Mrs. Miller is actually Maria-Clara (or Claire). She changed it to Chantal later to sound more cosmopolitan. From what I know, she comes from a very humble background/family in Ecuador. She immigrated to the US to stay with a relative who had moved to NYC and that's where she met her husband. I believe she was working as a waitress or a hairdresser at that time. As I've posted before, I would like to know more about her and her background. I think she is probably just as interesting, if not more, as her daughters' more famous in-laws. Unfortunately, it appears Mrs. Miller's "roots" are rarely if ever discussed, at least publically. And I've read she does not remain in touch with anyone (family) from her native country and that her daughters know very little about their mother's family. Whether this is true or not who knows. I would think that it must be very intimidating for her - esp. if she's embarassed or insecure about her family lines and background - to be surrounded by the royals and aristocrats she must mingle with at family events, such as christenings. Though I'm sure she could tell some wonderful stories about her own life.
