Sheryl Lee Ralph Has A Fascinating Connection To Queen Elizabeth II
In the wake of Queen Elizabeth II's death at the age of 96 earlier this month, tributes from notable celebrities are flooding in. Among those who have honored the late royal are Elton John, whose tribute includes unheard details of their relationship; Melania Trump, whose message divided Twitter; and Barack Obama, who praised the queen in a recent interview.
People all around the world are continuing to pay their respects to the queen in unique and moving ways, especially after King Charles III extended his mother's mourning period 7 days after her funeral, which took place on September 19 (via Marie Claire).
Now, another anecdote about the queen and recent Emmy-award winner Sheryl Lee Ralph is making headlines after the "Abbott Elementary" cast member made history for being the second Black woman in history to take home the statuette for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series. While promoting the hit ABC show's second season, Ralph recalled her familial connection with the queen, and let's just say the six degrees of separation theory is real.
The queen once visited Sheryl Lee Ralph's aunt's Washington D.C. school
Fans of the royal family and "Abbott Elementary" may be surprised to learn about this connection. In an interview with Us Weekly, veteran performer Sheryl Lee Ralph discussed her connection to Queen Elizabeth II. The publication reported that during the queen's second to last trip to the United States in 1991, she visited a National Blue Ribbon school in Washington D.C. where Ralph's aunt was the principal.
"The queen actually came and sipped tea with her class and the students – yeah, that really happened!" Ralph said. "[At] Bunker Hill Elementary School in Washington, D.C."
Ralph was referring to the queen's 1991 visit, which was one of three times she visited America. During the 13 days she spent in the States on that visit, the queen met with then-President George H.W. Bush and also toured Virginia, Texas, and Baltimore, according to Fox 5 D.C.