Before you get your hopes up, no they are not siblings. Or cousins. Or even first cousins. They are 12th cousins, four times distant (say This ten times faster). If they are so far apart, how are they related in the first place? Well, they share a common ancestor, dating back to 16th century Spain. His name was Philip III of Cröy, a prominent nobleman who acted as a knight to the then King of Spain, Philip II.
Before you get too excited, this not making Dr Biden secret royalty (although that would be be pretty cool). Their common lineage diverges quite far back. Philip III de Cröy was married to a woman named Johanna. Together they had four children, two of whom – Marguerite and Anne Isabelle – became ancestors of Dr Biden and King Charles. The First Lady descends from Marguerite de Cröy, while the newly named monarch descends from her sister.
Predictably, the king’s line remained noble. The first lady, on the other hand, eventually settled in the United States after living in Europe for a while.
Origin of message: The list