Prince William, the future king of Britain, is descended from American patriots who fought against the crown he is destined to inherit, according to author Stephanie Green's new book, "American Crown." The book traces the Prince of Wales' lineage to Revolutionary War figures, including Nathan Hale.
Green told Fox News Digital that through Prince William's mother, the late Princess Diana, his ancestry connects to Benajah Strong. According to the book, the Strong family has been in America since the 1600s. Benajah Strong, born in Coventry, Connecticut, in 1740, was part of the "Lexington Alarm," a network that spread word of British troop movements at the beginning of the American Revolution.
Nathan Hale, Benajah Strong's nephew, is described as a notable patriot and martyr who was captured and hanged by the British in 1776. Hale, a Yale-educated teacher, joined the Connecticut militia and later Knowlton's Rangers, considered an early U.S. military intelligence unit. He was captured while on a spying mission in British-occupied Long Island.
The book also explores Princess Diana's family connections. Green notes that the Spencer family, Diana's aristocratic English family, had ties to George Washington's family. Sulgrave Manor, George Washington's ancestral home in England, is located near Althorp, the Spencer estate, and the families were reportedly friendly.
One particularly fascinating ancestor highlighted is Fannie Work, later known as Fannie Roche or Frances Burke Roche, who was Prince William's great-great-great-grandmother. Born an American heiress around 1857 during the Gilded Age, Work is depicted as a woman who lived life on her own terms, experiencing two divorces at a time when such matters were rarely discussed in polite society. Green draws parallels between Work and Princess Diana, noting their shared beauty, glamour, tendency to court scandal, and rebellious spirits.
Work lived lavishly between New York, Newport, Rhode Island, and Paris, eventually purchasing an apartment on Fifth Avenue in New York City, where she died in 1947 at age 90. Green suggests that Princess Diana, who spent considerable time in America in her later years and had many American friends, might have eventually moved to the United States, potentially settling in Beverly Hills or the Malibu area, returning to the land of her ancestors.
Kensington Palace declined to comment on the book, according to reports. Green expressed uncertainty about whether Prince William is aware of his American colonial lineage. However, she speculated that William's ancestors would likely be proud of his character, noting his devotion to family, independent spirit, and patriotism, even if they found it amusing that a descendant would become king of the monarchy they once fought against.