Prince William's American Rebel Ancestors

Prince William, the future king, possesses a fascinating American lineage featuring patriots who actively opposed the British Crown he is destined to lead. Research uncovers his ancestral ties to Revolutionary War hero Nathan Hale and other colonial figures who contributed to the fight for American independence.

Through his mother, the late Princess Diana, Prince William's ancestry traces back to Benajah Strong, a patriot from Coventry, Connecticut. Strong was instrumental in spreading news of British troop movements during the American Revolution, a period when Coventry was a center of anti-monarchist sentiment.

Further ancestral connections reveal a surprising link between Princess Diana's Spencer family and that of America's first president, George Washington. The Spencer estate was historically close to the Washingtons' ancestral home in England, with the families sharing friendly relations.

One notable ancestor, Fannie Work (later Frances Burke Roche), great-great-great-grandmother to Prince William, is highlighted as a rebellious American heiress. Her independent spirit and two scandalous divorces during the Gilded Age drew comparisons to Princess Diana's own life and public persona.

Researchers suggest that had Princess Diana lived, she might have returned to America, a land she reportedly loved and planned to settle in. This potential move would have brought her closer to the ancestral soil of her own family and Prince William's revolutionary forebears.