Particle.news
Download on the App Store

William and Kate Linked to Chris de Burgh Through Medieval Lineage, UK Reports Say

New genealogy coverage traces the connection via Edward III’s descendants through Agnes Gascoigne’s marriage to Sir Thomas Fairfax.

Overview

  • Daily Mail and GB News report that the Prince and Princess of Wales share a distant ancestral link with Irish singer Chris de Burgh.
  • The reported line runs back to King Edward III and Philippa of Hainault, with the key junction identified as Agnes Gascoigne’s marriage to Sir Thomas Fairfax.
  • Research cited by the outlets places William and Kate as fifteenth cousins through different descendants of the Fairfax family.
  • Kate’s connection to de Burgh was first highlighted at a 2013 BBC Who Do You Think You Are? genealogy event, where the musician said he had been unaware of the distant tie.
  • Some details are presented with limited corroboration, including the Daily Mail’s note on rumored school choices and its claim that de Burgh attended Princess Diana’s 1997 funeral.