Taylor Swift engaged: Details on the $550K ring
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got engaged, the couple announced on social media on Tuesday. LiveNOW’s Andrew Craft is getting all of the latest details on what could end up being the wedding of the century with Josh Rom, a London based broadcaster and celebrity journalist.
LOS ANGELES – Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement already had the feel of a modern-day fairytale. Now, genealogists say the couple’s romance carries real royal lineage, linking them to some of Europe’s most powerful monarchs.
New research from family history company MyHeritage shows Swift is related to King Louis XIV of France, while Kelce is connected to King George I of Great Britain. The findings add to what many fans have dubbed “America’s royal wedding.”
Taylor Swift’s ties to King Louis XIV
Swift is the 8th cousin 11 times removed of Louis XIV, who ruled France from 1643 until 1715. Their shared ancestors were Michael de la Pole, 2nd Earl of Suffolk, and his wife Katherine Stafford, English nobles of the 14th century.
Her family later migrated to New England and Pennsylvania, while Louis XIV’s line continued in France, eventually including Marie de’ Medici, grandmother of the French king.
Louis XIV, remembered for building Versailles and shaping French culture, was known for his love of music and performance. Historians point out that the king played guitar and sang, a talent that runs in the family with Swift.
Travis Kelce’s royal connection to King George I
Kelce descends from Elizabeth Woodville, queen consort of England, and her sister Mary Woodville, countess of Pembroke. Through this line, Kelce is the 8th cousin 11 times removed of King George I, the first British monarch from the House of Hanover.
King George I reigned from 1714 until 1727, helping establish parliamentary power in Britain and securing the Hanoverian dynasty.
Kelce’s connection traces through his mother, Donna Blalock, and back to William Hickcox, his 10th great-grandfather, who emigrated from England to Virginia in 1635 on the ship Plain Joan.
The backstory:
This isn’t the first time genealogists have uncovered surprising family ties between celebrities. In fact, distant kinships are more common than many people realize.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are seen holding hands in New York City as new research reveals both have royal family ties, adding a regal twist to their engagement. (Photo by XNY/Star Max/GC Images)
Family historian Christopher C. Child of the New England Historic Genealogical Society previously identified another link between Swift and Kelce. Both descend from Nicholas Knapp, who emigrated from England to Massachusetts in 1630. Through Knapp’s children, Swift and Kelce are tenth cousins once removed.
Experts note that distant cousin relationships were once common in marriages, especially among early settlers.
The other side:
Some historians caution against reading too much into such discoveries.
“People related this far back would likely have little, if any, DNA in common,” Child said in his research. “I find distant kinships between couples this far back frequently. My own parents have common 17th-century New England ancestors, even though my father was from Florida and my mother was from Kansas.”
The Source: This report is based on new genealogical research from MyHeritage and historical records shared by the New England Historic Genealogical Society. Additional context comes from archival sources, including Wikitree and Vita Brevis.