William Moseley played King Peter in 'The Chronicles of Narnia' films, and it turns out that Moseley himself is the descendant of kings.
William Moseley is no stranger to royalty — he's played two prominent roles as a noble figure: as King Peter in 'The Chronicles of Narnia,' and as Prince Liam in the E! series 'The Royals.' It's not hard to see why he was cast in those roles, as he has that noble-looking aura about his countenance.
The Lion Rampant
As William Moseley is a descendant of Scottish royalty, we have to take a look at something I find incredible. Looking back to his role as Peter Pevensie in the Chronicles of Narnia, you will recall that on his armor, he wore the heraldic symbol of "the lion rampant."
The lion rampant is found on the Royal Banner of Scotland, shown below. This royal banner was used by the monarchs of Scotland as early as 1222.
It is quite remarkable that William Moseley wore a lion rampant on his armor in the Narnia films, similar to that of the royal banner of the Scottish monarchy from which he is descended.
William Moseley's Line of Descent from Scottish Royalty
All right, let's take a look at William Moseley's line of descent in this chart I prepared below.
Through this lineage, William Moseley is a descendant of pretty much every royal house in Europe. In the chart you can see that William's family line can be traced back more than 1,020 years, as these lines go back even further, beyond the space of a chart.
21st Great Grandson of King Robert the Bruce
As Moseley is descended from many Scottish kings, in this article I'll focus on his 21st great grandfather, who is perhaps Scotland's most famous king: Robert the Bruce.
Robert the Bruce was born on 11 July 1274, likely at Turnberry Castle in Ayreshire, Scotland. His parents were Marjorie, Countess of Carrick, and Robert de Brus, 6th Lord of Annandale. The Bruce family were descended from King David I of Scotland.
So much has been written regarding Robert the Bruce's life or made into a movie, that I won't go into detail here, but will sum up that Robert is revered in Scotland as a national hero who fought during his reign to reclaim Scotland's independence during the First War of Scottish Independence against England.
At age 18 he was thrust onto the political stage as he inherited the Bruce family claim to the throne of Scotland. At age 22 he joined the revolt against England. At 31, he was crowned King of Scots on 25 March 1306.
By 1314, Robert had recovered most of Scotland's castles and defeated the English at the Battle of Bannockburn.
Having helped Scotland regain its independence, firmly establishing his family's claim to the throne, and producing an heir, King Robert the Bruce died a month before his 55th birthday on 7 June 1329. His body is buried in Dunfermline Abbey in Scotland.
Robert the Bruce is only one of the many Scottish kings that William Moseley is descended from. You can look up some of the other kings on his line of descent chart provided earlier, and check out what they achieved during their reigns.
"Who has not fully realized that history is not contained in thick books, but lives in our very blood?" —Carl Jung
As far back as he is in time, Robert the Bruce has millions of descendants today. In fact, most Europeans and Americans are likely descended from him. The fun is in tracing your line of descent from royals, and how you're related to others through those lines. Other famous individuals who can trace their descent from Robert the Bruce include the most famous princess in the galaxy, the late Carrie Fisher, best known for her portrayal as Leia in the Star Wars films. That makes William Moseley a very distant cousin of hers.
This is my fifth installment on William Moseley's family tree, which has been made possible with the kind assistance of Moseley himself in providing a little background on what he knew about his family. A big thank you again to William for his help and enthusiasm in this research into his ancestry.
About the Author
Storytelling binds generations. Films and family history are both powerful forms of storytelling that do just that. Family history research has been a passion of mine since I was a teenager. Having researched my own family tree extensively, I enjoy looking into the family trees of notable people. It gives me a sense of their background and what shaped them and their family into who they are today. To see their roots and where they come from is always inspiring. Being a history geek, I’m often in awe of the historical experiences of their ancestors and how they connect to the present day. I hope to inspire others to research their own family trees and find out where they come from by sharing interesting insights from the family trees of some of my favorite artists and entertainers.
— Mike Batie
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