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Judi Dench discovers she has a royal connection

‘The work that researchers do is so thorough that there are bound to be some surprises to be found’ actor said

Peony Hirwani
Tuesday 12 October 2021 13:51 BST
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Judi Dench has discovered that she has a royal connection after appearing on BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are?

Researchers on the TV show determined that one of her maternal ancestors was a lady in waiting in the Danish court.

The Skyfall actor said she had “no idea” that she had any Danish connections.

“I had no idea about any of that. Or even that we had any Danish connections but this, I have found out, is my Mother’s family, and now of course I want to explore it further,” Dench said. “And now I believe there are Swedish connections too, this may well prompt a visit there as well!”

The 86-year-old actor will feature on next week’s (19 October) episode of the British genealogy documentary series.

Dench admitted that she was a bit “concerned” about having a team dig deep in her family history.

“I am sure that investigating anyone’s past would have parts that could surprise or even shock you,” she said.

Dame Judi Dench
Dame Judi Dench (Getty Images)

Adding: “The work that researchers do is so thorough that there are bound to be some surprises to be found. Naturally, I was concerned about the possibility of what I might be told.”

Dench was last seen in Daniel Craig’s final James Bond film No Time To Die, Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical film Belfast, and Jules Williamson’s comedy film Off the Rails.

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