The Royal Baby: Genealogical Connections from the New England Historic Genealogical Society

The Royal Baby: Genealogical Connections

by Christopher C. Child, Genealogist of the Newbury Street Press, and Scott C. Steward, Editor-in-Chief

His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge, son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, is related to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, both Roosevelt and Bush presidents, and President Barack Obama, among many others. The royal baby is also a cousin of the wives of seven presidents, including Nancy Reagan. Other notable American kin include the actors Kevin Bacon and Humphrey Bogart; television anchorman Anderson Cooper; explorer Meriwether Lewis; poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow; and celebrity chef Julia Child.

More than any other potential British monarch, the House of Windsor's newest member has relatives in every walk of British life, from the Prince and late Princess of Wales's royal and noble kin to the upper middle class and working class families of the Duchess of Cambridge's parents.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are themselves fifteenth cousins through Sir Thomas Fairfax, who died during the reign of Henry VIII.  A branch of this family moved to Virginia in the mid-seventeenth century, and many Americans are descended from the Fairfaxes.

Learn more about the newest member of the British royal family at American Ancestors.org/royal-celebration.  Explore the royal child's Presidential and celebrity connections, test your knowledge of British royalty with trivia, and match photos of the baby's living relatives to his family tree.

Two additional sites may be of interest.  The Bridgeman Art Library offers an online gallery that features paintings and photographs of British monarchs and their children in their younger years.  The official website of the British monarchy is here.

Read about Princess Diana's ancestry:  The Ancestry of Diana, Princess of Wales for Twelve Generations. 

posted by mb

Python Ron and Wildlife Associates at the Library!

Animals from around the world came with Python Ron last week. Children were able to look, touch, and hold exotic reptiles. Some reptiles got a hold of the kids and didn’t let go.

He brought a scorpion, tarantula, lizards, corn snake, boa, and more, but many kids agreed the python was the main attraction.

We also had wildlife this week with the Wildlife Associates who captivated the kids with their animals.

~posted by gm

Teens Nesting Dolls Craft

Last week, teens were using their imaginations to make their own nesting dolls. What is a nesting doll? Nesting dolls are a set of wooden dolls of decreasing size placed inside the other, like this...

Some teens painted traditional dolls where each one was identical, while others painted different characters from Harry Potter, Star Wars, Garfield, Angry Birds, and Totoro!

Such patience with the tiny paintbrushes.

I was impressed by the artistic talent of those teens who came prepared ahead of time with photos of their subjects, and also those who told me that they just winged it.

In case you missed the memo, Teens, be sure to join us at our upcoming teen programs! Teens(grades 7-12) need to sign up ahead of time, so hurry because space and materials are limited. The calendar for teen programs can be found here.

~posted by Gina