You won’t have to go far to hear Taylor Swift referred to as the Queen of Pop, given her unprecedented fan following and record-breaking success. However, her royal ancestry was laid bare for the first time, as it was revealed the global superstar is a descendant of French King Louis XIV.
Swift, 34, is the eighth cousin—11 times removed—of Louis, the monarch behind the iconic Palace of Versailles, according to the global family history platform MyHeritage.
While they may seem the most unlikely of relatives at first glance, the heritage site notes that Swift is no stranger to her ancestor’s life of luxury, having filmed the music video for her hit Blank Space in an opulent building bearing similarities to that of Versailles.
The startling revelation comes as France prepares to welcome the singer for a series of six concerts as part of her record-breaking Eras tour, scheduled to take place in Paris (May 9–12) and Lyon (June 2–3).
Their mutual ancestors, Michael de la Pole, 2nd Earl of Suffolk, and his wife Katherine Stafford, established the groundwork for a regal dynasty in aristocratic England during the 14th century, which is where their relationship originated.
Swift’s paternal English ancestors emigrated to the American colonies in the 17th century, first settling in Massachusetts and then, a few generations later, in Pennsylvania.
Louis XIV’s lineage may be traced back to an English woman who married a count of Béarn in southwest France during the 15th century.
Their great-granddaughter became Queen of Bohemia and Hungary, and her granddaughter Marie de’ Medici was the paternal grandmother of King Louis XIV of France.
Director of Research at MyHeritage, Roi Mandel, told MailOnline: ‘On the occasion of Taylor Swift’s concert tour in Paris, our team at MyHeritage decided to dive into [Taylor’s] family history to check if she has French roots hidden somewhere in the family past.
‘We were amazed to find out that not only are there roots, they are royal roots, and she is nothing less than a distant cousin of King Louis XIV!
‘The Queen of Pop is a relative of the Sun King. It’s a really poetic revelation.’
Perhaps the most famous creation of Louis XIV is the Palace of Versailles.
He also founded the French Royal Academy of Dance, the predecessor of the Academy of the National Opera of Paris, which today trains the dancers of the Paris Opera.
She isn’t directly derived from Louis XIV, of course. She is only linked through marriage and other means. Still, the connection exists, and she ought to be pleased that it does. I’m sure I would be.
There are many famous or successful actors in my family tree, including Peter Sellers; however, they are not linked by blood; rather, they are related by marriage. It’s fantastic that I have a large tree and that I’m proud of the information I’ve learned, but it’s useless if you can’t pass it on to others if they have no interest in it.
But if you look back far enough, you will find that everyone is connected to everyone else in some way.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 