The Modern British Royals Are Direct Descendants of Catherine the Great
Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince George—the first, second, and third in line for the British throne, respectively—can all trace their lineage back to Catherine the Great, Russia's legendary 18th century Empress.
This is all thanks to Prince Philip, who is related to the Russian royals through both his mother and father.
On his mom's side, Philip is the grandnephew of Nicholas II's wife: his maternal grandmother, Princess Victoria of Hesse, was a sister of Alexandra Feodorovna, the last Tsarina of Russia. (Alexandra Feodorovna, known as Princess Alix of Hesse before her marriage, also happens to be Queen Victoria’s granddaughter.)
Famously, Philip gave a blood sample to researchers who'd found the remains Nicholas II, his family, and his entourage buried in an unmarked grave, allowing their identities to be confirmed with DNA analysis.
It's on his dad's side, though, that the direct line to Catherine the Great comes in. Philip's paternal grandmother, Olga Constantinovna of Russia, is the granddaughter of Nicholas I, making Philip the great-great-grandson of Nicholas I; Nicholas I, in turn, is the son of Paul I, who is the son of Catherine the Great.
How does Philip feel about all this Russian heritage? Apparently, he has mixed feelings. The prince once remarked, "I would like to go to Russia very much, although the bastards murdered half my family," per the Telegraph.
Perhaps he'll grow fonder of his ancestors, should he have a chance to watch Helen Mirren in HBO's new miniseries Catherine the Great.
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