The upcoming wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle brings to mind links between Georgia and the British Royal Family.
Prince Harry’s direct ancestor was King George II (ruled 1727-1760) for whom the colony of Georgia was named in 1732 when he granted the charter. The city of Augusta was named for Augusta, Princess of Wales, mother of King George III. She was married to Frederick, who died before becoming king. Fort Frederica, on St. Simons Island, and the earlier town of Frederica, were named for him. Brunswick reflects the name of the House of Brunswick-Luneburg, of which the House of Hanover — the Royal dynasty at the time — was part. King George was also the Duke of Brunswick.
Meghan Markle traces her ancestry to roots in Georgia. For more on her ancestors, see americanancestors.org/meghan-markle, part of the website of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, the oldest genealogical group in the nation. Prince Harry’s ancestry is one of the most documented of any family, tracing through the royal line back to William the Conqueror (who died in 1087) and Alfred the Great (who died in 899).
National Genealogical Society awards President’s Citation to this columnist
The National Genealogical Society announced on May 2, as part of its annual awards at a national conference held in Grand Rapids, Mich., that the President’s Citation for “recognition of outstanding, continuing, or unusual contributions to the field of genealogy or the Society” had been awarded to this columnist “for his outstanding work writing a weekly column on genealogy for 40 years in the Sunday Atlanta Journal-Constitution, one of the largest daily circulation newspapers in the United States.” See ngs.org for further information.
The Royal Descents of 900 Immigrants
“The Royal Descents of 900 Immigrants to the American Colonies, Quebec, or the United States” is a new two-volume set compiled by Gary Boyd Roberts, a nationally known expert on royalty and American presidential genealogy, and retired from the New England Historic Genealogical Society. The books are an expansion of earlier publications with similar titles like “Royal Descents of 600 Immigrants.” The people whose roots are included vary widely, from Georgia founder James Edward Oglethorpe to Mamie Eisenhower. Many current actors and political figures are included. Everyone is traced back to a king or queen. The index is 600 pages. For those interested in this subject, it’s a great read. The two-volume, softcover, set is $150 plus $8 postage from the Genealogical Publishing Company. Go to genealogical.com or call 800-296-6687.
