Prince William descends from Revolutionary War patriots, book reveals

Britain’s future king is descended from American patriots who fought against the crown he would inherit, according to a new book tracing Prince William’s family tree.

Inside “American Crown” Stephanie Green traces the Prince of Wales’ extraordinary American ancestry to Revolutionary War patriot Nathan Hale and other colonial ancestors.

“The more I read about the family, the more interesting it was,” Green told Fox News Digital. “All the characters in his family tree are so fascinating, and it’s an American success story. The fact that he has American ancestry; I don’t even know if he realizes it.”

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Kensington Palace for comment. A spokesperson for the palace previously told Fox News Digital that it does not comment on the books.

Green said William traces his lineage to Benajah Strong through his mother, the late Princess Diana.

Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales smile and greet well-wishers while visiting Aros Hall in Tobermory, Scotland, on April 29, 2025. They are on a two-day visit to the Isles of Mull and Iona to engage with rural island communities. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

“The powerful have been in this country for a very long time, since the 1600s,” Green said. “Benajah came from Coventry, Connecticut, which places her not only at the heart of the American Revolution, but also at its beginning. Coventry was a hotbed of anti-monarchist sentiment, and Benajah’s role during the American Revolution was to spread the word that the British were on the march. She was part of what we called the ‘Lexington Alarm.'”

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“Benajah’s grave is still in Coventry,” Green added.

The first Strong ancestor emigrated from England to New England in 1635. Washington Post. William’s sixth great-grandfather was born in Coventry in 1740 and joined the Connecticut militia as a private.

Stephanie Green’s “American Crown: From Revolutionaries to Royals: The Story of Prince William’s American Legacy” will be available July 7, 2026. (Pegasus Books)

Strong’s nephew was Nathan Hale, whom Green describes as “our most famous American martyr and one of our most famous American patriots.”

Nathan Hale, a teacher and patriot during the American War of Independence, is depicted in a standing portrait. He was a spy who was captured and executed by the British in 1776. (Charles Phelps Cushing/ClassicStock/Getty Images)

“He was Benajah’s sister’s son,” Green said. “He was captured and hanged by the British in 1776, shortly after the start of the American Revolution. Unfortunately, his remains have never been found. People in Coventry erect monuments in his honor and still hope that his remains will one day be found and returned to his hometown.”

According to The Washington Post, Hale, who studied at Yale, was teaching in Connecticut when the Revolutionary War began. Like his uncle, Hale joined the Connecticut militia. The publication reported that Hale later joined Knowlton’s Rangers, widely considered the first organized U.S. military intelligence unit.

American Revolutionary soldier Nathan Hale receives instructions from General Washington in 1776 before volunteering to gather intelligence behind British lines on Long Island. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

In 1776, Hale traveled to British-occupied Long Island on a spy mission, posing as an unemployed Dutch teacher. Some historians have argued that Hale’s fatal mistake was carrying around his Yale degree. He was captured by British forces in Queens.

After interrogation, Hale was hanged at the age of 21, approximately two months after the Declaration of Independence.

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British soldiers prepare to hang American patriot and spy Nathan Hale on September 22, 1776. (MPI/Getty Images)

Hale’s last reported words were: “I regret having only one life to lose for my country.”

Green said he discovered a surprising connection to America’s first president during his research.

Visitors arrive at Althorp House for the Althorp Literary Festival in Northampton, England. (David Levenson/Getty Images)

“Anyone who follows the royal family knows the Spencer family, which is a very aristocratic family from England,” Green said. “Diana, of course, was Lady Diana Spencer when she married the Prince of Wales in 1981, but people probably don’t know that the Spencer family and George Washington’s family go back a long way.”

Sulgrave Mansion, a Tudor and Georgian home built by George Washington’s ancestors, is located in Sulgrave, England. (Rob Stothard/Getty Images)

“I have a whole chapter about Sulgrave Manor, which was George Washington’s ancestral home in England,” Green said. “The Spencer family estate is just down the road from Althorp. The Spencers and the Washingtons were actually quite friendly. The Spencer girls worked in the Washington house, and the Washington kids were friends with the Spencer kids. The families were very close.”

“The Washington family moved to America, as many families do,” Green continued. “But Sulgrave Mansion is still there. You can visit it and learn more about George Washington’s family.”

Prince William, Prince of Wales and BAFTA president, smiles while visiting the London Screen Academy in London on February 12, 2025. (Kirsty Wigglesworth/Getty Images)

Green said one of her ancestors instantly reminded her of Diana.

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Diana, Princess of Wales, attended a banquet wearing the Queen Mary tiara in Nova Scotia, Canada, on June 15, 1983. (Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images)

“The most shocking and fascinating character is Fannie Work, later known as Fannie Roche or Frances Burke Roche,” Green said. “She is the great-great-great-grandmother of the future king.”

“She was a fascinating woman,” Green said. “He was an American heiress born around 1857. He came of age in the Gilded Age and was associated with many intellectuals of the period. He knew Alice Roosevelt.”

Ms. Burke Roche poses for a portrait reflecting the fashions and social norms of her time. (ALAMI)

“What fascinated me most was how she lived life on her own terms. She went through two scandalous divorces at a time when people rarely even said the word ‘divorce’ in polite society. She was determined to live life her way. The more I read about her, the more I realized how many similarities she shared with Diana.”

This portrait, dated about 1895, shows Mrs. James Boothby Burke Roche, nee Frances Work, wife of James Boothby Burke Roche and daughter of Frank Work. (ALAMI)

“They were both beautiful,” Green said. “Both were dazzling. Both invited scandal. Everything seemed to be going in their favor. People were fascinated by them, but they were still rebels at heart.”

By all accounts, Work either never regained his social standing or avoided another marriage, living lavishly between New York, Newport, Rhode Island, and Paris. American Aristocracy. He later purchased an apartment on New York City’s Fifth Avenue, where he died in 1947 at the age of 90.

Princess Diana passed away on August 31, 1997. He was 36 years old. (Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images)

Green believes that had Diana lived, she would have started a new life across the Atlantic.

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Princess Diana celebrates her birthday in this undated photo. (Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images)

“He was spending a lot of time in America in the last years of his life,” Green said. “He had many American friends. He was planning to move here, too. I interviewed his priest, and according to him and other sources, he loved America and was planning to settle here. He was considering buying a house in the Beverly Hills or Malibu area. How ironic and wonderful that he was returning to the land of his ancestors.”

What would William’s ancestors say today, knowing that their own grandson would be king? It depends on who you ask, Green said.

Prince William of England and Catherine, Princess of Wales will marry King George III on May 6, 2023. Standing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London following the coronation of Charles and Queen Camilla. (Leon Neal/AFP)

“I think some of them would be happy to have one of their own become king,” Green said. “I think William’s ancestors would be pleased not only that he was king, but also that he was a good man. He is a devoted family man. He has a wonderful wife and wonderful children. I think they would admire the fact that he has many American qualities.”

Prince William, Princess Charlotte, Catherine, Prince George and Prince Louis wave from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping The Color in London on June 13, 2026. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

“He’s very independent,” Green said. “He has a rebellious side. He can be stubborn and he loves his family. He loves his country and is a patriot in his own right. While it might amuse them that their descendants are part of the monarchy they once fought against, I think they would be very proud that one of their own has become such a good and beloved man.”