Emmelie de Forest
Birth Name: Emmelie Charlotte-Victoria de Forest
Place of Birth: Randers, Denmark
Date of Birth: 28 February, 1993
Ethnicity: Danish, Swedish, small amounts of English, French, Ashkenazi Jewish, distant German/Frisian
Emmelie de Forest is a Danish singer and songwriter. For Denmark, she won the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö, Sweden, with the song “Only Teardrops.”
Emmelie was born in Randers, Denmark. Her mother, Marianna Birgitte Gudnitz, is Danish. Her father, Ingvar Engström, who later changed his surname to De Forest, was from Sweden. Following her parents’ divorce when she was young, she grew up with her mother in Mariager, Denmark, and in Stockholm.
A MyHeritage DNA test taken by Emmelie stated that her genetic ancestry is:
*44.4% North and West European
*38.2% Scandinavian
*12.2% Balkan
*5.2% Ashkenazi Jewish
She had said that she was a descendant of Edward VII of the United Kingdom. This is not accurate.
Emmelie’s biological paternal grandfather evidently was Maurice Arnold de Forest, Count of Bendern. Maurice was born in 78 rue Legendre, Paris, Paris, Île-de-France, France, and is usually believed to be the biological son of Edward Deforest/de Forest and Juliette Arnold. The couple were American, from New York, and worked with circuses in France; Edward was a circus performer. Maurice and his brother Raymond were adopted by Baroness Clara/Claire (Bischoffsheim) de Hirsch and Baron Maurice de Hirsch, who were Jewish. The siblings were also sometimes said to be the Baron’s biological children. Maurice was given the name de Forest-Bischoffsheim. He was raised in France, and was a prominent motor racing driver, aviator, and politician.
Emmelie’s paternal grandmother was Irma Paula Margareta Engström (the daughter of Frans Henry Engström and Paulina Georgina Söderhielm). Irma was born in Ruokolahti, Finland, to Swedish parents. Frans was the son of Anders Petter Engström and Maria Katarina Amalia Klaesson. Emmelie’s great-grandmother Paulina was the daughter of Georg Fredrik Söderhielm and Emma Leontina Pehrsson. Emmelie’s Klaesson (originally Claassen) line originates in Heligoland, Germany, with her fourth great-grandfather, Claes Claassen, who, given his birth place and surname, was likely Frisian.
Emmelie’s maternal grandfather was Knud Gudnitz (the son of an unknown father and Antonie Anna Sophie Qvist Høyer). Knud was born in Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark. Antonie was the daughter of Frederik Ferdinand Gudnitz and Antonie Vilhelmine Worck.
Emelie’s maternal grandmother was Karen Marie Jensen (the daughter of Søren Christian Jensen and Ane Johanne Sørine Sørensen). Karen was born in Falslev, Denmark. Søren was the son of Jens Jensen and Johanne Marie Sørensen. Ane was the daughter of Christen Sørensen and Karen Marie Pedersen.
Sources: Genealogy of Emmelie de Forest – http://www.geni.com
Information about Emmelie’s paternal grandfather, Maurice Arnold de Forest, Count of Bendern – http://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.ca
Her grandfather Maurice was a motor racing driver, aviator, and politician.
Edward and Juliette were American, not French. They were from New York, and worked with circuses in France; Edward was a circus performer. I’ve tried to find a census record of Edward and Juliette, and this seems like it could be Edward (right name, right birth year, and right place of residence):
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8XN-FC7
If it is, then Edward was the son of William DeForest and Louisa A. Bassett, and was of English, and a small amount of French, descent (through his “DeForest” line). But even if it is not, Emmelie’s grandfather likely had that same ethnicity.
Irma was born in Ruokolahti, Finland, to Swedish parents.
Emmelie’s “Klaesson” (originally “Claassen”) line originates in Heligoland, Germany, with her fourth great-grandfather, Claes Claassen, who, given the birth place and the surname, was likely Frisian.
Information about Emmelie’s grandfather – http://royalmusingsblogspotcom.blogspot.ie/2013/02/emmelie-de-forest-great-great.html
Emmelie’s maternal grandmother was named Karen Marie Jensen.
Marianne’s middle name is Birgitte.
Emmelie’s maternal grandfather was Knud Gudnitz.
She is the daughter of Ingvar Engström de Forest, a Swedish, and Marianna Gudnitz, a Danish.
Emmelie’s paternal grandparents were Maurice Arnold de Forest, Count of Bendern (the son of Edward de Forest and Juliette Arnold) and Irma Paula Margareta Engström (the daughter of Frans Henry Engström and Paulina Georgina Söderhielm). Maurice was French. Irma was Swedish.
Source: Genealogy of Emmelie’s father – http://www.geni.com/people/Ingvar-Engstr%C3%B6m-de-Forest/6000000011003235330