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Beyoncé
- It should come as no surprise that Beyoncé, a highly successful musical artist, is actually related to one of the most renowned composers in history.
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Gustav Mahler
- Beyoncé has ancestral ties to Austrian composer Gustav Mahler, dating back to the 19th century.
© Getty Images
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Robert Pattinson
- Robert Pattinson gained fame for his portrayal of vampire Edward Cullen in the 'Twilight' film franchise.
© Getty Images
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Vlad Dracula
- He is a direct descendant of Vlad III, the infamous Romanian ruler also recognized as Vlad Dracula or Vlad the Impaler. He gained notoriety for his ruthless leadership style and served as the muse behind Bram Stoker's iconic character, 'Dracula'.
© Public Domain
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George Clooney
- Actor George Clooney is related to a renowned US president from history, according to reports.
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Abraham Lincoln
- He is linked to Abraham Lincoln through Lucy Hanks, who was Lincoln's maternal grandmother.
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Cindy Crawford
- Supermodel Cindy Crawford has a close kinship with an illustrious American writer and a prominent figure from the Middle Ages, both widely recognized.
© Getty Images
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Ernest Hemingway
- Her connection to Ernest Hemingway comes through her ancestor, Frank Hemingway.
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Charlemagne
- Looking back even further, Crawford also has a connection to Charlemagne. Also called Charles the Great, he was an emperor from the Middle Ages who unified Europe.
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Sharon Stone - Just like Crawford, film icon Sharon Stone is also a descendant of Charlemagne. The discovery was made during her appearance on the ancestry show 'Finding Your Roots.'
© Getty Images
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Helena Bonham Carter
- Helena Bonham Carter truly exudes the aura of having fascinating family members!
© GettyImages
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H. H. Asquith
- Her great-grandfather, Herbert Henry Asquith, served as the prime minister of Britain from 1908 to 1916, leading during the onset of World War I.
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Violet Bonham Carter
- Helena Bonham Carter's grandmother, Violet, played a significant role as well. As a politician and diarist, she actively opposed fascism during Hitler's ascent to power and found her name listed in his "black book" of targeted individuals for arrest.
© Getty Images
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Kit Harrington
- Kit Harrington is connected to Robert Catesby, a renowned English Catholic rebel. Harrington's middle name is Catesby, and he portrayed his ancestor in the HBO miniseries 'Gunpowder.'
© Getty Images
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Robert Catesby
- Robert Catesby played a significant role in the late 16th century, a time when the English government was oppressing Catholics. As the leader of the Gunpowder Plot, Catesby aimed to detonate King James I and parliament. Unfortunately, the plot was foiled when one of his fellow conspirators, Guy Fawkes, was apprehended in the act. Consequently, Catesby and the conspirators faced execution as a consequence of their actions.
© Getty Images
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Anderson Cooper
- Anderson Cooper, a CNN anchor, is the son of the late Gloria Vanderbilt, a member of the affluent Vanderbilt family.
© NL Beeld
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Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt
- Cooper, the descendant of Cornelius Vanderbilt, renowned for founding the Vanderbilt empire, is his great-great-great-grandson.
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Harry Lloyd
- Actor Harry Lloyd, famously recognized as Viserys Targaryen in 'Game of Thrones,' has kinship with a prominent figure in literary history.
© Getty Images
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Charles Dickens
- Lloyd is a descendant of Charles Dickens.
© Getty Images
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Cary Elwes
- On that note, an ancestor of actor Cary Elwes inspired Charles Dickens' most famous character: Ebenezer Scrooge.
© Getty Images
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John Elwes
- John Elwes was a British member of parliament who had inherited extreme wealth, but he hated to spend money and lived in worn-out clothes and a cold house. It's easy to see Dickens' inspiration for Scrooge here!
© Getty Images
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Christopher Plummer
- Christopher Plummer had a career that lasted seven decades and he will always be remembered fondly.
© NL Beeld
22 / 26 Fotos
Sir John Abbott
- The great-grandfather of the Canadian actor served as Canada's prime minister for a year until his health deteriorated. Despite his long government service, Sir John Abbott once expressed his disdain for politics.
© Public Domain
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King Princess
- King Princess, a singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, has strong ties to her birthplace as her great-great-grandfather, Isidor Straus, owned the renowned Macy's department store.
© Getty Images
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Isidor and Ida Straus
- Isidor Straus and his wife Ida perished during the well-known ill-fated journey of the Titanic in 1912.
Fancy knowing more about ancestors? Check this one: Celebrities you didn't know had royal ancestors
© Getty Images
25 / 26 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 26 Fotos
Beyoncé
- It should come as no surprise that Beyoncé, a highly successful musical artist, is actually related to one of the most renowned composers in history.
© Getty Images
1 / 26 Fotos
Gustav Mahler
- Beyoncé has ancestral ties to Austrian composer Gustav Mahler, dating back to the 19th century.
© Getty Images
2 / 26 Fotos
Robert Pattinson
- Robert Pattinson gained fame for his portrayal of vampire Edward Cullen in the 'Twilight' film franchise.
© Getty Images
3 / 26 Fotos
Vlad Dracula
- He is a direct descendant of Vlad III, the infamous Romanian ruler also recognized as Vlad Dracula or Vlad the Impaler. He gained notoriety for his ruthless leadership style and served as the muse behind Bram Stoker's iconic character, 'Dracula'.
© Public Domain
4 / 26 Fotos
George Clooney
- Actor George Clooney is related to a renowned US president from history, according to reports.
© Getty Images
5 / 26 Fotos
Abraham Lincoln
- He is linked to Abraham Lincoln through Lucy Hanks, who was Lincoln's maternal grandmother.
© Getty Images
6 / 26 Fotos
Cindy Crawford
- Supermodel Cindy Crawford has a close kinship with an illustrious American writer and a prominent figure from the Middle Ages, both widely recognized.
© Getty Images
7 / 26 Fotos
Ernest Hemingway
- Her connection to Ernest Hemingway comes through her ancestor, Frank Hemingway.
© Getty Images
8 / 26 Fotos
Charlemagne
- Looking back even further, Crawford also has a connection to Charlemagne. Also called Charles the Great, he was an emperor from the Middle Ages who unified Europe.
© Getty Images
9 / 26 Fotos
Sharon Stone - Just like Crawford, film icon Sharon Stone is also a descendant of Charlemagne. The discovery was made during her appearance on the ancestry show 'Finding Your Roots.'
© Getty Images
10 / 26 Fotos
Helena Bonham Carter
- Helena Bonham Carter truly exudes the aura of having fascinating family members!
© GettyImages
11 / 26 Fotos
H. H. Asquith
- Her great-grandfather, Herbert Henry Asquith, served as the prime minister of Britain from 1908 to 1916, leading during the onset of World War I.
© Getty Images
12 / 26 Fotos
Violet Bonham Carter
- Helena Bonham Carter's grandmother, Violet, played a significant role as well. As a politician and diarist, she actively opposed fascism during Hitler's ascent to power and found her name listed in his "black book" of targeted individuals for arrest.
© Getty Images
13 / 26 Fotos
Kit Harrington
- Kit Harrington is connected to Robert Catesby, a renowned English Catholic rebel. Harrington's middle name is Catesby, and he portrayed his ancestor in the HBO miniseries 'Gunpowder.'
© Getty Images
14 / 26 Fotos
Robert Catesby
- Robert Catesby played a significant role in the late 16th century, a time when the English government was oppressing Catholics. As the leader of the Gunpowder Plot, Catesby aimed to detonate King James I and parliament. Unfortunately, the plot was foiled when one of his fellow conspirators, Guy Fawkes, was apprehended in the act. Consequently, Catesby and the conspirators faced execution as a consequence of their actions.
© Getty Images
15 / 26 Fotos
Anderson Cooper
- Anderson Cooper, a CNN anchor, is the son of the late Gloria Vanderbilt, a member of the affluent Vanderbilt family.
© NL Beeld
16 / 26 Fotos
Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt
- Cooper, the descendant of Cornelius Vanderbilt, renowned for founding the Vanderbilt empire, is his great-great-great-grandson.
© Getty Images
17 / 26 Fotos
Harry Lloyd
- Actor Harry Lloyd, famously recognized as Viserys Targaryen in 'Game of Thrones,' has kinship with a prominent figure in literary history.
© Getty Images
18 / 26 Fotos
Charles Dickens
- Lloyd is a descendant of Charles Dickens.
© Getty Images
19 / 26 Fotos
Cary Elwes
- On that note, an ancestor of actor Cary Elwes inspired Charles Dickens' most famous character: Ebenezer Scrooge.
© Getty Images
20 / 26 Fotos
John Elwes
- John Elwes was a British member of parliament who had inherited extreme wealth, but he hated to spend money and lived in worn-out clothes and a cold house. It's easy to see Dickens' inspiration for Scrooge here!
© Getty Images
21 / 26 Fotos
Christopher Plummer
- Christopher Plummer had a career that lasted seven decades and he will always be remembered fondly.
© NL Beeld
22 / 26 Fotos
Sir John Abbott
- The great-grandfather of the Canadian actor served as Canada's prime minister for a year until his health deteriorated. Despite his long government service, Sir John Abbott once expressed his disdain for politics.
© Public Domain
23 / 26 Fotos
King Princess
- King Princess, a singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, has strong ties to her birthplace as her great-great-grandfather, Isidor Straus, owned the renowned Macy's department store.
© Getty Images
24 / 26 Fotos
Isidor and Ida Straus
- Isidor Straus and his wife Ida perished during the well-known ill-fated journey of the Titanic in 1912.
Fancy knowing more about ancestors? Check this one: Celebrities you didn't know had royal ancestors
© Getty Images
25 / 26 Fotos
Famous people whose ancestors made history
Greatness appears to be hereditary in those families
© Getty Images
It can be surprising to discover that certain famous individuals are not as well-known as their own relatives. With the help of advancements in science and popular television shows such as 'Who Do You Think You Are?', numerous celebrities have been able to delve into their family history and uncover some fascinating ancestral connections. In such instances, greatness undeniably appears to run in the family.
Check the link to explore which celebrities possess extraordinary ancestors.
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