What if the story of American democracy was secretly also a story of medieval royalty? Genealogist BridgeAnne d’Avignon made headlines when she traced 42 of 43 U.S. presidents back to a single common ancestor — King John of England, the 13th-century monarch who signed the Magna Carta in 1215. From George Washington to Donald Trump, the royal bloodline quietly runs through the White House. The one exception? Martin Van Buren, the 8th president, whose family came from the Netherlands — making him the only commander-in-chief with no English royal roots. Explore the full interactive timeline, plus discover which presidents were Freemasons, and which belonged to Yale’s secretive Skull and Bones society.

King John, often called “John Lackland”, ruled England from 1199 to 1216. He is one of history’s most controversial monarchs — and one of its most genealogically prolific. His descendants spread throughout the English nobility, married into gentry families, emigrated to colonial America, and ultimately produced president after president.

Use the interactive timeline below to filter by royal connection, Freemason membership, or Skull and Bones affiliation — and expand each president’s card to see their generational distance from King John and detailed ancestry notes.