Benedict Cumberbatch related to Sherlock Holmes' creator
Genealogists discover the "Sherlock" actor is a distant cousin of the character's creator, author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch's connection to Sherlock Holmes has been proven to be more than just his role on the popular British TV series "Sherlock."
Researchers at Ancestry.com put on their deerstalker detective hats and found clues that revealed Cumberbatch and Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are 16th cousins, twice removed.
Cumberbatch and Doyle are connected by their common ancestor John of Gaunt who was the duke of Lancaster and the fourth son of King Edward III of England, who lived in the 14th Century, the website said.
"Making family history connections is similar to piecing together a mysterious puzzle, one that the great Sherlock Holmes himself would be intrigued to solve," said Ancestory.com family historian Lisa Elzey.
Previously in 2015, it was reported that Cumberbatch was the second cousin 16 times removed to King Richard III, whom he portrayed in BBC series "The Hollow Crown."
See the chart below to better understand the Cumberbatch-Doyle family tree.
Trace how Benedict Cumberbatch and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are connected.