Miranda Hart

Hart in 2011, photo by Prphotos

Birth Name: Miranda Katherine Hart Dyke

Place of Birth: Torquay, Torbay, Devon, England, U.K.

Date of Birth: 14 December, 1972

Ethnicity: English, small amounts of Scottish, German, Irish, and Dutch

Miranda Hart is an English actress, model, comedian, and writer. Her roles include the series Miranda and Call the Midwife, and the film Spy (2015).

She is the daughter of Diana Margaret (Luce) and Royal Navy officer, Captain David Hart Dyke, CBE, LVO, ADC. Her father was a commanding officer of HMS Coventry and aide-de-camp to Queen Elizabeth II. Her uncle, mother’s brother, Richard Luce, Baron Luce, was a Conservative MP, from 1 April, 1971 to 9 April, 1992, and Governor of Gibraltar, from 24 February, 1997 to 21 March, 2000.

Miranda is from a prominent family, and descends from many important military figures, as well as from Baronets, Earls, Marquesses, and Dukes.

She is a first cousin of journalist Edward Luce and horticulturist, author, and plant hunter Tom Hart Dyke. Miranda’s mother and Edward’s father are siblings, as are Miranda’s father and Tom’s mother.

Miranda’s paternal grandfather was The Rev. Eric Hart Dyke (the son of Colonel Percyvall Hart Dyke and Louisa Catherine Cave). The Rev. Eric was born in India, likely in Murree, Bengal. Percyvall was the son of Thomas Hart Dyke and Georgina Isabella Russell Fullerton. Louisa was the daughter of Admiral John Halliday Cave and Louisa Ellis.

Miranda’s paternal grandmother was Mary Alexander (the daughter of Major Robert Alexander and Katharine Shaw-Stewart). Mary was born in Cranbrook, Kent, England. Robert was the son of Boyd Francis Alexander and Mary Wilson. Katharine was the daughter of The Rev. Charles Robert Shaw-Stewart and Ida Fannie Caroline Afken.

Miranda’s maternal grandfather was Sir William Henry Tucker Luce (the son of Admiral John Luce and Mary Dorothea Tucker). Sir William was born in Alverstoke, Hampshire, England, and was the British Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Aden, from 1956 to 1960. John was the son of Colonel Charles Richard Luce and Mary Visger. Miranda’s great-uncle was surgeon, British Army officer, and Unionist Party politician Richard Luce, who was a Member of Parliament for Derby, from 29 October, 1924 to 29 May, 1929. Miranda’s great-grandmother Mary was the daughter of Alfred Harris Tucker and Mary Ann Haynes.

Miranda’s maternal grandmother was Margaret Napier (the daughter of Vice-Admiral Sir Trevylyan Dacres Willes Napier and Mary Elizabeth Culme-Seymour). Margaret was born in Totnes, Devon, England. Trevylyan was a Royal Navy officer, who became Commander-in-Chief, America and West Indies Station. He was the son of Vice-Admiral Gerard John Napier and Ella Louisa Wilson. Miranda’s great-grandmother Mary Elizabeth was the daughter of Admiral Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, 3rd Baronet, and of Mary Georgiana Watson.

Miranda is also a fourth cousin, twice removed, of Diana, Princess of Wales, and a sixth cousin of adventurer Bear Grylls. Miranda’s maternal five times great-grandparents, George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer, a Whig politician, and Lavinia Spencer, Countess Spencer, an illustrator, were also the paternal three times great-grandparents of Princess Diana, and the maternal five times great-grandparents of Bear.

Sources: Genealogy of Miranda Hart – http://www.thepeerage.com

Family history of Miranda Hart – https://roystockdillgenealogy.com

Family history of Miranda Hart – https://blog.findmypast.co.uk

Miranda’s maternal grandmother, Margaret Napier, on the 1911 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org