Historically, royals often married relatives. Is this still the case today? Here's some expert insight on royal intermarriages—and the repercussions.
10 Royals Who Married Their Relatives
Updated on Apr. 22, 2025
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert: First cousins
Queen Victoria, who ruled from 1837 to 1901, and her husband, Prince Albert, were first cousins who shared the same grandfather, Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.
- Victoria: Victoria was the daughter of Francis’s daughter, Princess Victoria of Saxe Coburg-Saalfeld.
- Albert: Albert was the son of Francis’s son, Ernest III, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.
The match was encouraged, if not made, by their mutual uncle Leopold, the second son of Francis, and was intended to strengthen ties between the German states, Jain says.
“Historical royal marriages amongst family members were tightly woven into the public narrative and political strategy—they were not just matters of love or custom,” Jain says. “Even though they were first cousins, the marriage was acceptable at the time. The appearance of stability and togetherness was more important.”
But so much togetherness brings hereditary health risks. “Two of Victoria and Albert’s daughters were carriers of hemophilia, and their son Leopold died of complications related to the disorder,” Lloyd says. “It’s not certain whether intermarriage between cousins made this more likely,” but close genetic relationships are “sometimes thought to have contributed to the introduction of hemophilia into the British royal family, and eventually other royal families across Europe.”
King George IV and Caroline of Brunswick: First cousins
Just one generation prior, Queen Victoria’s uncle, George IV, who was king from 1820 to 1830, married his cousin Caroline.
- George IV: George IV was the son of King George III, who was the younger brother of Princess Augusta Frederica.
- Caroline: Caroline was the daughter of Princess Augusta Frederica.
Sharing a grandfather, George and Caroline were first cousins and not at all pleased with the prospect of marrying each other. But George had accumulated a large debt, and the monarchy needed an heir. The king agreed to pay off the debts if the younger George married Caroline and produced an heir. The couple reluctantly agreed to marry in 1795, and Caroline gave birth to a daughter, Princess Charlotte, less than a year later. Shortly thereafter, the couple separated permanently.
Princess Charlotte went on to marry Leopold of Saxe-Coburg in 1816, but after dying with no heir in 1817, her death kicked off a succession crisis. “This launched a baby race among the brothers,” Lloyd says, “which was won by the Duke of Kent, whose wife had a daughter in 1819. That baby girl would eventually take the throne as Queen Victoria.” And yes, Charlotte’s husband, Leopold, is the same aforementioned “Uncle Leopold” who paired Victoria with Albert.
King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra: Third cousins
Like his mother, Queen Victoria, King Edward VII also married his cousin, albeit a more distant one. In 1863, Edward VII, who was then known as Prince Albert Edward, married Alexandra of Denmark.
- Edward VII: Edward VII was the son of Queen Victoria, who was the great-granddaughter of King George III. And King George III was the son of King George II. Accordingly, King Edward VII was a great-great-grandson of King George II.
- Alexandra: Queen Alexandra, born Alexandra of Denmark, was a great-great-granddaughter of King George II. (Her great-grandmother, Princess Mary, was George II’s daughter.)
Sharing great-great grandparents made Edward VII and Alexandra third cousins. According to Lloyd, the wedding of Albert and Alexandra marked a milestone in royal family history: “The wedding was photographed—a first for British royal weddings,” she says. “Queen Alexandra was a keen photographer and took many photographs of the royal family.”
King George V and Queen Mary: Second cousins
Like his father, King Edward VII, and his grandmother, Queen Victoria, King George V, who ruled from 1936 to 1952, married a cousin—his second cousin, Mary of Teck.
- George V: George, the son of King Edward VII, was the great-grandson of King George III.
- Mary: Queen Mary, born Mary of Teck, was a great-granddaughter of King George III. Her mother, Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, was George III’s granddaughter; her father was one of George III’s youngest sons, Prince Adolphus of Cambridge.
Sharing a great-grandparent made George and Mary second cousins. And it was George’s grandmother, Queen Victoria, who made the match for him. But Mary was not intended for this grandson initially, instead being paired with George’s older brother, Albert Victor, who was in line for the throne. “When he died during their engagement, Queen Victoria simply moved on and had Mary become the wife of Albert Victor’s brother, George V,” Lloyd says.
Lloyd says the union eventually caused concern for other reasons. “Both George and Mary had strong German family ties, which became a problem during World War I,” Lloyd explains. “The king and queen led the effort to rebrand the British monarch as British, changing the family name of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Windsor—the name the royal family uses to this day.”
It was a turning point in royal history. “King George V and Queen Mary encouraged their sons to choose British wives, seeking to continue the trend toward a British family.”
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip: Third cousins and second cousins once removed
Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch in British history, and her husband, Prince Philip, shared a great-great-grandmother: Queen Victoria.
- Elizabeth II: Elizabeth is the great-granddaughter of King Edward VII, Queen Victoria’s son.
- Philip: Philip’s great-grandmother was Princess Alice, Queen Victoria’s daughter.
But the cousin connections don’t stop there. Elizabeth and Philip are also related through King Christian IX of Denmark.
- Elizabeth II: King Christian IX of Denmark was the father of Alexandra of Denmark, who married King Edward VII, Queen Victoria’s son. King Edward VII and Alexandra were Elizabeth’s great-grandparents. Therefore, King Christian IX of Denmark was Elizabeth’s great-great-grandfather.
- Philip: King Christian IX of Denmark was the father of Prince George I of Greece, who was the father of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark, who was Prince Philip’s father. Therefore, King Christian IX of Denmark was Prince Philip’s great-grandfather.
Prince Philip had the same great-grandfather as Queen Elizabeth’s father, making Philip and Elizabeth second cousins once removed. If you think things are getting complicated and riskier with all of this genetic overlap, you’re right!
“The monarchy’s PR machinery presented their marriage as a post-war symbol of continuity, subtly downplaying their blood ties,” Jain says. “However, the long-term effects of several cousin marriages were inevitable, and Victoria’s descendants were plagued by hemophilia, also referred to as the ‘Royal Disease.’”
King George VI and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon: 13th cousins
Queen Elizabeth II’s parents were King George VI and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, called Queen Elizabeth during George’s reign and later, the queen mother.
- King George VI: His 12th great-grandfather was Henry Tudor, who became King Henry VII. George’s ties to Henry were through Henry’s daughter Mary.
- Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon: Her 12th great-grandfather was also Henry VII, but Elizabeth is related through Henry’s daughter Margaret.
Keeping things in the family was significant for several reasons that reflected the royal family’s goals of the time of George and Elizabeth’s marriage.
“After the lengths to which the royals went during World War I to change the name of the family, and strip titles from German relatives, there was a new focus on marrying women that could uphold the British nature of the family—rather than foreign royals—to preserve the royal bloodline,” Lloyd says.
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon fit the bill. “She was hardly a commoner, born into the family of Lord Glamis, who was later the Earl of Strathmore and recognized in the Peerage of Scotland,” Lloyd explains. “Their marriage was famously strong and is sometimes seen as integral to the continuation of the monarchy after the scandals involving the abdication of George’s brother, Edward VIII.”
Henry VII and Elizabeth of York: Third cousins
King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York shared a great-great-grandparent, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. This makes them third cousins.
- Elizabeth of York: Elizabeth descended from John of Gaunt’s daughter, Joan Beaufort.
- Henry VII: Henry descended from John of Gaunt’s son, John Beaufort.
Lloyd says the pairing made sense for the monarchy. “This marriage was designed to bring an end to the war between cousins for the right to the English crown.” It was also a pivotal moment for the monarchy, as the marriage formed the beginning of the Tudor dynasty, Lloyd says.
Another interesting fact that gets lost to royal history: “Elizabeth actually had a stronger claim to the throne,” Lloyd says, “but no one thought a woman should be ruler!”
Charles and Diana: Seventh cousins, once removed
King Charles III and his late first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, are yet another example of royals who married their relatives. These two were seventh cousins once removed via William Cavendish, third Duke of Devonshire.
- Charles: Charles descended from William, fourth Duke of Devonshire, a son of the third duke.
- Diana: Diana descended from Lady Elizabeth Cavendish, a daughter of the third duke.
Charles also has a cousin connection with his second wife, Queen Camilla. They are believed to be second cousins once removed, through King Edward VII.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge: 11th cousins, once removed
Although Kate Middleton is considered a commoner, she is distantly related to her husband, Prince William. They are 11th cousins once removed, via Sir William Blakiston, a baronet, whose peerage Kate was not eligible to inherit.
While they are technically related, Lloyd says that this marriage between a royal and someone with strong roots in Britain, ties to the gentry and from an upper-middle-class family is evidence of the shift away from marrying royal relatives.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex: Distant cousins
For a very recent example of royals who married their relatives, look no further than Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, who are distant cousins. The couple is genetically linked—in more than 200 ways—through an ancestor of the late queen mother.
But Harry marrying Meghan is further evidence that changes are afoot when it comes to royal marriages. Historically, it was less about romance and more about power preservation and public image, Jain says. “European monarchies treated marriage like a geopolitical chess move—uniting kingdoms, consolidating influence and keeping wealth ‘in the family.’”
Intermarriage was also a way to reinforce the notion of a “pure” and superior bloodline. “In times when the public’s trust in monarchy was closely linked to ancestry and symbols, this was vital,” Jain explains. “Commoners were considered unworthy of the throne; therefore, relatives became the default suitors.” But while this strategy bolstered alliances, it also bred genetic vulnerabilities and public scrutiny.
Recent royal generations have been more careful to avoid those repercussions of intermarriage, Jain says, “shifting the monarchy’s narrative toward modernity, relatability and health-conscious succession.”
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Sources:
- Carol Ann Lloyd, British historian, author of The Tudors by Numbers and host of British History: Royals, Rebels, and Romantics; interviewed, April 2025
- Nikki Jain, founder and CEO of The Sprout PR; interviewed, April 2025
- U.K. Parliament Archive: “The Queen Caroline Affair”
- National Trust: “The History of Princess Charlotte”
- American Ancestors: “The Royal Ancestry of Meghan Markle”
