Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall paternal ancestors, a minor aristocratic (gentry) family emigrated to England from Scotland. Camilla on her paternal side is descended from James Shand, 1st Laird of Craigellie, whose father, also named James Shand, held the office of Provost of Banff. Other noble ancestors on her paternal side include George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal, William Douglas, 7th Earl of Morton, and George Hay, 1st Earl of Kinnoull. Camilla's French lineage derives partially through her maternal great-great-grandmother, Sophia Mary MacNab of Hamilton, Ontario, daughter of Sir Allan MacNab, who was the Prime Minister of the Province of Canada before Confederation. Sophia was the
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall try for approval to get married, it would have been declined, because according to Charles's cousin and godmother Patricia Mountbatten, some palace courtiers at that time found Camilla unsuitable as a wife for the future king. In 2005, she stated, "With hindsight, you can say that Charles should have married Camilla when he first had the chance. They were ideally suited, we know that now. But it wasn't possible."[...] "it wouldn't have been possible, not then."[...] When Charles heard of the engagement of Camilla and Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973, he wrote to Lord Mountbatten: "I suppose the feeling of