The Royal Bloodline: Here's How Charles III Related to All Reigning Royal Houses in Europe

The extraordinary royal bloodline of King Charles III of the United Kingdom connected him to all reigning royal houses in Europe. However, this royal blood connection is not solely through his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, but through his father, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who was born a Danish and Greek royal.

Royal enthusiasts often referred to the bloodlines of King George II and Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, and King Christian IX of Denmark, as the main paths of King Charles III's blood connection to most reigning Crown Heads in Europe.

King Charles III is blood-related to all reigning Crown Heads in Europe

So no one think that the two Sovereign Princes - Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein and Albert II of Monaco, whose bloodlines are not traced through King George II, Queen Victoria, or King Christian IX, are blood-related to King Charles III.

King Charles III, King Philippe, King Carl XVI Gustaf, Prince Hans-Adam II, and Prince Albert II are blood-related through Charles Louis, Hereditary Grand Duke of Baden 

But Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein and Albert II of Monaco are actually King Charles III's 5th cousins through Prince Charles Louis, Hereditary Grand Duke of Baden (1755-1801) who married Princess Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt (1754-1832). See the succeeding list of descendants. 

King Charles III with his two male heirs in direct succession to the throne. William, the Prince of Wales and Prince George of Wales ©The Royal Family 

Currently, there are only 10 reigning Royal Houses in Europe: 

1. Belgium formerly Saxe-Cobourg and Gotha - Philippe since July 2013
2. Glucksburg (Denmark) - Margrethe II since January 1972
3. Liechtenstein - Hans Adam II since November 1989
4. Nassau (Luxembourg) - Henri since October 2000
5. Grimaldi (Monaco) - Albert II since April 2005
6. Glucksburg (Norway) - Harald V since January 1991
7. Bourbon (Spain) - Felipe VI since June 2014
8. Bernadotte (Sweden) - Carl XVI Gustaf since September 1973
9. Orange-Nassau (The Netherlands) - Willem-Alexander since April 2013
10. Windsor (United Kingdom) - Charles III since September 2022

Here's how King Charles III is blood-related to all reigning Crown Heads in Europe:

King Philippe of the Belgians with his two children, Prince Gabriel and Princess Elisabeth, the Duchess of Brabant. ©Belgian Royal Palace 

1. Belgium: King Philippe. Through King Christian IX of Denmark, Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Saalfeld (his son and successor, Ernest I, would later swap the duchy of Saalfeld to Gotha), and Charles Louis, Hereditary Grand Duke of Baden.

Through Christian IX of Denmark:

• Frederick VIII - Princess Ingeborg (who married Prince Carl of Sweden) - Princess Astrid of Sweden - Albert II of Belgium - Philippe
• Alexandra - George V - George VI - Elizabeth II - Charles III
• George I of Greece - Prince Andrew - Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh - Charles III

Through Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Saalfeld:

• Ernest I - Prince Albert who married his first cousin, Victoria - Edward VII - George V - George VI - Elizabeth II - Charles III
• Victoria (her second husband was Prince Edward, Duke of Kent) - Victoria who married her first cousin, Albert - Edward VII - George V - George VI - Elizabeth II - Charles III
• Leopold I (he was elected as the first King of Belgium in 1830, 13 years after his first wife, Princess Charlotte of Wales, died from childbirth. He remarried later to a French princess) - Prince Philip, Count of Flanders - Albert I - Leopold III - Albert II - Philippe 

Through Charles Louis, Hereditary Grand Duke of Baden:

• Charles, Grand Duke of Baden - Princess Josephine (she married Prince Karl Anton of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen) - Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (she married Prince Philip, Count of Flanders) - Albert I - Leopold III - Albert II - Philippe
• Princess Wilhelmine of Baden (who married Louis II, Grand Duke of Hesse) - Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine (he married Countess Julia von Hauke, since it was an unequal marriage their children took the status of their mother who was created Princess of Battenberg) - Prince Louis of Battenberg later Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven - Princess Alice of Battenberg (who married Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark) - Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (who married the future Elizabeth II of UK) - Charles III
• Charles, Grand Duke of Baden's other daughter, Princess Marie Amelie, was the direct ancestor of Prince Albert II of Monaco. Charles had two other sisters, Princess Caroline - the ancestor of Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein, and Princess Frederica - the ancestor of King Carl XVI Gustaf.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark 

2. Denmark: Queen Margrethe II. Through King Christian IX of Denmark and Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.

Through King Christian IX:

• Frederick VIII - Christian X - Frederick IX - Margrethe II
• Alexandra - George V - George VI - Elizabeth II - Charles III
• George I of Greece - Prince Andrew - Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh - Charles III

Through Queen Victoria:

• Edward VII - George V - George VI - Elizabeth II - Charles III
• Princess Alice (she married Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse) - Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine - Princess Alice of Battenberg - Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh - Charles III
• Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught - Princess Margaret of Connaught (who married the future King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden) - Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Vasterbotten - Princess Ingrid (who married the future King Frederick IX of Denmark) - Margrethe II

Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein and his son and heir-apparent, Hereditary Prince Alois

3. Liechtenstein: Prince Hans-Adam II, Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein: Through Charles Louis, Hereditary Grand Duke of Baden

Prince Charles Louis married Princess Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt (daughter of Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt) and had eight children including:

• Princess Caroline (she married Maximilian I of Bavaria) - Princess Sophie of Bavaria (she married Archduke Franz Karl of Austria) - Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria - Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria (she married Prince Alois of Liechtenstein. She was the younger sister of Archduke Franz Ferdinand whose assassination in 1914 triggered World War I) - Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein - Hans Adam II
• Charles, Grand Duke of Baden (his wife was Countess Stephanie of Beauharnais) - Princess Marie Amelie of Baden (she married William Hamilton, 12th Duke of Hamilton) - Lady Mary Victoria Hamilton (she married Prince Albert I of Monaco) - Louis II - Princess Charlotte - Rainier III - Albert II of Monaco
• Princess Wilhelmine of Baden (who married Louis II, Grand Duke of Hesse) - Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine (he married Countess Julia von Hauke, since it was an unequal marriage their children took the status of their mother who was created Princess of Battenberg) - Prince Louis of Battenberg later Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven - Princess Alice of Battenberg (who married Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark) - Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (who married the future Elizabeth II of UK) - Charles III

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg 

4. Luxembourg: Grand Duke Henri: Through King Christian IX of Denmark, Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Saalfeld, and Prince Charles Louis, Hereditary Grand Duke of Baden   

Through King Christian IX of Denmark:

• Frederick VIII - Princess Ingeborg - Princess Astrid of Sweden - Princess Josephine (who married Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg) - Grand Duke Henri
• Alexandra - George V - George VI - Elizabeth II - Charles III
• George I of Greece - Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark - Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh - Charles III

King Philippe of the Belgians and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg are first cousins 

Through Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Saalfeld:

• Ernest I - Prince Albert who married his first cousin, Victoria - Edward VII - George V - George VI - Elizabeth II - Charles III
• Victoria (her second husband was Prince Edward, Duke of Kent) - Victoria who married her first cousin, Albert - Edward VII - George V - George VI - Elizabeth II - Charles III
• Leopold I (he was elected as the first King of Belgium in 1830, 13 years after his first wife, Princess Charlotte of Wales, died from childbirth. He remarried later to a French princess) - Prince Philip, Count of Flanders - Albert I - Leopold III - Princess Josephine (who married Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg) - Grand Duke Henri

Through Charles Louis, Hereditary Grand Duke of Baden:

• Charles, Grand Duke of Baden - Princess Josephine (she married Prince Karl Anton of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen) - Princess Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (she married Prince Philip, Count of Flanders) - Albert I - Leopold III - Princess Josephine (she married Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg) - Grand Duke Henri
• Princess Wilhelmine of Baden (who married Louis II, Grand Duke of Hesse) - Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine (he married Countess Julia von Hauke, since it was an unequal marriage their children took the status of their mother who was created Princess of Battenberg) - Prince Louis of Battenberg later Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven - Princess Alice of Battenberg (who married Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark) - Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (who married the future Elizabeth II of UK) - Charles III

Prince Albert II of Monaco and his son, Hereditary Prince Jacques ©The Prince's Palace of Monaco

5. Monaco: Albert II, the Sovereign Prince of Monaco: Through Charles Louis, Hereditary Grand Duke of Baden

Charles Louis married Princess Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt (daughter of Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt and had eight children together including:

• Princess Caroline (she married Maximilian I of Bavaria) - Princess Sophie of Bavaria (she married Archduke Franz Karl of Austria) - Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria - Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria (she married Prince Alois of Liechtenstein) - Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein - Hans Adam II
• Charles, Grand Duke of Baden (his wife was Countess Stephanie of Beauharnais) - Princess Marie Amelie of Baden (she married William Hamilton, 12th Duke of Hamilton) - Lady Mary Victoria Hamilton (she married Prince Albert I of Monaco) - Louis II - Princess Charlotte - Rainier III - Albert II
• Princess Wilhelmine of Baden (who married Louis II, Grand Duke of Hesse) - Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine (he married Countess Julia von Hauke, since it was an unequal marriage their children took the status of their mother who was created Princess of Battenberg) - Prince Louis of Battenberg later Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven - Princess Alice of Battenberg (who married Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark) - Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (who married the future Elizabeth II of UK) - Charles III

6. Norway: King Harald V: Through King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and King Christian IX of Denmark

Through Edward VII (son of Queen Victoria):

• George V - George VI - Elizabeth II - Charles III
• Princess Maud (she married her first cousin, Prince Charles of Denmark who later became King Haakon VII of Norway) - Prince Alexander who later became King Olaf V of Norway (he married his second cousin, Princess Martha of Sweden) - Harald V

Through King Christian IX:

• Frederick VIII - Prince Charles later King Haakon VII of Norway (he married his first cousin, Princess Maud of Wales) - Olaf V (she married Princess Martha of Sweden) - Harald V
• Frederick VIII - Princess Ingeborg (she married Prince Carl of Sweden) - Princess Martha of Sweden (she married Olaf V of Norway) - Harald V
• Alexandra (she married Edward VII of Britain) - George V - George VI - Elizabeth II - Charles III
• George I of Greece - Prince Andrew - Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh - Charles III

King Felipe VI of Spain and his heir presumptive, Leonor, the Princess of Asturias 

7. Spain: King Felipe VI: Through Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine, and King George I of Greece

Through Queen Victoria:

• Princess Vicky (she married the future Frederick III of Germany) - Wilhelm II of Germany - Princess Viktoria Louise (she married Ernest August of Hanover) - Princess Frederica (she married the future King Paul I of Greece - Princess Sophia (she married the future King Juan Carlos of Spain) - Felipe VI
• Princess Vicky (she married the future Frederick III of Germany) - Princess Sophia (she married the future King Constantine I of Greece, eldest son of George I) - Paul I (he married his second cousin, Princess Frederica of Hanover) - Princess Sophia - Felipe VI
• Edward VII (he married Princess Alexandra of Denmark) - George V - George VI - Elizabeth II - Charles III
• Princess Alice (she married Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse) - Princess Victoria (she married Prince Louis of Battenberg) - Princess Alice - Prince Andrew - Prince Philip - Charles III
• Princess Beatrice (she married Prince Henry of Battenberg) - Victoria Eugenia (she married King Alfonso XIII of Spain) - Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona - King Juan Carlos of Spain - Felipe VI

Through Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine (his marriage to Countess Julia von Hauke, Lady-in-waiting of his younger sister, Empress Marie of Russia, was considered morganatic so all their children were not considered members of the Grand Duchy of Hesse. Julia was created Princess of Battenberg):

• Prince Louis of Battenberg (he married his second cousin, Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Louis later became Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford-Haven) - Princess Alice (she married Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark) - Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh  (he married the future Queen Elizabeth II - Charles III
• Prince Henry of Battenberg (he married Princess Beatrice, the youngest child of Queen Victoria) - Victoria Eugenia (she married King Alfonso XIII of Spain) - Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona - King Juan Carlos of Spain - Felipe VI

Through King George I of Greece:

• Constantine I (his wife was Princess Sophia of Prussia, daughter of Princess Vicky) - Paul I of Greece - Queen Sofia of Spain - Felipe VI
• Prince Andrew (his wife was Princess Alice of Battenberg, niece of Princess Sophia of Prussia) - Prince Philip - Charles III

8. Sweden: King Carl XVI Gustaf: Through Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Charles Louis, Hereditary Grand Duke of Baden. 

Through Queen Victoria:

• Edward VII - George V - George VI - Elizabeth II - Charles III
• Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught - Princess Margaret - Prince Gustaf Adolf (he married his second cousin, Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha) - Carl XVI Gustaf
• Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany - Charles, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (he inherited the duchy from his uncle, Prince Alfred) - Princess Sibylla (she married her second cousin, Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden who died in a plane crash in 1947) - Carl XVI Gustaf

Through Charles Louis, Hereditary Grand Duke of Baden:

• Princess Frederica of Baden (she married King Gustaf IV Adolf of Sweden) - Princess Sophie of Sweden (she married her half-granduncle Leopold, Grand Duke of Baden) - Frederick I, Grand Duke of Baden - Princess Victoria of Baden (she married King Gustaf V of Sweden) - King Adolf VI Gustaf of Sweden - Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Vasterbotten - Carl XVI Gustaf
• Princess Wilhelmine of Baden (she married Louis II, Grand Duke of Hesse) - Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine (he married Countess Julia von Hauke, since it was an unequal marriage their children took the status of their mother who was created Princess of Battenberg) - Prince Louis of Battenberg later Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven - Princess Alice of Battenberg (who married Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark) - Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (who married the future Elizabeth II of UK) - Charles III
• It is also through this bloodline that King Carl XVI Gustaf is blood-related to King Philippe of the Belgians, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, Prince Albert II of Monaco, and Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein.

9. The Netherlands: King Willem-Alexander: Through King George II of the United Kingdom

King George II:

• Frederick, Prince of Wales - George III - Edward, Duke of Kent - Victoria - Edward VII - George V - George VI - Elizabeth II - Charles III
• Anne, Princess Royal (she married William IV, Prince of Orange) - William V - William VI who later became William I, King of The Netherlands - William III - Wilhelmina - Juliana - Beatrix - Willem-Alexander.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and her two direct heirs: Crown Prince Frederik and his son, Prince Christian 

OTHER INTERESTING TRIVIA about European monarchies today:

• Reigning monarchs who have two male heirs in direct succession to the throne: King Charles III of the UK, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, and Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein. 
• Oldest monarch in the current times - Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. She was born on April 16, 1940. She's now 83.
• Youngest monarch in the current times - King Felipe VI of Spain. He was born on January 30, 1968. He's now 55.
• Longest-reigning monarch in the current times - Queen Margrethe II, reigning since January 1972. The second longest-reigning monarch in Europe is her first cousin, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden who ascended to the Swedish throne in September 1973. However, the world's longest-reigning monarch today is Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, reigning since 1968.
• Newly-ascended monarch - King Charles III since September 8, 2022.
• Oldest monarch to ascend to the throne in the current times - King Charles III at 73 years old in September 2022.
• Youngest monarch to ascend to the throne among the reigning monarchs - King Carl XVI Gustaf at 27 years old in September 1973.
• Youngest heir-apparent in Europe today - Hereditary Prince Jacques of Monaco at 8 years old. He has been heir apparent since his birth in December 2014. 
• Oldest heir-apparent in Europe today - Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark at 55 years old (he is one month older than Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein). He has been Denmark's heir-apparent since January 1972. Following the accession of his fourth cousin, King Charles III, to the British throne, Crown Prince Frederik became Europe's longest-serving heir apparent in the current times.