Wyoming’s Connection To The British Royal Family

Great Britain is buzzing about the latest Royal Wedding. Saturday, May 19th, Prince Harry will tie the knot with American actress Meghan Markle. Did you know there's a connection between England's royal family and the great state of Wyoming?

Malcolm Wallop was a Wyoming rancher who served three terms in the United States Senate. Before moving to Big Horn in the late 1800s, his paternal grandfather Oliver Henry Wallop was the Earl of Portsmouth and later became the only man to serve in both Britain's House of Lords and Wyoming's House of Representatives.

In 1984, Senator Wallop honored his royal roots when he hosted Queen Elizabeth II at his Canyon Ranch. Although he passed away in 2011, Wallop's family still holds several aristocratic titles. His sister Jean is the Countess of Carnarvon. Jean's son George Herbert is the Earl of Carnarvon. Their family home, Highclere Castle, was the location for the popular television series Downton Abbey.