In this technological age we live in, it’s amazing how just a little curiosity can easily lure us into a rabbit hole of information. We’ve all experienced it at one time or another. I’ve done it more times than I care to admit. It is addicting to have questions answered at the click of a button. Like a mystery solved - it brings so much satisfaction.

One quest led me to finding an interesting group of women who were referred to as the "Filles du Roi"or "Daughters of the King.” 

“Huh,” I thought, “Wouldn't the daughters of a king be princesses? What king is this referring to?”

With more questions than answers brewing, I had to take a peak and see what these ladies were all about. As it turns out, their story is rather intriguing and ultimately led to the name of my business, A King’s Daughter Travel.

Knowing that my paternal grandfather was French-Canadian, I shared this bout of history with my mom (Hi, Mom!) and my dad’s sister (Hi, Aunt Lillian!). Both have spent considerable amounts of time researching our genealogy. My aunt became curious to know more and see if these adventurous ladies appear in any branches of our family tree.

As it turns out, she found two of the King’s Daughters made their mark in our family’s ancestry. Going back to my 6th- and 7th-times great-grandparents, she discovered Marie Faucon and Anne Brandon. Marie married Guillaume Chartier in November of 1663 and Anne married Pierre Daganais in November of 1665.

The Filles du Roi had a major impact on the development of Canada. They are the maternal ancestors of thousands of North Americans and are now sometimes referred to as the “Mothers of Canada''. It’s hard to imagine how much courage and moxie these women must have had to overcome the daunting journey across the ocean and tame a foreboding wilderness and the men!