Queen Elizabeth II present sovereign of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, is the daughter of George VI, the second-eldest son of George V and Mary of Teck; and of Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later Queen Elizabeth, and, after her daughter's accession to the throne, the Queen Mother), the daughter of Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne and his wife, Cecilia Bowes-Lyon, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne.
Queen Elizabeth II is the male-line great-granddaughter of Edward VII, who inherited the crown from his mother, Queen Victoria. His father, Victoria's consort, was Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; hence Queen Elizabeth is a patrilineal descendant of Albert's family, the German princely House of Wettin. (Other notable members of this house are King Albert II of Belgium, former King Michael of Romania and former King Simeon II of Bulgaria.) Traced as far as possible, Elizabeth's male-line ancestry stretches back to Conrad the Great of Meissen; see Patrilineal descent of Elizabeth II.
Through Victoria, as well as several other of her great-great-grandparents, Elizabeth is directly descended from many British royals: from the House of Stuart, from Mary, Queen of Scots; Robert the Bruce, and earlier Scottish royal houses; from the House of Tudor, and earlier English royal houses stretching back as far as the 7th century House of Wessex: one member of Wessex being Aethelflaed of Wessex's younger sister, Elfthryth.
As a great-great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, she is related to the heads of most other reigning and non-reigning European royal houses. Through her great-grandmother Queen Alexandra, she is descended from the Danish royal House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a line of the North German house of Oldenburg, one of the oldest in Europe. (Other members of the House of Glücksburg include Elizabeth's husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, as well as Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, King Harald V of Norway, Queen Sofía of Spain and former King Constantine II of Greece-—each of whom is also descended from Queen Victoria; one of her many cousins is King Juan Carlos I of Spain, also a great-great-grandson of Victoria.) Elizabeth is likewise descendant of Johan Willem Friso, Prince of Orange (1687–1711), who is the most recent common ancestor to all reigning European royal houses.
Elizabeth bears lineage from, amongst others, Armenian, Arab, British, Chinese, Cuman, Danish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Monégasque, Norwegian, Old Prussian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Swedish, Ukrainian, and Yugoslavian ethnicities.
Ancestor Table
This table sets out the ancestry of Queen Elizabeth II for eight generations, numbered according to the Ahnentafel genealogical numbering system.
- 1. Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Generation 2 (Parents)
- 2. George VI .
- 3. Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Generation 3 (Grandparents)
- 4. George V of the United Kingdom (father of 2)
- 5. Princess Mary of Teck (mother of 2)
- 6. Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne (father of 3)
- 7. Cecilia Bowes-Lyon, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne (mother of 3)
Generation 4 (Great-Grandparents)
- 8. Edward VII of the United Kingdom (father of 4)
- 9. Princess Alexandra of Denmark (mother of 4)
- 10. Francis, Duke of Teck (father of 5)
- 11. Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge (mother of 5)
- 12. Claude Bowes-Lyon, 13th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne (father of 6)
- 13. Frances Dora Smith (mother of 6)
- 14. Reverend Charles Cavendish-Bentinck (father of 7) - 2nd marriage
- 15. Caroline Louisa Burnaby (mother of 7)
Generation 5 (2nd Great-Grandparents)
- 16. Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (father of 8)
- 17. Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom (mother of 8)
- 18. Christian IX of Denmark (father of 9)
- 19. Louise of Hesse-Kassel (mother of 9
- 20. Duke Alexander of Württemberg (father of 10)
- 21. Countess Claudine Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde (mother of 10)
- 22. Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge (father of 11)
- 23. Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel (mother of 11)
- 24. Thomas Lyon-Bowes, Lord Glamis (father of 12)
- 25. Charlotte Grimstead (mother of 12)
- 26. Oswald Smith (father of 13)
- 27. Henrietta Mildred Hodgson (mother of 13)
- 28. Lord Charles Bentinck (father of 14)
- 29. Anne Wellesley, former Lady Abdy (mother of 14)
- 30. Edwyn Burnaby (father of 15)
- 31. Anne Caroline Salisbury (mother of 15)
Generation 6 (3rd Great-Grandparents)
- 32. Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (father of 16)
- 33. Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (mother of 16)
- 34. Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (father of 17)
- 35. Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Dowager Princess of Leiningen (mother of 17)
- 36. Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg (father of 18)
- 37. Landgravine Louise Caroline of Hesse-Kassel (mother of 18)
- 38. Landgrave William of Hesse-Kassel (father of 19)
- 39. Princess Louise Charlotte of Denmark (mother of 19)
- 40. Duke Louis of Württemberg (father of 20)
- 41. Princess Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg (mother of 20)
- 42. Count Ladislaus Rhédey von Kis-Rhéde (father of 21)
- 43. Baroness Agnes Inczedy de Nagy-Várad (mother of 21)
- 44. George III of the United Kingdom (father of 22)
- 45. Duchess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (mother of 22)
- 46. Landgrave Frederick of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) (father of 23)
- 47. Princess Caroline of Nassau-Usingen (mother of 23)
- 48. Thomas Lyon-Bowes, 11th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne (father of 24)
- 49. Mary Carpenter (mother of 24)
- 50. Joseph Valentine Grimstead (father of 25)
- 51. Charlotte Jane Sarah Walsh (mother of 25)
- 52. George Smith (father of 26)
- 53. Frances Mary Mosley (mother of 26)
- 54. Reverend Robert Hodgson (father of 27)
- 55. Mary Tucker (mother of 27)
- 56. William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland (father of 28)
- 57. Lady Dorothy Cavendish (mother of 28)
- 58. Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley (father of 29)
- 59. Hyacinth Roland (mother of 29)
- 60. Edwin Andrew Burnaby (father of 30)
- 61. Mary Browne (mother of 30)
- 62. Thomas Salisbury (father of 31)
- 63. Frances Webb (mother of 31)
Generation 7 (4th Great-Grandparents)
- 64. Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (father of 32)
- 65. Countess Augusta Reuss of Ebersdorf (mother of 32)
- 66. Augustus, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (father of 33)
- 67. Duchess Louise Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (mother of 33)
- 68. George III of the United Kingdom (father of 34), same person as 44
- 69. Duchess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (mother of 34), same person as 45
- 70. same person as 64
- 71. same person as 65
- 72. Friedrich Karl Ludwig, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck (father of 36)
- 73. Countess Friederike of Schlieben (mother of 36)
- 74. Prince Charles of Hesse-Kassel (father of 37)
- 75. Princess Louise of Denmark and Norway (mother of 37)
- 76. Prince Frederick of Hesse-Kassel (father of 38), same person as 46
- 77. Princess Caroline of Nassau-Usingen (mother of 38), same person as 47
- 78. Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Denmark and Norway (father of 39)
- 79. Duchess Sophia Frederica of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (mother of 39)
- 80. Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg (father of 40)
- 81. Margravine Sophia Dorothea of Brandenburg-Schwedt (mother of 40)
- 82. Charles Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg (father of 41)
- 83. Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau (mother of 41)
- 84. Count Mihály Rhédy von Kis-Rhéde (father of 42)
- 85. Countess Terézia Bánffy de Losoncz (mother of 42)
- 86. Baron Gergely Inczédy de Nagy-Várad (father of 43)
- 87. Baroness Karoline Barcsay de Nagy-Barcsa (mother of 43)
- 88. Frederick, Prince of Wales (father of 44)
- 89. Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha (mother of 44)
- 90. Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg (father of 45)
- 91. Princess Elizabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen (mother of 45)
- 92. Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (father of 46)
- 93. Princess Mary of Great Britain (mother of 46)
- 94. Charles William, Prince of Nassau-Usingen (father of 47)
- 95. Countess Caroline Felizitas of Leiningen-Dagsburg (mother of 47)
- 96. John Bowes, 9th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne (father of 48)
- 97. Mary Bowes, Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne (mother of 48)
- 98. George Carpenter (father of 49)
- 99. Mary Elizabeth Walsh (mother of 49)
- 104. Abel Smith (father of 52)
- 105. Mary Bird (mother of 52)
- 106. Sir John Parker Mosley, 1st Baronet (father of 53)
- 107. Elizabeth Bayley (mother of 53)
- 108. Robert Hodgson (father of 54)
- 110. Colonel Martin Tucker (father of 55)
- 112. William Bentinck, 2nd Duke of Portland (father of 56)
- 113. Lady Margaret Harley (mother of 56)
- 114. William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire (father of 57)
- 115. Charlotte Boyle (mother of 57)
- 116. Garret Wesley, 1st Earl of Mornington (father of 58)
- 117. Anne Hill-Trevor (mother of 58)
- 118.
- 119.
- 120.
- 121.
- 122.
- 123.
- 124.
- 125.
- 126.
- 127.
Generation 8 (5th Great-Grandparents)
- 128. Ernst Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (father of 64)
- 129. Sophia Antonia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (mother of 64)
- 130. Heinrich XXIV, Count Reuss of Ebersdorf (father of 65)
- 131. Karoline Ernestine of Erbach-Schönberg (mother of 65)
- 132. Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (father of 66)
- 133. Charlotte of Saxe-Meiningen (mother of 66)
- 134. Frederick Francis I, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (father of 67)
- 135. Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (mother of 67)
- 136. Frederick, Prince of Wales (father of 68), same person as 88
- 137. Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha (mother of 68), same person as 89
- 138. Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg (father of 69), same person as 90
- 139. Princess Elizabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen (mother of 69), same person as 91
- 140. same person as 128
- 141. same person as 129
- 142. same person as 130
- 143. same person as 131
- 144. Karl Anton August, Prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck (father of 72)
- 145. Countess Charlotte of Dohna-Schlodien (mother of 72)
- 146. Count Charles Leopold von Schlieben (father of 73)
- 147. Countess Maria Eleonore of Lehndorff (mother of 73)
- 148. Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (father of 74 & 76), same person as 92
- 149. Princess Mary of Great Britain (mother of 74 & 76), same person as 93
- 150. Frederick V of Denmark (father of 75 & 78)
- 151. Princess Louise of Great Britain (mother of 75)
- 152. same person as 148
- 153. same person as 149
- 154. Charles William, Prince of Nassau-Usingen (father of 77), same person as 94
- 155. Countess Caroline Felizitas of Leiningen-Dagsburg (mother of 77), same person as 95
- 156. same person as 150
- 157. Duchess Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (mother of 78)
- 158. Duke Louis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (father of 79)
- 159. Princess Charlotte Sophie of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (mother of 79)
- 160. Karl Alexander, Duke of Württemberg (father of 80)
- 161. Princess Maria Augusta of Thurn and Taxis (mother of 80)
- 162. Margrave Frederick William of Brandenburg-Schwedt (father of 81)
- 163. Princess Sophia Dorothea of Prussia (mother of 81)
- 164. Charles August, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg (father of 82)
- 165. Augusta Frederika Wilhelmina of Nassau-Idstein (mother of 82)
- 166. William IV, Prince of Orange (father of 83)
- 167. Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange (mother of 83)
- 168. Count László Rhédy de Kis-Rhéde (father of 84)
- 169. Countess Mária Toroczkay de Toroczkó-Szent-György (mother of 84)
- 170. Count Boldizsár Bánffy de Losoncz (father of 85)
- 171. Krisztina Kemény de Magyar-Gyerö-Monostor (mother of 85)
- 172. Baron Gergely Inczédy de Nagy-Várad (father of 86)
- 173. Baroness Ágnes Kendeffy de Malmoviz (mother of 86)
- 174. Baron Péter Barcsay de Nagy-Barcsa (father of 87)
- 175. Baroness Terézia Inczédy de Nagy-Várad (mother of 87)
- 184. William VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (father of 92)
- 185. Dorothea Wilhelmine of Saxe-Zeitz (mother of 92)
- 186. George II of Great Britain (father of 93)
- 187. Caroline of Ansbach (mother of 93)
- 188. Charles, Prince of Nassau-Usingen (father of 94)
- 189. Christina Wilhelmina of Saxe-Eisenach (mother of 94)
- 190. Christian Karl Reinhard of Leiningen-Dachsburg-Falkenburg-Heidesheim (father of 95)
- 191. Katherine Polyxene of Solms-Rödelheim and Assenheim (mother of 95)
- 192. Thomas Lyon, 8th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne (father of 96)
- 193. Jean Nicholsen (mother of 96)
- 194. George Bowes (father of 97)
- 195. Mary Gilbert (mother of 97)
Generation 9 (6th Great-Grandparents)
- 256. Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (father of 128)
- 257. Anna Sophie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (mother of 128)
- 258. Ferdinand Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (father of 129)
- 259. Antoinette Amelie of Brunswick-Lüneburg (mother of 129)
- 260. Heinrich XXIX, Count of Reuss-Ebersdorf (father of 130)
- 261. Sophie Theodora of Castell-Remlingen (mother of 130)
- 262. George August, Count of Erbach-Schönberg (father of 131)
- 263. Ferdinande Henriette, Countess of Stolberg-Gedern (mother of 131)
- 264. Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (father of 132)
- 265. Luise Dorothea of Saxe-Meiningen (mother of 132)
- 266. Anton Ulrich, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (father of 133)
- 267. Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Philippsthal (mother of 133)
- )268. Duke Louis of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (father of 134)
- 269. Princess Charlotte Sophie of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (mother of 134)
- 270. Augustus, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (father of 135)
- 271. Louise Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (mother of 135)
- 288. Peter August, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck (father of 144)
- 289. Landgravine Sophie of Hesse-Philippsthal (mother of 144)
- 290. Albert Christoph, Count of Dohna-Schlodien in Leistenau (father of 145)
- 291. Princess Sophie Henriette of Schleswig-Holstein-Sønderburg-Beck (mother of 145)
- 292. George Adam, Count of Schlieben (father of 146)
- 293. Countess Katharina Dorothea Finck of Finckenstein (mother of 146)
- 294. Ahasverus Ernst, Count of Lehndorff (father of 147)
- 295. Marie Louise of Wallenrodt (mother of 147)
- 296. William VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (father of 148), same person as 184
- 297. Princess Dorothea Wilhelmine of Saxe-Zeitz (mother of 148), same person as 185
- 298. George II of Great Britain (father of 149 & 151), same person as 186
- 299. Margravine Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach (mother of 149 & 151), same person as 187
- 300. Christian VI of Denmark (father of 150)
- 301. Margravine Sophia Magdalena of Brandenburg-Culmbach (mother of 150)
- 302. same person as 298
- 303. same person as 299
- 304. same person as 296
- 305. same person as 297
- 306. same person as 298
- 307. same person as 299
- 308. Charles, Prince of Nassau-Usingen (father of 154), same person as 188
- 309. Princess Christiane Wilhelmine of Saxe-Eisenach (mother of 154), same person as 189
- 310. Christian Karl Reinhard of Leiningen-Dachsburg-Falkenburg-Heidesheim (father of 155), same person as 190
- 311. Countess Katharina Polyxena of Solms-Rödelheim and Assenheim (mother of 155), same person as 191
- 312. same person as 300
- 313. same person as 301
- 314. Ferdinand Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (father of 157)
- 315. Duchess Antoinette Amalie of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (mother of 157)
- 316. Christian Louis II, Duke of Mechlenburg-Schwerin (father of 158)
- 317. Duchess Gustave Caroline of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (mother of 158)
- 318. Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (father of 159)
- 319. Princess Anna Sophie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (mother of 159)
- 320. Frederick Charles, Duke of Württemberg-Winnental (father of 160)
- 321. Eleonore Juliane of Brandenburg-Ansbach (mother of 160)
- 322. Anselm Franz, 2nd Prince of Thurn and Taxis (father of 161)
- 323. Maria Ludovika Anna Franziska, Princess of Lobkowicz (mother of 161)
- 324. Philip William, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt (father of 162)
- 325. Princess Johanna Charlotte of Anhalt-Dessau (mother of 162)
- 326. Frederick William I of Prussia (father of 163)
- 327. Sophia Dorothea of Hanover (mother of 163)
- 328. John Ernst, Count of Nassau-Weilburg (father of 164)
- 329. Maria Polyxena of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Hartenburg (mother of 164)
- 330. George August, Count of Nassau-Idstein (father of 165)
- 331. Henriette Dorothea of Oettingen(mother of 165)
- 332. John William Friso, Prince of Orange (father of 166)
- 333. Landgravine Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel (mother of 166)
- 334. same person as 186 (father of 167)
- 335. same person as 187 (mother of 167
- 368. Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (father of 184)
- 369. Maria Amalia of Courland (mother of 184)
- 370. Maurice William, Duke of Saxe-Zeitz (father of 185)
- 371. Marie Amalie of Brandenburg (mother of 185)
- 372. George I of Great Britain (father of 186)
- 373. Sophia Dorothea of Celle (mother of 186)
- 374. John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (father of 187)
- 375. Princess Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach (mother of 187)
- 376. William Henry, Prince of Nassau-Usingen (father of 188)
- 377. Charlotte Amalie, Countess of Nassau-Dillenburg (mother of 188)
- 378. John William III, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach (father of 189)
- 379. Magdalene Sibylle of Saxe-Weissenfels (mother of 189)
- 380. John, Count of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg (father of 190)
- 381. Countess Johanna Magdalene of Hanau-Lichtenberg (mother of 190)
- 382. George Louis, Count of Solms-Rödelheim and Assenheim (father of 191)
- 383. Countess Charlotte Sybille Ahlefeldt (mother of 191)
- 384. John Lyon, 4th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne (father of 192)
- 395. Elizabeth Lyon, Countess of Strathmore (mother of 192)
Patrilineal descent
Elizabeth's patrilineal descent (the principle behind membership in Germanic royal houses) can be traced back through the generations—which means that if Elizabeth II were to choose an historically accurate house name it would be Wettin, as all her male-line ancestors have been members.
The line diverges from the British royal line at Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, and from then on follows his paternal ancestors.
Descent before Conrad the Great is taken from fabpedigree.com and may be inaccurate.
House of Wettin
- 1. Burkhard I, Duke of Thuringia, d. 870
- 2. Burchard, Duke of Thuringia, 836 - 908
- 3. (possibly) Burkhard III of Grabfeldgau, 866 - 913
- 4. Dedi I, Count in the Hessegau, 896 - 957
- 5. (probably) Dietrich I, Count of Wettin, d. 976
- 6. (possibly) Dedi II, Count in the Hessegau, 946 - 1009
- 7. Dietrich II, Margrave of Lower Lusatia, 991 - 1034
- 8. Thimo I, Count of Wettin, d. 1099
- 9. ¬¬ Thimo II the Brave, Count of Wettin, d. 1118
- 10. Conrad, Margrave of Meissen, 1098–1157
- 11. Otto II, Margrave of Meissen, 1125–1190
- 12. Dietrich I, Margrave of Meissen, 1162–1221
- 13. Henry III, Margrave of Meissen, c. 1215 - 1288
- 14. Albert II, Margrave of Meissen, 1240–1314
- 15. Frederick I, Margrave of Meissen, 1257–1323
- 16. Frederick II, Margrave of Meissen, 1310–1349
- 17. Frederick III, Landgrave of Thuringia, 1332–1381
- 18. Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, 1370–1428
- 19. Frederick II, Elector of Saxony, 1412–1464
- 20. Ernest, Elector of Saxony, 1441–1486
- 21. John, Elector of Saxony, 1468–1532
- 22. John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, 1503–1554
- 23. Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, 1530–1573
- 24. John II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, 1570–1605
- 25. Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha, 1601–1675
- 26. John Ernest IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, 1658–1729
- 27. Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, 1697–1764
- 28. Ernest Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, 1724–1800
- 29. Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, 1750–1806
- 30. Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 1784–1844
- 31. Albert, Prince Consort, 1819–1861
- 32. Edward VII of the United Kingdom, 1841–1910
- 33. George V of the United Kingdom, 1865–1936
- 34. George VI of the United Kingdom, 1895–1952
- 35. Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, 1926 -
The matrilineal descent of Elizabeth II can only be traced back clearly six generations, to Mary Garritt, mother of Frances Webb.
Ancestry chart of Elizabeth ll
- Ancestry Chart - Scroll down