Blue blood flows in Johnny's veins

Johnny Depp in the movie 'Pirates of the Carribean: Stranger Tides'. Photo / Supplied

Johnny Depp has been hailed as a possible distant relative of the British monarchy, the Sunday Mirror reported.

While Depp has been Hollywood royalty for years, ancestry experts have worked out a connection which shows the Pirates of the Caribbean star and the Queen are 20th cousins.

The bloodline was not set in stone though. Genealogists admit they are relying on an unreported but widely known marriage in the 1600s between Yorkshireman Richard Denton and Helen Windebank to link the pair.

After delving into the family background of Depp, who was born in Owensboro, Kentucky in 1963, Dr Nick Barratt was confident in declaring the actor and the Queen as relatives. One branch of Depp's family tree descended from Sir William Gascoigne and his wife Margaret Percy, who was a direct descendant of King Edward III.

"When I examined Johnny's history I discovered a likely connection to the royal family," said Dr Barratt, who is a researcher for BBC Television's Who Do You Think You Are?

"I believe the balance of probability is that there is indeed a link between Depp and the royals.

"[But] I doubt we'll ever be able to prove it 100 per cent," he said.

- staff reporter