Kim Kardashian West is descended from Scottish royalty and can trace her lineage back to the MacGregor clan and the infamous Rob Roy, according to a new report.
Scottish journalist and researcher Craig Williams made the discovery after learning that the Kardashians are “fond of Scottish names,” according to the Daily Record.
.@KimKardashian is Scottish royalty and descended from the first King of Scots https://t.co/aSh0oFqvoa
— The Daily Record (@Daily_Record) June 1, 2019
In 2012, Kardashian West’s older sister Kourtney named her second daughter Penelope Scotland Disick, referencing her mother Kris Jenner’s Scottish ancestry.
“This all came about because I had seen the name of Kim’s niece was Penelope Scotland Disick,” Williams told the Daily Record.
“I thought the family must be aware of a Scottish background,” he added. “And sure enough, when I searched the historical records, there it was. I had no idea they would be linked to such a towering figure from Scottish history though. And as the MacGregors claim direct descent from Scottish kings, maybe Kim could have a claim on the throne.”
After digging through historical records, Williams traced Kardashian West’s family back to “the infamous cattle thief and Jacobite rebel Rob Roy,” which links Kardashian West to the first King of Scots, Kenneth MacAlpin, according to the report.
The folk hero Rob Roy was born in 1671 in Loch Katrine, Stirlingshire. Years later, he became famous after the publication of Sir Walter Scott’s novel “Rob Roy” in 1817. In 1995, he was the focus of a Hollywood film starring Liam Neeson. The MacGregor clan’s motto “Royal is my race” ties in to the fact that they have always had a direct line to the throne, according to the Daily Record.
Williams found the link by searching the history of Kardashian West’s great-great-great grandmother on her mother’s side, Margaret Elizabeth Magee. Born in Mississippi in 1856, she was known as “Betty” Van Zandt after her marriage to Jacob James Van Zandt, according to the report. Her great-great-great-great-great grandfather was Thomas MacGee.
Born in 1645, MacGee was a relation of Rob Roy. He is thought to have changed his name from James MacGregor after he fought during the civil wars of the 17th century, fighting for his father’s clan for the cause of King Charles I. According to the Daily Record, Williams obtained the information from a document titled “Magee Family History,” written by Leon Walker in 1990.
Kim Kardashian is now officially a Scottish Queen ????https://t.co/Uv4QCxJ5WD
— The Daily Record (@Daily_Record) June 1, 2019
At the time, having the wrong surname was punishable by death after an edict by James VI of Scotland in 1603. The edict came about after the MacGregors killed 200 of the Clan Colquhoun the year before in the Battle of Glen Fruin, according to the report.
Thomas Magee is believed to have emigrated to Virginia in 1670 with his family and died between 1724-1727.
Thomas Magee’s grandfather, Patrick MacGregor, is believed to have been “an outlaw operating in the Highlands in 1636,” according to the report.
Not all emigrated like Thomas Magee, and among the family members that did stay in Scotland, some are believed to have fought alongside Rob Roy MacGregor in the Jacobite cause of 1715 as well as in the battle of Glen Shiel in 1719.
Liam Neeson is 18th century Scotsman, ROB ROY, living a Robin Hood lifestyle. Watch tonight at 7:25p ET/4:25p PT on MGM HD. pic.twitter.com/0t63a5euFi
— MGM HD (@MGMHD) May 29, 2019