I noticed a picture a woman holding up her genealogy chart, an inverted pyramid in which the family crests of two parents, four grandparents, eight great grandparents, and sixteen great great grandparents - all European aristocrats and royalty - were imaged. It was fascinating.
Of course most of us don't have that aristocrat - royalty connection. There are those who note the modern marriages of aristo-royals with non-aristo-royals (few who are paupers, many who are mega wealthy and may be refilling the purses of broke houses) with a sort of glee, those who say the old families were so inter-bred they really did/do need new blood. (The Duchess of Cambridge was/is no pauper!)
If you do have the aristo-royalty connection, you may find that genealogy research is actually easier than if you don't. Simply it's that wealthier or famous families, power families, have kept track of their genealogy for a lot longer than most, so that information is there for the having. Jewish people who are related to great Rabbi's have the same experience! Otherwise with commoners the trail grows cold in a few generations.
Recently I was surprised and then humored to see the photo of someone who would be the great great great grandchild of my grandmother and to see HER NOSE! If not her nose than the distinctive nose of her family! This distinctive nose has not been seen in any of her grandchildren or great grandchildren. It proved to me that genes can skip many generations, even as each generation has more donations!
