Dakota and Elle Fanning Are Related to the Royal Family Through Their Mother

Actor Dakota Fanning is known for being child star royalty. Before she was a teenager, the Georgia native gave us pithy lines in films like Uptown Girls (yep, that’s her voice in that TikTok trend) and in Sweet Home Alabama, playing a younger version of Reese Witherspoon’s character, Melanie Carmichael.

As Dakota’s child star fame rose, she included her sister, Elle Fanning, into the mix.

One of Elle’s earlier roles was alongside her sister in I Am Sam, followed by her taking on roles in Daddy Day Care, Deja Vu, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Elle and Dakota’s careers have only blossomed as they’ve transitioned from child to adult actors. The sisters are at the top of their game in the acting biz and show no signs of slowing down. Thankfully, they have each other, as well as their parents, to navigate the entertainment industry.

So, who are Dakota and Elle Fanning’s parents? Let’s find out!

Dakota and Elle’s parents, Steve Fanning and Hannah Joy Arrington, didn’t pass down the acting gene to their daughters. However, the actors’ parents were both professional athletes, so they were equipped to handle the competition that comes with childhood fame.

Dakota and Elle’s father played minor league baseball before going into electronics sales once they were born.

According to Dakota’s 2010 interview with NJ.com, Hannah was a professional tennis player who attempted to get Dakota to join in on the sport, noting that both of her parents were surprised she opted to be an actor.

“My mom started me on tennis when I was 3," the actor said. "That’s what I was going to be, a tennis player. And I guess I could have been. But I don’t like getting sweaty. I don’t like getting hot. And my mom sort of realized, ‘Oh my God, she’s not going to be an athlete.’ That really came out of the blue for them."

Though Dakota and Elle’s parents didn’t see themselves as showbiz parents, they took it in stride and supported their children’s careers. And while their mother, Hannah, isn’t famous herself, she’s famous adjacent through her daughters and the Royal Family.

Per data from Ancestry.com researchers (via People), the sisters are the 22nd great-granddaughters of King Edward III. This means they are also the 21st cousins of Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales. Kate’s mother, Carole Middleton, is a great-granddaughter of Edward III as well.

Dakota and Elle’s parents were always by their side, and they still are while living separate lives. According to The Blast, Steve filed for divorce in 2016. The pair reconciled one month later, but he ultimately filed again by 2017. Both of their children were adults at the time, with Dakota being 24 and Elle being 20.

While Steve and Hannah’s marriage ultimately ended, the Fanning sisters’ bond never wavered. In April 2025, Dakota shared a throwback photo of her and Elle to honor the Maleficient star’s birthday, proving they’ve been joined at the hip from the start.

“Our first photo together 27 years ago today,” Dakota captioned the photo. “I was asleep in the delivery room during Elle’s birth, so I can really say we have been together from the start. What an honor that has been, and I can’t wait for the rest. HBD.”