Could you have royal lineage? One in 10 Canadians do -- here's how to find out

The recent spotlight on the Royal Family may lead to questions about lineage, and it turns out many Canadians have some kind of royal connection.

When historical events are happening, like King Charles' coronation, people tend to call into question their own personal history, Ancestry.ca family historian Brad Argent, told CTVNews.ca in an interview Friday.

Canada is home to a multitude of cultures, with people coming from many different backgrounds, including British. Argent said relations to the Royal Family are common in commonwealth countries like Canada, where ancestors sometimes emigrated from Great Britain.

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Recently, Argent said, people seem to be keen to understand if they too could be in line for the throne, or have ties to other royal families around the world.

According to the team at Ancestry.ca, 1 in 10 Canadians are connected to royalty.

CANADIAN FINDS HER CONNECTION

Canadian Ancestry user Christine Lewis Tats’ curiosity began at a young age.

She knew her grandfather had British roots, and she started digging into his background more after inheriting some information from her family in Ontario. Through a process of research and help from Ancestry.ca, Tats found connections to England, Wales and Scotland, and ultimately the Royal Family.

According to her research, Tats' paternal grandfather was connected to Edward Seymour, the first duke of Somerset. Seymour was the brother of Jane Seymour, one of King Henry VIII's (1491-1547) wives and mother to King Edward VI (1537-1553).

Argent said this sort of connection is not easy to find, and does take time to figure out. He said he's been researching his own family lineage for decades due to the need to sift through a lot of information.

HOW TO START FAMILY RESEARCH

"The first thing to do is write down what you know," Argent said. "You start with yourself, and you build a tree: mom, dad, where they were born, when they were married."

At some point, a person will run out of personal knowledge on their own lineage, which is when Argent says they should speak with the oldest person in their family.

"Ask them questions. Ultimately, you want to record this, so that you don't have to be distracted by writing stuff down," he said.

Argent said asking about the person's parents, grandparents, and great-aunts and –uncles and then adding it to their family tree helps people visualize missing information.

At some point, family knowledge will run out, he said, which is where a person needs to start confirming what they think they know.

From there, he suggests people start building out that tree on Ancestry.ca, finding information through the site’s database of records.

Looking through birth records, census records, and immigration statuses can help confirm the family tree.

"Once you do that, then go back to that oldest person in the family, and show them what you've uncovered, because that will prompt more memories," Argent said.

He said this is where a person will need to be more "forensic."

"A name and a date on a tree is one thing," he said. "The story of who that person is and how they live their life is another."

Understanding an ancestor's occupation, where they lived and when can include details as to how they lived, regardless of a connection to nobility.

"When you get the occupations, it can pull you into the social history and you can get a sense of what their day was like, this is the work that they did, this is the life that they lived, and they suddenly become someone," Argent said.

This is where a potential line to royalty can be drawn. Argent said an ancestor's employment can show whether they were educated and if they held power.

"A lot of (our ancestors), they were farmers or labourers or agricultural workers," Argent said. "But occasionally, you'll stumble across an ancestor who has a slightly different role. They might be ones that require some level of authority with them."

These are people who held positions of power during their lifetimes, such as town clerks, bailiffs or teachers. Even those who had land, like farmers (not farm labourers), could have royal connections.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU CAN'T ASK FAMILY ABOUT THEIR HISTORY

Because a lot of family history is passed down orally, Argent said, sometimes parts of the story aren’t shared before a relative dies, or for other reasons. In the case of adoption, for example, a person may have had no connection to their biological family.

Knowing this, Argent encourages people to try and write down what they know and then figure out creative ways to understand the past.

"If you've got a grandparent who has friends, speak to the friends. They might remember something that the grandparent doesn't," he said. "If you are the oldest person, I think it's really important to write that stuff down (and) record your memories… Listen to those recordings, and they'll trigger more memories."

While gathering this information, particularly for those who have no connection to their blood relatives, Argent says there should be a bit of caution. He suggests people take a DNA test, which can give an idea of family history based on others who share the same lineage.

Digging up family history, although enjoyable for some, can open wounds for others, he said.

"If you're in that situation, where you have questions about your biological origins, (DNA testing) can give you answers, and it can give you answers very, very quickly. If you're not emotionally prepared for that, it can be quite difficult," Argent said.

Although family history can take years to uncover, Argent said during historical moments like the coronation, the need to understand can be even greater.

"There could be people out there right now, who've got this wonderful connection to the Royal Family, sitting there going to watch the coronation tomorrow, and have no idea that a four- or five-times great-grandparent was a nobleman —- potentially, they could be related directly to royalty, they're just not going to know."