David Dossett
Aug 27, 2017 · 2 min read

So What’s the Story? — Les Filles du Roy

I have been creating faux vintage paintings and signs for Martello Alley, the art gallery I own in downtown Kingston. Because the theme is supposed to be a little French village, the signs are to reflect French Canadian history and culture. I draw on places I have visited, books I have read, and stories I have heard as the inspiration for my creations.

“Les Filles du Roy” is the latest sign, and it is almost completed. It was the name of a beautiful restaurant in Le vieux Montréal which, sadly, went out of business earlier this year. It is also the name given to the young women who were sponsored by the King of France to offset the imbalance of men to women, encourage the men to stay after their tour in the colony was done, and help grow the population. They were not actually daughters of the King, but were named because they were sponsored by the King and France.

Thousands of people can trace their roots back to these “Filles du Roy” or “Daughters of the King”, including Hillary Clinton, Angelina Jolie and Madonna.

With this reference to our amazing Canadian past, I honour the role these women played as mothers of a new country.

You can find more information about Les Filles du Roy” on Wikipedia and the online Canadian Encyclopedia.

What is your Canada150 story?

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