Charles and Camilla Are in Town

 
Charles and Camilla are visiting Toronto but you wouldn't know it if you didn't read the papers. Unless, of course, you just happen to be caught up in one of the mini traffic jams that are associated with such visits.

I witnessed one last night as several motorcycles and police cars with red and blue lights flashing, and sirens wailing, raced up University Avenue and around Queen's Park. They were escorting a convoy of half a dozen limos. I figure they were exceeding the speed limit by quite a bit.

Today, Charles is accompanying Camilla to Dundurn castle in Hamilton. The great house was built by Sir Allan Napier MacNab who happens to be Camilla's great-great-great grandfather. MacNab was Prime Minister of the Province of Ontario and was a member of the ruling elite that William Lyon Mackenzie opposed in the 1837 "rebellion."

This is Camilla's first visit to Canada. Charles has been here too often.

The couple will be opening the Royal Agricultural Winter's Fair before flying back to England.

For those of you interested in genealogy, here's how Camilla is related to MacNab.

Allen Napier MacNab (1798-1862)
m. Mary Stuart (1812-1846)
      Sophia Mary MacNab (1832-1917)
      m. William Coutts Keppel (1832-1894)
            Honourable George Keppel (1865-1947)
            m. Alice Frederica Edmonstone (1869-1947)
                  Sonia Rosemary Keppel (1900-1986)
                  m. Roland Calvert Cubbitt (1899-1962)
                        Honourable Rosalind Maud Cubbitt (1921-1994)
                        m. Bruce Middleton Hope Shand (1917- )
                              Camilla Rosemary Shand (1947- )
                              m. (1) Andrew Henry Parker-Bowles
                                    (2) Charles, Prince of Wales

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