My Royal Connections (part 1)

So far in my research I have found two links to royal lines.  Of course they are not direct links, in fact they are so far off the direct line it's amazing that I found them at all.  In some people's opinion the link doesn't count as it is so far away from the family bloodline, but I'll take what I can get.  :) Once you find a royal line, you're set.  I've been able to go all the way back to the Vikings for Pete's sake - around the year 600AD!  (Of course the details are a bit sketchy, but it looks awesome in the family tree.

The first line...

George Henry Smith

My great great grandfather was George Henry Smith.  (Refer to my pedigree chart page - Arthur Grenville Smith). He was born in Gloucester, England on 16 Dec 1840, the son of William Smith and Jane Cuss.  He moved to Australia with his wife Emma Keys and their young daughter Clara.  George and Emma settled in Western Victoria.  Together they had 15 children.  Emma was the daughter of Charles Keys and Mary Ann Buck and was born in 1842.  Emma died during the birth of their 15th child, a daughter George named Emma Keys Smith.  Sadly baby Emma died a little over a year later.

George went on to marry Annie Maria Bolte, with whom he had a further

Emma Keys

two sons.  Annie was the daughter of Johann George Bolte and Caroline Theresa Fahring.  Johann and Caroline had a total of ten children together.  Their middle child, a daughter also named Caroline married Charles Frederick Lake.

Charles and Caroline Lake had eight children together.  Their youngest daughter, Vera Gladys married Horace Grey Egerton-Warburton.

And this is where the royals come in.

Horace's great grandmother was Emma Croxton Warburton.  She was born in Cheshire in 1782 and married Reverend Rowland Egerton, who after marriage changed his name to Egerton-Warburton.  Emma's mother was Emma Warburton, the daughter of Peter Warburton and Lady Elizabeth Stanley.

Lady Elizabeth was the daughter of Edward Stanley 11th Earl of Derby & 5th Baronet of Bickerstaffe Co. Lancashire England.  The Stanley line directly goes all the way back to Thomas Stanley 1st Earl of Derby, born in Lancashire in 1435.  I have actually gone way back to 1087 when Mabella Stanley was born in Normandy, France.  Mabella married Adam DeAudley who was born in Heleigh Castle, Staffordshire.  One of their children took the name Audley, while the other took DeStanley.  The name continued for about 300 years, until Sir Thomas Stanley, the 1st Lord Stanley was born in 1405.  Sir Thomas was the father of the 1st Earl of Derby.

Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby

Thomas Stanley (E of D) first married Lady Eleanor Neville, the daughter of Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury, in 1457.  In 1472 after Eleanor had died, Thomas became husband number four to Lady Margaret Beaufort.  Lady Margaret was the mother of King Henry VII.  It is believed that the marriage was one of convenience and Lady Margaret never considered herself part of the Stanley family.  As a result of her marriage to the Earl, Lady Margaret was welcomed back to the court of King Edward IV and Queen Elizabeth Woodville.  She was the godmother to one of their daughters.

Lady Margaret Beaufort

Thomas was Esquire of the Body to King Henry VI in 1454. He succeeded to the title of 2nd Lord Stanley on 20 February 1458/59. In 1460 he was invested as a Knight. He held the office of Chief Justice of Chester and he was invested as a Privy Counsellor (P.C.) in 1471. Thomas held the office of Steward of the Household the King Edward IV between 1471 and 1483 and the office of Lord High Constable in 1483. He was invested as a Knight, Order of the Garter (K.G.) in 1483. 

Thomas also held the office of Steward of the Household the King Richard  III between 1483 and 1485. He held the office of Chief Steward of the Duchy of Lancaster between 1485 and 1504, Northern parts. He fought in the Battle of Bosworth on 22 August 1485, where he allegedly betrayed King Richard III at a decisive moment. He succeeded to the title of 1st Earl of Derby on 27 October 1485.  Sir Thomas died in 1504 in Latham, England.

As a result of this hereditary line, Queen Elizabeth II is related to me like this: 15th great granddaughter of wife of 12th great grandfather of husband of niece of wife of 2nd great grandfather