This Interactive Family Tree Shows How Europe's Monarchs Are Related

Thanks to a history of intermarriage, Europe's royal families are all tied to each other in some way. For instance, Queen Elizabeth II is third cousins with most of Europe’s monarchs, including Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Margrethe II of Denmark, and former Belgian ruler Albert II. To explore how the monarchies are connected, Expedia created an interactive family tree that lets you see the ties between different royals. While the feature is geared toward exploring the family ties of Nordic royalty, since European monarchs are basically all related, just about everyone appears on the same family tree eventually.

Royally Connected by Expedia.se

To expand the tree and explore different monarchs' ancestry, click the plus signs above their photos. The crowns indicate that the person is a ruling monarch, while the interlocking circles indicate a marriage. Each graphic is color-coded to show whether the royals are related to the monarchies of Norway, Denmark, Sweden, or another country. Clicking on each face brings up a window with pertinent information on each royal, like their title and their heritage. (Though he is the king of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf, for instance, is 70 percent German, 10 percent French, and 20 percent British.)

The tree goes back to the Victorian era—to Victoria herself, in fact, as Carl XVI Gustaf is the great-great-grandson of the long-ruling British monarch. Victoria's granddaughter, Margaret of Connaught, married Sweden's Gustaf VI Adolf in 1905. They had Gustaf Adolf, father of the current king, in 1906. Carl XVI Gustaf's mother, Sibylla, was also a great-grandchild of Victoria's, descended from her youngest son, Prince Leopold, but unfortunately, the family tree doesn't let you explore her line.

Still confused? Navigate the graphic yourself above, or visit the full version on Expedia's website.