Beyoncé's Little-Known Connection To The Royal Family Explained

Beyoncé has long been regarded as pop royalty — or everything royalty, really. Affectionately awarded with the "Queen Bey" moniker by her legions of fans, the multi-Grammy award-winning singer and supreme leader of the Beyhive has garnered widespread adoration for her impeccable talent in songwriting and performing, not to mention her timeless beauty. She's dearly bey-loved, making her royalty in many a fan's eyes. But as it turns out, there's actual royal blood running through her veins.

To be fair, many of us common folk may have descended from a royal lineage, but some have a closer connection than others, especially celebrities, Beyoncé included. "The Menu" actor Ralph Fiennes is the eighth cousin of King Charles III, while Benedict Cumberbatch — who once portrayed King Richard III in a movie — is reportedly a direct descendant of the king. Madonna, on the other hand, is reportedly a cousin of Queen Consort Camilla's cousin, and her ex-husband, Guy Ritchie, is directly related to Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton.

Now, where does Beyoncé play into this, you ask? Thanks to modern technology and advanced genetic ancestry tracing, a look at the "Cuff It" singer's lineage revealed that she also belongs to a legitimate royal lineage. She's a true blue blood, but because she's a secret sister to a random princess or duchess. In fact, she's actually cousins with no other than Queen Elizabeth II. There's merit to us calling her queen all these years, after all!

You likely won't see Beyoncé at the next Trooping the Color, but you probably would have in an alternate universe. According to genealogical sleuthing by FindMyPast.com, as reported by CBS News, our Queen Bey is a distant relative of Queen Elizabeth II. You might be scratching your head figuring out how that came about, considering that Beyoncé has always branded herself as a Houston Girl with Creole roots (remember the lyrics to "Formation"?), but the online genealogy service asserts that she is the late royal's 25th cousin, once removed, with their common ancestor being King Henry II.

By extension, this technically makes Beyoncé's kids, Blue Ivy and twins Sir and Rumi Carter, cousins with Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. FindMyPast.com also notes that these youngsters are 23rd cousins, twice removed. "It's long been said that the USA and UK have a special relationship, and that is certainly the case between Hollywood's elite and the Royal Family," Debra Chatfield, family historian for the company, told Daily Mail.

Look, it had been historically proven that monarchism never did quite work in America, but if Queen Bey and the Carters decide to rule one day, there won't be complaints on our part!

Beyoncé is also connected to the British Royal Family through her friendship with Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex. They're not exactly attached at the hip, so calling them besties may be a stretch; however, they're reportedly pretty close. Meghan has always been a big fan of Bey, and she makes no apologies for it. On her since-deleted Instagram account, she once participated in the hot sauce trend, writing: "The closest I will ever come to channeling Beyoncé #hotsauceinmybagswag." She also had a bunch of Beyoncé tunes in her wedding afterparty playlist, as confirmed by DJ Idris Elba. "There's always Beyonce on the playlist. You already know that!" he dished to ET.

Of course, Beyoncé has supported Meghan all these years, too. After Prince Harry and Meghan's explosive interview with Oprah, Beyoncé offered public support for the couple, writing on her website: "Thank you Meghan for your courage and leadership. We are all strengthened and inspired by you." She even fired off a couple of texts to the "Suits" alum to offer more words of encouragement. "I still can't believe she knows who I am!" Meghan gushed in the "Harry & Meghan" docuseries. "She said she wants me to feel safe and protected. She admires and respects my bravery and vulnerability and thinks I was selected to break generational curses that need to be healed."

And so it wasn't surprising that Meghan pulled up to the Rennaissance tour not only once but twice. Maybe she's now a high-ranking officer in the Beyhive?