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Dr. Michael Hill of Elora recently flew to London, England, to participate in the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey on May 6.

“As a member of the lineal society, Americans of Royal Descent, I was honored to represent the American cousins of the royal family,” Hill explained.  “I am a descendant of the colonial Virginia family of Ball/Warner/Washington, as is King Charles III, through his maternal grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth, the queen mother.  Many don’t know that King Charles III is a cousin to our first president, George Washington.”

After a few days of attending the theatre in London, Dr. Hill flew to Paris, France, to attend the Paris Opera and the Paris Ballet before heading to central France for a week in the rural countryside to relax and enjoy the early spring weather.

“I rented a chateau in the Auvergne region of central France as my base,” Hill said.

Auvergne is well known for manufacturing some of the best cheeses in the world. 

On May 15, Hill laid a wreath at the WWII memorial in the village of Salers, France, in memory of the U.S. soldiers who helped to liberate France

“Salers is where my father, the late WWII veteran Ed Hill (1924-2016) of Franklin County, was made an honorary citizen of France in 1999 for his part during the war,” he said.

In 2007, Hill’s father was named a knight of the French Legion of Honor, France’s highest tribute, for his involvement in the liberation during World War II as well as the French Croix de Guerre Medal for valor. He served in the European Theatre of World War II until its end in 1945.

Most notably, he was part of the initial wave ashore on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, on the early morning of June 6, 1944, as part of the 116th Infantry, 29th Division, H Company.

Dr. Michael Hill is a world traveler, having visited many continents over the years.

Herald Chronicle readers may recall an article dated Dec. 29, 2017, in which he shared his daring adventure to the South Pole.

To add an exhilarating ending to his recent trip abroad, Hill booked a seven-day transatlantic passage on the Queen Mary 2 ocean liner from Le Havre, France, to New York City.