Descendants: Queen Elizabeth II and the Plantagenets

On February 6, 1952, Elizabeth Windsor became Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.  Today, she celebrates the Sapphire Jubilee, or 65 years as Britain's Queen.  So how is she related to the Plantagenets?  She crosses back to Edward III through the alliances of some of the more fascinating women in British in European history.  Here's the rundown.

Edward III (1312-1377) had two sons, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, aka the Red Rose (1340-1399) and Edmund of Langley, Duke of York, aka the White Rose (1341-1402).  John's great-granddaughter was Lady Margaret Beaufort (1443-1509), whose son, the future King Henry VII Tudor, married the great-granddaughter of Edmund, one Elizabeth of York (1466-1503).  Elizabeth and Henry VII Tudor had an elder daughter, Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scotland as the wife of James IV (1489-1541).  Margaret's granddaughter by her marriage to James IV was Mary of Scotland (1542-1587).  Her grandson by a subsequent marriage was Henry, Lord Darnley (1545-1567).  Mary and Henry had a son who became James VI and I (1566-1625).

James married a Danish princess and together they had a daughter, Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia (1596-1662).  Elizabeth had a daughter Sophia, who married the Elector of Hanover (1630-1714).  Her son became George I of Great Britain (1660-1727).  His great-great-granddaughter was Victoria (1819-1901).  Her great-great-granddaughter is Elizabeth II (1926-current).  Thus, Queen Elizabeth is the Red Rose and the White by descent. 

 

Lady Margaret Beaufort

 

Elizabeth of York, Queen of England

 

Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scotland

 

Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia

 

Sophia, Electress of Hanover

 

Victoria, Queen of Great Britain

 

The Sapphire Queen