David Cameron’s Swiss ancestry
In all the hype about the new Leader of HM Opposition, one minor fact seems to have gone unnoticed.
It is reported that Cameron is descended from William IV through the children born of his long relationship with Mrs Jordan. In the mid-thirteenth century following the arrival in England of Queen Eleanor of Provence’s uncles, the comital Savoy family, Otto de Grandson (Grandison) joined the Savoyards in the realm of Henry III. He was the son of Peter de Grandson and came from Grandson at the southern end of Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland where his fine castle still stands. He became one of the closest friends and advisors of Edward I. (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford, 2005), xxiii, 269-70. ) Whilst he returned home to Grandson and died there unmarried, his brother, William, married an English heiress and ended his days in England. Of his children, the most distinguished was John, Bishop of Exeter from 1327 until 1369 but two of his daughters are represented in the royal line. Katherine married William Montacute, first Earl of Salisbury and her daughter married Roger Mortimer, Earl of March. The eventual heiress of the Mortimers married Richard, Earl of Cambridge, the grandfather of Edward IV. (Complete Peerage, xi, 387-8 and viii, 445-53.) His granddaughter married the King of Scotland and the line continues through James I to his daughter, Elizabeth, the Winter Queen of Bohemia and her daughter, Sophia, Electress of Hanover and thence to the Hanoverian kings and William IV.
Another daughter of William de Grandson, Mabella, married John de Pateshulle and through her the line of descent passed to the Beauchamp and Beaufort families (Complete Peerage, ii, 49-50, x, 826-7.) to Henry VII, the first Tudor king. From here it too passed to the Scottish marriage where it follows the same line to Cameron.
It is also reported that Cameron’s wife is descended from Nell Gwynn. If this so, she would be a descendant of the Duke of St Albans, Nell’s son by Charles II. This too would involve a Grandson descent through James I and his son and grandson, Charles I and II.
In all the hype about the new Leader of HM Opposition, one minor fact seems to have gone unnoticed.
It is reported that Cameron is descended from William IV through the children born of his long relationship with Mrs Jordan. In the mid-thirteenth century following the arrival in England of Queen Eleanor of Provence’s uncles, the comital Savoy family, Otto de Grandson (Grandison) joined the Savoyards in the realm of Henry III. He was the son of Peter de Grandson and came from Grandson at the southern end of Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland where his fine castle still stands. He became one of the closest friends and advisors of Edward I. (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford, 2005), xxiii, 269-70. ) Whilst he returned home to Grandson and died there unmarried, his brother, William, married an English heiress and ended his days in England. Of his children, the most distinguished was John, Bishop of Exeter from 1327 until 1369 but two of his daughters are represented in the royal line. Katherine married William Montacute, first Earl of Salisbury and her daughter married Roger Mortimer, Earl of March. The eventual heiress of the Mortimers married Richard, Earl of Cambridge, the grandfather of Edward IV. (Complete Peerage, xi, 387-8 and viii, 445-53.) His granddaughter married the King of Scotland and the line continues through James I to his daughter, Elizabeth, the Winter Queen of Bohemia and her daughter, Sophia, Electress of Hanover and thence to the Hanoverian kings and William IV.
Another daughter of William de Grandson, Mabella, married John de Pateshulle and through her the line of descent passed to the Beauchamp and Beaufort families (Complete Peerage, ii, 49-50, x, 826-7.) to Henry VII, the first Tudor king. From here it too passed to the Scottish marriage where it follows the same line to Cameron.
It is also reported that Cameron’s wife is descended from Nell Gwynn. If this so, she would be a descendant of the Duke of St Albans, Nell’s son by Charles II. This too would involve a Grandson descent through James I and his son and grandson, Charles I and II.
posted by snarlerson at 10:15 AM
1 Comments:
A very good link. The extended family tree relating back to Otto de Grandson must reveal some very interesting names!
Post a Comment
<< Home