The French connection

Singers Madonna, Celine Dion and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall are all reportedly the scions of a French carpenter.

US pop queen Madonna, Canadian crooner Celine Dion and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall are all descended from the same French carpenter, according to a records archive launched Wednesday.

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Canadian records spanning more than 300 years from 1621 were published on the family and social history website ancestry.co.uk and revealed the unlikely link between the three women.

Camilla - the second wife of Prince Charles, Britain's heir to the throne - Madonna and Dion are all descended from French carpenter Zacharie Cloutier, according to the website.

"The fact that Camilla and Madonna are related, however distantly, highlights the truly unpredictable and entertaining nature of family history research," said ancestry.co.uk spokesman Simon Harper.

The ancestors of some of Canada's most famous Quebecois, including former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, are included in the archive.