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July 02, 2007

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Ann Lamb

By far the most interesting of all her cousins was Sir Winston Spencer Churchill, and of her ancestors were John and Sarah Churchill, the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough.

From Amazon.com: "PBS's Masterpiece Theatre began business in 1971 with the American premiere of an engrossing, 12-part BBC series, The First Churchills, inspired by Sir Winston Churchill's biographical writings about 17th-century ancestors John Churchill and Sarah Jennings. Besides being a painless way to learn a few things about the revolving-door monarchy of the House of Stuart, The First Churchills is written with a stately air though its story flows like a steady stream of fresh gossip."

Gloria Ishida

This book sounds like fun, especially because I am related to Diana through the Strongs, some of whom immigrated very early to the US. I've never taken the time to delve in and find out to what degree. Don't be taken aback by my family name - I am an American; my husband is Japanese.

Cindy

Is this book available at local book stores?? If not now, when will it be??
Thank you and oblige

Dick Eastman

---> Is this book available at local book stores??

Yes although I think it will be easier to find in the online bookstores. If you don't mind my plugging the online bookstore that I own, you can order it at RootsBooks.com at http://rootsbooks.com/shop.php?c=books&n=11880&i=0880822082&x=The_Ancestry_of_Diana_Princess_of_Wales and I assume it will also be available from Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Borders and other book stores.

- Dick Eastman

william rowland

This is all very interesting by how does His Grace the Duke Of Marlborough say about this.
It does appear that Diana has or had strong connections with His Grace on the circumstancial evidence of surname along. However, all of this still must be proven with DNA analysis---the only sure way that one can know that one is part of and descendent of the families involved.


Rob Cullen

I find all of this information about the Princess's ancestry fascinating. For example, the Princess is the direct descendant of all three of the aunts of Queen Elizabeth I. She directly descends from both paternal aunts, who were the queens of Scotland and France, as well as from Anne Boleyn's sister Lady Mary Carey. I don't think that even the Queen descends from more than two of these figures (Margaret Tudor and Mary Boleyn, while not, I believe, directly from Mary Rose, queen of France), as well as the Duchess of York, who only descends directly from the two queens.

What is the lesson from all of this information, though? The Princess herself obviously looked at other things in the people she was so considerate of. I don't think there existed a distinction such as "high and low." I think she had enough experience with those who had the money, schooling, estates, and proper accent to know that these were no substitute for character.

Let's remember that someone who has absolutely none of the Princess's endearing qualities, Camilla Parker-Bowles, shares common ancestry with Princess Diana. Both are descendants of Charles II and Louise, duchess of Portsmouth. What would that distant, many times over great-great-great grandmother have to say about one of her descendants treating the younger, more beautiful, and kinder one so miserably?

Do all of these connections to successful and intelligent persons indicate that certain families have a secret to promoting excellence? Certainly not everyone has so many distant relatives who achieve so much in a variety of fields over the generations. The Princess of Wales did not excell in her studies. Some biographical sketches attribute this to the effects of the broken home of her childhood. But she said in secret interviews with her speech coach that, as a young lady, she believed she was destined for something special. She had the sense not to have any relationship that would disqualify her from marrying the heir to the throne. (Camilla Parker-Bowles did NOT have equally good sense, and the history of England and certainly her own history will forever be different because of this.) Did the Princess's ancestors share such a sense of being destined for a great future that the Princess described?

Rob Cullen

I find all of this information about the Princess's ancestry fascinating. For example, the Princess is the direct descendant of all three of the aunts of Queen Elizabeth I. She directly descends from both paternal aunts, who were the queens of Scotland and France, as well as from Anne Boleyn's sister Lady Mary Carey. I don't think that even the Queen descends from more than two of these figures (Margaret Tudor and Mary Boleyn, while not, I believe, directly from Mary Rose, queen of France), as well as the Duchess of York, who only descends directly from the two queens.

What is the lesson from all of this information, though? The Princess herself obviously looked at other things in the people she was so considerate of. I don't think there existed a distinction such as "high and low." I think she had enough experience with those who had the money, schooling, estates, and proper accent to know that these were no substitute for character.

Let's remember that someone who has absolutely none of the Princess's endearing qualities, Camilla Parker-Bowles, shares common ancestry with Princess Diana. Both are descendants of Charles II and Louise, duchess of Portsmouth. What would that distant, many times over great-great-great grandmother have to say about one of her descendants treating the younger, more beautiful, and kinder one so miserably?

Do all of these connections to successful and intelligent persons indicate that certain families have a secret to promoting excellence? Certainly not everyone has so many distant relatives who achieve so much in a variety of fields over the generations. The Princess of Wales did not excel in her studies. Some biographical sketches attribute this to the effects of the broken home of her childhood. But she said in secret interviews with her speech coach that, as a young lady, she believed she was destined for something special. She had the sense not to have any relationship that would disqualify her from marrying the heir to the throne. (Camilla Parker-Bowles did NOT have equally good sense, and the history of England and certainly her own history will forever be different because of this.) Did the Princess's ancestors share such a sense of being destined for a great future that the Princess described?

J.B. Moore

I once heard Diana's brother say that John Brown, the abolishionist, was a relative. Is that true?

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