Charlemagne
A royal descent is a lineal descent from a monarch. Royal descent is sometimes claimed as a mark of distinction and is seen as a desirable goal of genealogyPretenders and those hoping to improve their social status have often claimed royal descent and, as a result, fabricated lineages are common.[1] The importance of royal descent to some genealogists has been criticized.[2]
Due to the incompleteness of records, the number of people who have a provable royal descent is much smaller than the number who actually have it.[3] Genealogists and geneticists have attempted to estimate the percentage of various populations that have a royal descent. Royal descent is closely related to the concept of the most recent common ancestor of all living humans or of a certain geographical area, because if a monarch lived before the time of the most recent common ancestor, then the monarch could be a common ancestor of all humans.
Royal descent is easier to prove than descent from less notable ancestors, because genealogies and public records are typically fuller, better known and well preserved in the case of royal descent than in the case of descent from common people. It is only since the 20th century that family history has been an interest pursued by people outside the upper classes. Hence, the continuous lines of descent from royal ancestors are much better researched and established than those from other ancestors. Until the parish record system in the 16th century, and civil registration in the 19th century, family records are fuller for landowners than for ordinary people.
Between 1903 and 1911, the Marquis de Ruvigny published volumes entitled The Blood Royal of Britain which attempted to name all the then-living descendants of Edward III of England. He gave up the exercise after publishing the names of about 40,000 living people, but his own estimate was that the total of those of royal descent who could be proved and named if he completed his work at that time was 100,000 people. His work, however, was heavily dependent upon those whose names were readily ascertainable from works of genealogical reference, such as Peerages and Burke's Landed Gentry.
The English geneticist Professor Stephen Jones estimates that 25% of the British population is descended from the Plantagenets.
The phrase "English descent" does not, of course, mean "purely English descent". As soon as an immigrant family marries into an indigenous family, it acquires all the ancestors of its indigenous parent, and is therefore no less likely to be able to claim a royal descent than a non-immigrant family.
Due to the incompleteness of records, the number of people who have a provable royal descent is much smaller than the number who actually have it.[3] Genealogists and geneticists have attempted to estimate the percentage of various populations that have a royal descent. Royal descent is closely related to the concept of the most recent common ancestor of all living humans or of a certain geographical area, because if a monarch lived before the time of the most recent common ancestor, then the monarch could be a common ancestor of all humans.
Royal descent is easier to prove than descent from less notable ancestors, because genealogies and public records are typically fuller, better known and well preserved in the case of royal descent than in the case of descent from common people. It is only since the 20th century that family history has been an interest pursued by people outside the upper classes. Hence, the continuous lines of descent from royal ancestors are much better researched and established than those from other ancestors. Until the parish record system in the 16th century, and civil registration in the 19th century, family records are fuller for landowners than for ordinary people.
Between 1903 and 1911, the Marquis de Ruvigny published volumes entitled The Blood Royal of Britain which attempted to name all the then-living descendants of Edward III of England. He gave up the exercise after publishing the names of about 40,000 living people, but his own estimate was that the total of those of royal descent who could be proved and named if he completed his work at that time was 100,000 people. His work, however, was heavily dependent upon those whose names were readily ascertainable from works of genealogical reference, such as Peerages and Burke's Landed Gentry.
The English geneticist Professor Stephen Jones estimates that 25% of the British population is descended from the Plantagenets.
The phrase "English descent" does not, of course, mean "purely English descent". As soon as an immigrant family marries into an indigenous family, it acquires all the ancestors of its indigenous parent, and is therefore no less likely to be able to claim a royal descent than a non-immigrant family.

http://humphrysfamilytree.com/famous.descents.html
Many people here have multiple Royal Descents. I show the most recent monarch they descend from. Exponential growth (going backward): Consider that you need 2 parents, 4 grandparents, 8 great-grandparents, and so on. Assuming an average of about 25 years per generation, you only need to go back to about 1200 AD, quite within historical times, to need more separate ancestors than the entire population of the world. The solution to this paradox is of course that ancestors are duplicated. All of us descend from a massive amount of intermarriage even within the last few hundred years.
See estimates for Common ancestors of all humans, and in particular see Exponential growth (going forward). Restricting ourselves just to Europe (and those of European descent abroad) it is quite possible that the most recent common ancestor of the West lies within historical times. It is possible, for example, that every single westerner descends from Charlemagne.
Many people here have multiple Royal Descents. I show the most recent monarch they descend from. Exponential growth (going backward): Consider that you need 2 parents, 4 grandparents, 8 great-grandparents, and so on. Assuming an average of about 25 years per generation, you only need to go back to about 1200 AD, quite within historical times, to need more separate ancestors than the entire population of the world. The solution to this paradox is of course that ancestors are duplicated. All of us descend from a massive amount of intermarriage even within the last few hundred years.
See estimates for Common ancestors of all humans, and in particular see Exponential growth (going forward). Restricting ourselves just to Europe (and those of European descent abroad) it is quite possible that the most recent common ancestor of the West lies within historical times. It is possible, for example, that every single westerner descends from Charlemagne.
- Descents from Charlemagne
- Every French monarch from Louis I, King of France (succ 814) onwards, except:
- Eudes, King of France (reigned 888-898).
- Robert I, King of France (reigned 922-923).
- Rudolph, King of France (reigned 923-936).
- Every English monarch from Hardicanute (succ 1040) onwards, except:
- Harold II (reigned 1066).
- Every Scottish monarch from Edgar, King of Scotland (succ 1097) onwards.
- James Abram Garfield, born 1831, US President.
- Start here.
- Source: [Burkes Presidential]. I think this descent may be disputed.
- Every French monarch from Louis I, King of France (succ 814) onwards, except:
- Descents from Louis I, King of France [descendant of Charlemagne]
- Pope John XII, died 964.
- Summary: Through Lothar II, King of Lorraine.
- See here and here.
- Pope Benedict VII, died 983.
- Summary: Through Lothar II, King of Lorraine.
- See here and here.
- Pope Gregory V, died 999.
- Pope Benedict VIII, died 1024.
- Summary: Through Lothar II, King of Lorraine.
- See here and here.
- Pope John XIX, died 1032.
- Summary: Through Lothar II, King of Lorraine.
- See here and here.
- Pope St. Leo IX, died 1054.
- Summary: Through Reginar, Count of Hennegau.
- See here and here.
- Pope Benedict IX, 11th century.
- Summary: Through Lothar II, King of Lorraine.
- See here and here.
- Pope John XII, died 964.
- Descents from Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor [descendant of Louis I, King of France]
- Tycho Brahe, born 1546, astronomer.
- See descent by Leo van de Pas.
- Summary: Through Valdemar II, King of Denmark.
- Also descends from Harold II, King of England.
- Elizabeth Bathory, born 1560, mass murderer.
- See descent by Leo van de Pas.
- Summary: Through Michail 'the Saint', Grand Duke of Kiev.
- Also descends from Harold II, King of England.
- Tolstoy, born 1828, writer.
- See descent by Leo van de Pas.
- Summary: Through Michail 'the Saint', Grand Duke of Kiev.
- Also descends from Harold II, King of England.
- Tycho Brahe, born 1546, astronomer.
- Descents from Louis II, King of France [descendant of Louis I, King of France]
- Pope Stephen IX, died 1058.
- See descent by Leo van de Pas.
- See here and here.
- Also descends from Reginar, Count of Hennegau.
- Pope Stephen IX, died 1058.
- Descents from Louis IV, King of France [descendant of Louis II, King of France and of Edward the Elder]
- Louisa May Alcott, born 1832, novelist.
- See descent by Leo van de Pas.
- Also descends from Ethelred II the Unready and Malcolm II, King of Scotland.
- Samuel Pierpont Langley, born 1834, astronomer and aviation pioneer.
- See descent by Leo van de Pas.
- Also descends from Ethelred II the Unready and Malcolm II, King of Scotland.
- Lyman Frank Baum, born 1856, creator of "The Wizard of Oz".
- See descent by Leo van de Pas.
- Also descends from Ethelred II the Unready and Malcolm II, King of Scotland.
- Edgar Rice Burroughs, born 1875, creator of "Tarzan".
- See descent by Leo van de Pas.
- Also descends from Ethelred II the Unready and Malcolm II, King of Scotland.
- Katharine Hepburn, born 1907, actress.
- See descent by Leo van de Pas.
- Also descends from Ethelred II the Unready and Malcolm II, King of Scotland.
- Anthony Perkins, born 1932, actor.
- See descent by Leo van de Pas.
- Also descends from Ethelred II the Unready and Malcolm II, King of Scotland.
- Louisa May Alcott, born 1832, novelist.
- Descents from Bernhard, King of Italy [descendant of Charlemagne]
- Pope Calixtus II, died 1124.
- Start here.
- Summary: Through Sprota (Adela) of Senlis.
- Max von Sydow, born 1929, actor.
- See descent by Leo van de Pas.
- Also descends from Harold II, King of England and Charles VIII, King of Sweden.
- Pope Calixtus II, died 1124.
- Descents from Hugh Capet, King of France [descendant of Bernhard, King of Italy and of Edward the Elder]
- Strongbow, born 1130, Anglo-Norman invader of Ireland.
- Rutherford B. Hayes, born 1822, US President.
- Source: See here and here.
- He also descends from David I, King of Scotland, descendant of Edmund II (Ironside). Source: Apparently [Roberts, 1995]. See here.
- Strongbow, born 1130, Anglo-Norman invader of Ireland.
- Descents from Philip I, King of France [descendant of Hugh Capet, King of France]
- Napoleon, born 1769.
- See descent by Leo van de Pas.
- Also descends from Alfred the Great.
- See here.
- Napoleon, born 1769.
- Descents from Louis VI, King of France [descendant of Philip I, King of France]
- Rubens, born 1577, painter.
- See descent by Leo van de Pas.
- See also [Roberts, 2008]
- Toulouse-Lautrec, born 1864, painter.
- Rubens, born 1577, painter.
- Descents from Louis VII, King of France [descendant of Louis VI, King of France]
- St.Elisabeth of Hungary, born 1207.
- Summary: dau of Andrew II, King of Hungary.
- St.Elisabeth of Hungary, born 1207.
- Descents from Philip II, King of France [descendant of Louis VII, King of France]
- Jean Chr�tien, born 1934, Prime Minister of Canada.
- See descent by Leo van de Pas.
- Also descends from David I, King of Scotland and hence from Edmund II (Ironside).
- Celine Dion, born 1968, singer.
- See descent by Leo van de Pas.
- See Catherine Baillon research project.
- Angelina Jolie, born 1975, actress.
- See descent by Leo van de Pas.
- Jean Chr�tien, born 1934, Prime Minister of Canada.