Dakota and Elle Fanning have royal blood

ctresses Dakota and Elle Fanning are reportedly distant cousins of Britain’s Kate Middleton, according to
Actresses Dakota and Elle Fanning are reportedly distant cousins of Britain’s Kate Middleton.

Researchers at Ancestry.com have found that the sisters, who were born in Georgia and have starred in a number of major films, may share blood with British royalty after looking through seven centuries of family trees.

The ancestry site claims the siblings are descendants of King Edward III, who ruled England for nearly 50 years from 1330 to 1376, through their mother Heather Joy (née Arrington), who is a retired professional tennis player.

Elle, 16, who plays Princess Aurora in Disney’s ‘Maleficent’ and Dakota, 20, would therefore rank as 22nd great-grandchildren of King Edward III.

Michelle Ercanbrack, a family historian for the site, told People.com: “Generation after generation, the lines we looked at pieced back directly to King Edward III proving that Elle is a direct descendant of royalty. You can consider her a long-lost princess. This connection is so unique and rare.”

If the researchers are correct it would mean King Edward I, also known as Longshanks, who is the grandfather of King Edward III, is an ancestral link between Kate Middleton and the Fannings.

The Duchess of Cambridge’s mother, Carole Middleton, is also a granddaughter of King Edward III, which gives the stars another link to the family.