You may already be aware that Kate Middleton is related to Ellen DeGeneres. Genealogists at Ancestry.com have discovered another famous person that happens to be related to Kate Middleton. It turns out that she also can call Jane Austen “cousin”.
Earlier this year, Prince William and Kate Middleton, (who have also been referred to as “The Royal Couple”), got married. It was a wedding that was televised, and that had thousands of people gathering around hoping to catch a glimpse of it. If you were not aware of who Kate Middleton was before this huge event, you undoubtedly now know exactly who she is as a result of it.
I think most people should recognize the name of Jane Austen. She is the author of classic works of literature such as “Sense and Sensibility”, “Emma”, and “Pride and Prejudice”, (to name just a few of her books).
Even if you aren’t an avid reader, and were not assigned to read one of her books when you were in high school, you probably have at least a vague familiarity with what Jane Austen wrote. There have been several movies made from her books. The BBC did a version of “Pride and Prejudice” that, in my opinion, is the best one ever made. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend you rent it sometime.
Genealogists at Ancestry.com have discovered that Kate Middleton and Jane Austen are related to each other. They are connected through a common ancestor named Henry Percy. He was Jane Austen’s 10th great- grandfather, and Kate Middleton’s 16th great- grandfather. This makes the two women 11th cousins, six times removed.
Who was Henry Percy? He was born in 1392 at Alnwick Castle, which was located in Northumberland, England. His parents were Sir Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland and Lady Elizabeth Mortimer.
He became the 2nd Earl of Northumberland, and was involved in the Wars of the Roses. His wife was Eleanor Neville, and they had five children together: Henry Percy 3rd Earl of Northumberland, Thomas Percy 1st Barron of Egremont, Lady Katherine Percy, Sir Ralph Percy, and William Percy. He was a 2nd great-grandson to King Edward III. Henry Percy died in May of 1455.
It is interesting that Jane Austen is related to Kate Middleton. Jane wrote stories that had many themes to them, and where characters found their true loves (often after some strife). Kate married a Prince, had a gigantic Royal Wedding, and is presumed to continue on to live “happily ever after”.
Image by Thalita Carvalho on Flickr