For centuries, folks have pondered the age-old quandary: “Where did I come from?”
Genealogy uses oral history and written records to identify your forebears and uncover details about their lives.
When it comes to genealogy, the British royals have always been a hot topic.
According toAncestry.com, experts have documented some 1,200 years and 37 generations of royal ancestry.
Naturally, genealogists were eager to learn more about Camilla’s family history.
But Camilla isn’t the only luminary in her family tree.
In fact, she’s distantly related to several musicians, politicians, and even a legendary author.
Keep scrolling to see who else hails from Camilla’s bloodline.
That’s right: Camilla is distantly related to Madonna.
Both women are descendants of Zacharie Cloutier, a French colonist who settled near modern-day Quebec City in 1634.
Back then, Quebec was a tiny settlement in the colony of New France.
Not only did Cloutier help establish New France, but he also grew a massive genealogical tree.
As the local population grew, Cloutier’s bloodline proliferated.
By the 1800 census, Cloutier’s family tree included around 10,500 relatives.
Today, the Frenchman has scores of descendants, including Camilla and Madonna.
The Queen and the Material Girl both descend from Cloutier through their maternal ancestral lines.
According toHello!, the women are ninth cousins.
Ancestry.com confirmed this illustrious family connection in 2008.
According to theFrench-Canadian Genealogist, Guyon is Dion’s 9th great-grandfather and Camilla’s 10th great-grandfather.
Hence, Dion and Camilla are tenth cousins, once removed.
Genealogist William Addams Reitwiesner confirmed this ancestral connection to theIrish Examinerin 2006.
“Camilla and Celine descend from Jean Guyon,” he stated.
Guyon and his wife, Mathurine Robin, raised several children who carried on the bloodline.
Today, many French Canadians have ancestral connections to Guyon and his family.
“Both Jean and Zacharie [Cloutier] died in Chateau-Richer, Quebec,” Reitwiesner explained.
“Because of their unusual French-Canadian ancestry, they are all blood relations.”
Dion was born in Quebec on March 30, 1968.
The pop sensation descended from Guyon through her paternal lineage.
According toMyHeritage, the singers are 8th cousins via their common ancestor, Elisabeth-Ursule Cloutier.
Like Queen Camilla, Jolie is descended from French-Canadian Pioneer Zacharie Cloutier.
TheDaily Mailnoted that Camilla and Jolie are 9th cousins.
So, what does this mean in terms of shared DNA?
Not as much as you might think.
The plan succeeded, and a population boom ensued.
These bachelorettes became known as Filles du Roi (“Daughters of the King” in English).
Like many people with ancestral ties to Quebec, Jolie can trace her lineage to this group of women.
Their distant familial connection comes through Camilla’s ancestor, Zacharie Cloutier.
In 1996, the singer courted controversy over her purported First Nations heritage.
According to theAboriginal Multi-Media Society, Twain claimed to be half-Ojibwe through her father, Jerry Twain.
Justin Bieber
What do Queen Camilla and pop icon Justin Bieber have in common?
The regal and the “Sorry” crooner are related to 17th-century Quebecois.
Bieber can trace his maternal lineage to several early French Canadians, including Jean Guyon.
This connection means that Bieber and Camilla are distant relatives.
But Camilla isn’t the only star on Bieber’s ancestry tree.
The musicians are 12th cousins, directly descended from the same pair of ancestors.
Bieber is alsodistantly related to pop star Celine Dionand actor Ryan Gosling.
How does Bieber feel about his celebrity kin?
Pretty good, by the looks of it.
Beyonce’s French Canadian ancestry is not surprising.
Beyonce’s French Canadian ancestors arrived in the American South during the 18th century.
Her great-great-grandmother was a formerly enslaved woman named Josephine Lesse.
In 2021, the pop diva confirmed her heritage toVogue.
“I had to process that revelation over time.
I questioned what it meant and tried to put it into perspective.”
Beyonce’s ancestry is just one example of how colonialism and slavery have molded the demographics of North America.
AsPew Researchreported in 2015, around 40 million Black Americans descend from enslaved Africans.
“But these are just stories and that is what most African Americans have left.
We don’t have any records or numbers.
There’s no tangible data.”
According to the genealogical websiteGeni, Trainor’s 11th great-grandfather is Camilla’s ancestor, Zacharie Cloutier.
Trainor was born on December 22, 1993, in Nantucket, Massachusetts.
The Grammy winner is French-Canadian through her maternal lineage.
The genealogical site revealed that Trainor has some Polish ancestry.
By now, you might be wondering how the Cloutier gene pool produced so many celebrities.
Is it the work of a higher power?
In actuality, the answer is simple and a lot less mystical than you might think.
Family trees can grow to enormous proportions.
Backtrack 13 generations, and you’ll find that you have more than 4,000 10th great-grandparents!
In Cloutier’s case, his family tree contains approximately 5 or 6 million descendants.
With a family tree that size, there’s bound to be a few celebrities in the mix.
This connection makes Trudeau and Camilla 10th cousins.
Trudeau was born in Ottawa, Ontario, on December 25, 1971.
ThePerche-Quebecgenealogy site notes that his heritage is primarily Scottish and French-Canadian.
Additionally, his 4th-great-grandmother was the daughter of an esteemed British general.
In 2019, Ancestry.com delivered a bombshell about Trudeau’s family tree.
According to research, the politicians share a common ancestor who lived 350 years ago.
“Even more so when they are rivals, whether in business or politics.”
Given their long history of political sparring, we don’t foresee a family reunion happening anytime soon.
The Queen and the “Ironic” singer share at least two ancestors: Zacharie Cloutier and Jean Guyon.
On her maternal side, the singer harbors Jewish Hungarian ancestry.
In 1815, McConnell reportedly tried to ride his boat over the top of Chaudiere Falls in Ontario.
Unfortunately, things went awry when the boat overturned, killing three of his companions.
McConnell was the lone survivor of the incident, and his story was immortalized in a song.
Upon learning this genealogical nugget, Morissette said she identified with her ancestor’s bravery and his adventurous spirit.
“So much intense stuff happened,” the singer-songwriter mused.
“I just think about their resilience and their ability to keep going in the face of tragedies.”
But one thing unites this unlikely pair: they’re both related to French Canadian pioneer Zacharie Cloutier.
Kerouac was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, on March 12, 1922.
He was a native French speaker with French Canadian ancestry on both sides of the gene pool.
According toGeneanet, Kerouac descends from Cloutier through his mother’s lineage.
However, despite his best efforts, Kerouac died in 1969 without finding a trace of his alleged ancestor.
Their research revealed that “Kervoach” was likely not an aristocrat at all.
Why did he use a fake moniker?
Like Camilla, Clinton can trace her ancestry to French Canadian settler Jean Guyon.
Genealogist William Addams Reitwiesner noted thatGuyon is Clinton’s 9th great-grandfatheron her maternal side.
As such, Clinton and Camilla are distant cousins.
During a roundtable discussion in Iowa, Clinton incorrectly stated that her grandparents were immigrants.
“He started there when he was a teenager and just kept going.”
AsAncestry.comreported, the regals share a common ancestor named Henry Cavendish, 2nd Duke of Newcastle.
Cavendish was born in 1630 in Nottinghamshire, England.
During his life, Cavendish fought in the English Civil War and became prominent in national politics.
When the nobleman died in 1691, his bloodline continued through his daughter, Lady Margaret Cavendish.
Charles descended from Margaret through his maternal lineage.
Camilla was born into an aristocratic family, but she also carries a tiny amount of noble blood.
The Queen consort descends from Catherine Cavendish, the youngest daughter of Charles' ancestor, Henry Cavendish.
In fact, his parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, were second cousins, once removed.
And it’s not just modern royals who tend to marry their kin.
Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837 to 1901, was happily wedded to her first cousin.
