Who's who on the Queen's family tree?

Romance, scandal, tragedy. Queen Elizabeth II’s family history has seen it all. There's no denying that certain individuals on the Queen’s royal family tree have led privileged but dramatic lives. You only have to binge-watch a season of The Crown to realise that.

How well do you know each of the Queen’s ancestors and descendants? We’ve built a couple of royal family trees to give you all the facts you need on the Royal Family, including who’s related to who, their relationship to the Queen and the stories they'll be remembered for.

First, let's take a look at the Queen's direct ancestry, stretching back four generations into the early 1800s.

The Queen's family tree

Queen Elizabeth II was born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on April 21, 1926 in Mayfair, London.

King George VI

The Queen’s father, George VI was King from 1936 until his death in 1952. He served in the military during the First World War and was seen as a popular symbol of British resilience while he reigned throughout the Second World War. George never expected to become King. He only ascended the throne after his elder brother, King Edward VIII, abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson.

The Queen Mother

Born Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon, most of us know King George VI’s wife as The Queen Mother. Seen by many as the matriarch of the modern royals, The Queen Mother was a consistently popular member of the British Monarchy throughout her life. She was 101 years old when she died, just a few weeks after her daughter, Princess Margaret.

King George V

The Queen’s paternal grandfather reigned as King from 1910 until 1936. His time on the throne was set against the backdrop of a series of world-changing events including the First World War, the suffrage movement and the rise of fascism. George V was the first monarch of the House of Windsor.

Queen Mary

It’s easy to see why Queen Mary carried such a shortened title. Her full name is a real mouthful - Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes. Yet, her family simply knew her as ‘May’. Before she married George V, Queen Mary was actually engaged to his elder brother, Prince Albert Victor, but he died unexpectedly before they could marry. Queen Mary's death came just a few weeks before her granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned.

Claude Bowes-Lyon

The Queen Mother's father and Queen's grandfather was 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, a.k.a. Lord Glamis. He owned large estates in England and Scotland and enjoyed working on his land. His younger brother, Patrick, won the Wimbledon doubles tennis tournament in 1887.

Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck

The Queen’s maternal grandmother was the eldest daughter of a reverend. With a preference for a quiet family life, she was known for her outstanding hosting skills, piano playing and keen interest in gardening. In 1938, Cecilia suffered a heart attack during her granddaughter, Anne-Bowes-Lyon’s wedding and died a few weeks later.

King Edward VII

Eldest son of the formidable Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Edward ascended the throne when his mother died in 1901 and only reigned for nine years. With a reputation as a playboy prince, Edward’s relationship with his mother was sometimes strained. Edward VII is a paternal great-grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II’s, making Queen Victoria her great-great-grandmother.

Queen Alexandra of Denmark

1863 was a momentous year for Queen Alexandra and her family. She married Edward VII, her father became King of Denmark and her brother became King of Greece, all within a few months of each other. She held the title of Princess of Wales longer than anyone in history, and much like Princess Diana, who also held that prestigious moniker, Alexandra was admired for her fashion sense.

Francis, Duke of Teck

Francis was Austrian nobility who married into the British Royal Family. He had a distinguished military career in Austria, Germany and Britain. His only daughter, ‘May’ married George V and became Queen Mary in 1893.

Princess Mary Adelaide

Queen Mary’s mother and Queen Elizabeth II’s paternal great-grandmother was, in many respects, a pioneering member of the British Royal Family. She dedicated much of her life to charity, yet enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle that saw her family rack up crippling debts. Regrettably, Princess Mary didn’t live long enough to see her only daughter become Queen.

Claude Bowes-Lyon

Claude Bowes-Lyon, like his son after him, held the title of Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne. He changed the family name from Lyon-Bowes to Bowes-Lyon and was also a standout cricket player.

Frances Dora Smith

The paternal grandmother of The Queen Mother (and great-grandmother of The Queen) had 11 eleven children and outlived her husband, Claude Bowes-Lyon, by 18 years.

Charles Cavendish-Bentinck

Born: November 8, 1817.

Died: August 17, 1865.

Father: Lord Charles Bentinck.

Mother: Anne Wellesley.

Spouses: Sinetta Lambourne and Caroline Louisa Burnaby.

Children: Charles William, Charles, Cecilia, Ann Violet and Hyacinth Sinetta.

Siblings: Georgiana, Anne Hyacinthe, Emily and Arthur.

The Queen Mother’s maternal grandfather was a priest who married twice.

Caroline Louisa Burnaby

Born: December 5, 1832.

Died: July 6, 1918.

Father: Edwyn Burnaby.

Mother: Anne Caroline Salisbury.

Spouses: Charles Cavendish-Bentinck and Harry Warren Scott.

Children: Cecilia, Ann Violet and Hyacinth Sinetta.

Siblings: Edwyn, Cecilia, Gertrude and Ida. 

Like her first husband, Caroline Louisa married twice. She was also widowed twice. Caroline Louisa Burnaby is a maternal great-grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Royal family tree today

Looking back at the Queen’s genealogy is fascinating but delving into her modern family ties is arguably even more so. As Netflix series The Crown proves, life has been far from straightforward for the Queen and her closest relatives over the last few decades.

Prince Philip

Prince Philip has been dutifully by the Queen’s side since they married in 1947. He was actually born in Greece but his family were exiled from there while he was a young child. A Second World War veteran, Philip is now the oldest-ever male member of the British Monarchy.

Princess Margaret

The Queen’s younger sister and only sibling led quite the colorful life. After a controversial relationship with Captain Peter Townsend, she married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960. The marriage fell apart in 1978 amid rumours of Margaret’s extra-marital affairs. A heavy smoker, much of Margaret's later years were dogged by ill-health.

Prince Charles

The heir apparent to the British throne is arguably one of the most divisive members of the British Royal Family. On the one hand, he’s widely praised by the public for his ongoing community work and sense of duty. However, his troubled marriage to the ever-popular Princess Diana has also led to criticism from some.

Princess Anne

The Queen’s only daughter was once second in line to the throne but as the Royal family has grown, she's been pushed further down the accession list. Known for her equestrian skills, she was the first member of the British Monarchy to compete at the Olympics. She’s been married twice, divorced and was even objected to a kidnapping attempt in the 1970s.

Prince Andrew

Prince Andrew saw active military service during the Falklands War. He’s also another of the Queen’s children whose marriage ended in divorce. In more recent times, he’s been at the centre of controversy surrounding his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender.

Prince Edward

The youngest of the Queen’s four children has taken on many of his father’s official duties since Prince Philip retired in 2017. Early in life, he dropped out of the military to pursue a career in entertainment, eventually establishing a now-defunct TV production company.

Have you got royal ancestry?

Discover the records you need to find blue blood in your past and delve into our fascinating Royal Archives records, to see if your family served the monarchy.

Cover image: Flickr/Government of Alberta.

All other images: Wikimedia Commons.