Elle has admitted she isn’t envious of her royal cousin’s position. “I can’t imagine being in the public eye like that. Every single move you make is critiqued,” she said in a 2019 interview with Tatler. 

The Fanning sisters are not the only celebrities in Kate’s ancestry. Just in case her background wasn’t extraordinary enough, historians have also confirmed Jane Austen and George Washington as relatives of the Duchess.  

Kate has yet to comment on her star-studded family tree, but we’ve no doubt that she thinks it’s pretty cool too.