Royal Author Claims King Charles and Donald Trump Are Supposedly Cousins
King Charles and Donald Trump Are Supposedly 15th Cousins
One can’t possibly imagine that two of the world’s most influential figures actually share family ties, but that appears to be the case with King Charles and US President Donald Trump. Royal author Robert Hardman made this surprising claim in a recent piece for the Daily Mail. King Charles and Donald Trump reportedly share a common ancestor — the 3rd Earl of Lennox, a Scottish nobleman — making them supposedly 15th cousins.
Family Ties
Hardman wrote, “We know that the avowedly royalist President Trump already regards the King as 'a great guy' and 'a fighter' - he told me so himself recently - but his affection for the monarch and the Royal Family may now become even more pronounced when he learns that he and the King share descent from the same Scottish nobleman.” Interestingly, this unexpected family connection could further strengthen Trump’s admiration for the monarch and the Royal Family.
The Originals
The common ancestry between Charles and Trump was discovered due to the Daily Mail’s “detailed research.” Although the revelation is a sensational surprise, the story of the Earl of Lennox is rather tragic. As per Hardman, he “met an unfortunate end” after being caught in a “vicious” power struggle with then-infant King James V. The Earl was later defeated at the Battle of Linlithgow Bridge in 1526 and was captured and killed by a rival laird, the Bastard of Arran. Although he met an untimely end, he left behind an heir — the 4th Earl of Lennox.
Royal Bloodline
Connecting Charles’ ancestry to the 3rd Earl of Lennox is relatively straightforward. The Earl’s grandson, Lord Darnley, went on to marry Mary, Queen of Scots, and had a child who became King James I, the founder of the Stuart dynasty. The latter’s granddaughter, Sophia, was named the heir to the British throne, and her son, George I, founded the House of Hanover. The name of the line changed to Saxe-Coburg and Gotha after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s son, King Edward VII, took over the throne. The name of the ruling house was once again changed in 1917. This time to Windsor, due to the anti-German sentiments in the Great War. Charles is obviously a descendant of the same family tree.
Crossing the Atlantic
As with Trump, the ancestry takes a trans-Atlantic leap. The 3rd Earl of Lennox’s great-granddaughter, Lady Jane, married the chief of the Scottish Highland Clan Mackay. The couple’s lineage continued through Mackays and McLeods, one of the descendants of which was Mary Anne McLeod. In 1930, Mary Anne travelled to the US for a new life and married Fred Trump. The pair had five children, among whom was the future US President.
Diplomatic Tool
Charles is currently in the United States on an official state visit that is widely believed to be a diplomatic ploy to repair the fractured ties between the UK and the US. However, it is left to be seen if their shared family relations aid the monarch in any way.