Filles du Roi: The King's Daughters

In the mid-17th century, the French colony of New France faced a crisis that threatened its very survival. Despite fertile land and a steady trickle of settlers, the colony remained overwhelmingly male. Soldiers, fur traders, and labourers vastly outnumbered women, making stable family life and therefore long-term growth nearly impossible. To address this imbalance, the French Crown shipped hundreds of young marriageable women to build new lives across the ocean. They were called Filles du Roi , or “King’s Daughters.”

Arrival of the King's Daughters to Quebec. Painting by Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

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