Charles and Camilla - family ties
The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, 
(as they are known in Scotland)

Note that this article pre-dates Charles's accesion to the throne.

He is now, 2023, King Charles as she the Queen Consort.

Graphic showing the two family trees of Charles and Camilla and links between the two families (also described in the text below)
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When the families of the Prince of Wales and his new wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, meet for get-togethers, there is little need for introductions.

The couple knew each other before either married for the first time.

And in fact, Camilla's great-grandmother was mistress to Charles' great-great-grandfather.

But even their extended families can claim places in each other's affections.

 

  • In early-20th century England, King Edward VII's last love was one Alice Keppel, the married maternal great-grandmother of Camilla (who was later reportedly to say to Charles: "My great-grandmother was your great-great-grandfather's mistress, so how about it?") (See below).
  • Three-quarters of a century later, Charles enjoyed a friendship with keen horseman and polo player Andrew Parker Bowles.
  • Andrew's father, Derek Parker Bowles, had been a close friend of the Queen Mother - Charles' grandmother. She became Andrew's godmother.

  • Andrew Parker Bowles once dated Charles' sister, Princess Anne, while Charles and Camilla were an item.
  • A generation later, Camilla and Andrew's own son, Tom, had a royal godparent, too - none other than Charles, the man who is about to become his mother's husband.

  • So far, I have tracked back to Charles II, and my research shows Camila Parker Bowles is descended from William Douglas, 9th earl of Morton, her 9th generation grandparent. See below for more links.
                              Charles II STUART                       
                             1630-1685                    
                                |                       
                                                Charles LENNOX-=-Anne BRUDENELL             
                                               1672-1723    |  c1671-1722             
                                                |              
                  William KEPPEL--=--Lady Anne LENNOX          
             1702-1754     |     1703-1785          
             |           
      George KEPPEL             
     1724-1772            
   |         
                     William Charles KEPPEL--=--Elizabeth SOUTHWELL        
                 1772-1849          |          -1817        
                        |        
                                           Susan Trotter--=--George Thomas KEPPEL, 6th earl of Albemarle                              
                                                         1799-1891                                  
                 |                                    
                                             William Coutts KEPPEL,             Admiral Sir William Edmonstone
                                  7th earl of Albemarle                                4th Bart.  
                                                       1832-1894                                       1810-1888                  
                                                    |                                                      |              
                                    Hon. George KEPPEL-=-             Alice Frederica EDMONSTONE
                     1865-1947      |                         -1947
         |
                  *Sonia Rosemary KEPPEL-=-Roland Calvert Cubitt,
                               1900-1986              |         3rd Baron Ashcombe
                                                   |              1900-1986
Bruce Middleton Hope SHAND-=-Rosalind Maud CUBITT
          1917-             |      1921-1994
          |
                                               Camilla SHAND-=-Andrew Henry Parker Bowles (Div)
                                      1947-

* Although this lineage shows Sonia as daughter of George KEPPEL, a TV Biography suggested that she may have been the result of a liaison between Alice and King Edward VII.

If it's true that Sonia was an unacknowledged illegitimate child of Edward VII, then Prince Charles would be a half-second cousin once removed of Camilla, as shown here:

 
       Alexandra      ==         Edward VII      =?=     Alice 
                             George V                    Sonia 
                             George VI                   Rosalind 
                             Elizabeth II                Camilla 
                             Charles 
Elizabeth Douglas = Sir Robert Sinclair, 1st Bart
John Hamilton, Master of Bargeny = Jean Sinclair
Joanna Hamilton = Sir Robert Dalrymple
William Duff = Elizabeth Dalrymple
Anne Duff = Alexander Gordon
Sir Coutts Trotter = Margaret Gordon
Susan Trotter = George Keppell

 

William Douglas, 9th Earl of Morton = Anne Keith, though there is some doubt over this
Margaret Douglas = Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll
Mary Stewart = Archibald Campbell, 9th Earl of Argyll
Elizabeth Elphinstone = John Campbell
Archibald Edmonstone = Anne Campbell
Sir Archibald Edmonston = Susanna Harenc
Sir Charles Edmonstone, 2nd Baronet = Lousia Hotham
Sir William Edmonstone, 4th Baronet, Admiral = Mary Elizabeth Parsons

 

In 1619, Martha Douglas, another 9th generation grandparent, married Sir James Lockhart of Lee.  i have been unable to identify Martha. And who was the Elizabeth Douglas, mentioned above? Can anyone help?.

In the same generation, Agnes Douglas, wife of the 7th earl of Argyll is also a GGGGGGGGG Grandmother.  She was the daughter of Sir William Douglas 6th Earl of Morton and Agnes Leslie

 

 

 

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