The Chase’s Anne Hegerty reveals ‘secret’ royal family connection
The Chase’s chaser found out she’s related to royalty – but isn’t fussed!
The Chase star Anne Hegerty has revealed she shares a royal connection with King Charles, but she has no plans to arrange a meeting with her distant cousin.
The 66-year-old quizzer discovered her unexpected royal link while appearing on DNA Journey in 2022. During the ITV series, Anne learned that she is the 19th cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II, making her the 19th cousin once removed of King Charles.
Anne shared that her great-great-grandfather, Sir John Hay, was a direct descendant of Sir Thomas de la Hay, who married Princess Elizabeth Stewart, daughter of King Robert II of Scotland.
Despite the prestigious family tree, Anne admitted she has little interest in getting close to the Royal Family.
Anne says she has no desire to meet King Charles
© Getty
Anne Hegerty reveals her impressive Royal family connections
Speaking to Best magazine, Anne explained: “I’ve never actually met a member of the Royal Family and I’m okay with that. I don’t particularly have any penchant to meet them.”
She continued: “I like them, and I enjoy reading about them. But I don’t have any ambition to meet them.”
While Anne is a supporter of the monarchy, she admits she would rather admire them from a distance than arrange an audience.
Queen Camilla and a quiz connection
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Anne Hegerty poses in the winners room during the NTAs
Anne also pointed out that Queen Camilla is a cousin of Judith Keppel, the first-ever winner of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and a former panellist on Eggheads.
However, Anne added that even this link wasn’t enough to encourage her to seek a royal encounter. She said bluntly: “I’m not really interested in meeting Camilla either.”
Anne speculated that some members of the Royal Family are secret fans of quiz shows, suggesting that the late Queen Elizabeth became fond of Pointless during lockdown.
Anne’s doubts about family stories
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Anne Hegerty attends The Pride of Britain Awards 2024 at The Grosvenor House Hotel
Anne revealed that her grandmother often claimed royal links, but she was highly sceptical.
“My grandmother was the most tremendous liar,” Anne said, laughing during DNA Journey.
“My aunt said she was a romancer and would embroider life a bit, so I always felt that anything from my grandmother had to be taken with a pinch of salt.”
Anne added that her mother disapproved of these stories and discouraged her interest in their family history.
“My mother was always deeply disapproving of the idea of anyone knowing about their ancestors. She’d say: ‘It doesn’t prove a thing, dear’,” Anne said.
“She thought if I found out there were posh connections, I’d grow up to be a terrible snob.”
Anne, however, joked that she had “already grown up a snob” long before learning about her royal ties.
Anne’s rise to fame
© ITV
Anne Hegerty on The Chase’s Christmas Special
Anne became a household name when she joined The Chase as one of the show’s professional Chasers in 2010. Known as “The Governess,” she quickly became a fan favourite for her sharp wit and formidable quizzing skills.
She later appeared on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in 2018, where she won praise for her honesty and resilience during her time in the Australian jungle.
Anne has since continued her work on The Chase and its spin-offs, including Beat the Chasers, while maintaining a loyal fan base.
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