Madonna, Camilla and Celine Dion - the French connection

[Sourav]

Madonna, Camilla and Celine Dion are cousins

They may make unlikely bedfellows but Madonna, Camilla Parker Bowles and Celine Dion are all related, it has been revealed today.

All three are descended from the same 17th century French carpenter, according to French-Canadian historical records launched online.

Canadian records spanning over 300 years from 1621 were published on family and social history website Ancestry.co.uk and revealed the unlikely shared ancestry of some familiar names.


Zacharie Cloutier

French carpenter Zacharie Cloutier settled in New France, Quebec, in 1634, where he was one of only about 100 in the region.

The Cloutiers grew to become one of the most influential families in Canada – and are the ancestors of the Queen of Pop, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Franco-Canadian warbler among about 11,000 others.

"That Camilla and Madonna are related, however distantly, highlights the truly unpredictable and entertaining nature of family history research," Ancestry.co.uk spokesperson Simon Harper said.

"As the UK has strong historical ties with Canada, the Drouin Collection may be a great opportunity for them to start exploring their Canadian – and even French – cousins."

The records, which will include 37 million names, are drawn from baptism, marriage and burial data and go online for the first time today.

The ancestors of some of Canada's most famous French Canadians including former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau are included in the collection.


Pierre Trudeau
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