Duc d'Orléans
Encyclopedia
Peerage of France
The Peerage of France was a distinction within the French nobility which appeared in the Middle Ages. It was abolished in 1789 during the French Revolution, but it reappeared in 1814 at the time of the Bourbon Restoration which followed the fall of the First French Empire...
and dates back to the 14th century. Known as princes of the blood (princes du sang), the title of Duke of Orléans was exclusive to prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
s of the nearest collateral line of the royal family; thus they constituted a junior branch of the ruling house, second in seniority only to members of the primary line.
During the period of the ancien régime the holder of the title often assumed a political role. The Orléans came to the throne with Louis XII
Louis XII of France
Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes...
(15th century). Louis Philippe II
Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Louis Philippe Joseph d'Orléans commonly known as Philippe, was a member of a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon, the ruling dynasty of France. He actively supported the French Revolution and adopted the name Philippe Égalité, but was nonetheless guillotined during the Reign of Terror...
, fifth Duke of Orléans, contributed to the destruction of the ancien regime. At the head of a retrospectively named 'Orleanist' faction centred on the Palais Royal, he contested the authority of his cousin Louis XVI
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
in the adjacent Louvre. It was his son who would eventually ascend the throne in 1830 following the July Revolution as Louis-Philippe
Louis-Philippe of France
Louis Philippe I was King of the French from 1830 to 1848 in what was known as the July Monarchy. His father was a duke who supported the French Revolution but was nevertheless guillotined. Louis Philippe fled France as a young man and spent 21 years in exile, including considerable time in the...
I, King of France. The descendants of the family are the Orléanist
Orléanist
The Orléanists were a French right-wing/center-right party which arose out of the French Revolution. It governed France 1830-1848 in the "July Monarchy" of king Louis Philippe. It is generally seen as a transitional period dominated by the bourgeoisie and the conservative Orleanist doctrine in...
pretender
Pretender
A pretender is one who claims entitlement to an unavailable position of honour or rank. Most often it refers to a former monarch, or descendant thereof, whose throne is occupied or claimed by a rival, or has been abolished....
s to the French throne, and the title has been used by several members of the House. The holder of the title held the style of Serene Highness
Serene Highness
His/Her Serene Highness is a style used today by the reigning families of Liechtenstein and Monaco. It also preceded the princely titles of members of some German ruling and mediatised dynasties as well as some non-ruling but princely German noble families until 1918...
.
First creation (1344)
| Name | | Portrait | Lifespan | | Parents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philip of Valois Philip of Valois, Duke of Orléans Philip of Valois , Duke of Orléans, of Touraine and Count of Valois, the fifth son of Philip VI of France of Valois, King of France, and Joan the Lame.... 1344–1375 |
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July 1, 1336 - September 1, 1376 |
Philip VI of France Philip VI of France Philip VI , known as the Fortunate and of Valois, was the King of France from 1328 to his death. He was also Count of Anjou, Maine, and Valois from 1325 to 1328... Joan the Lame Joan the Lame Joan of Burgundy , also known as Joan the Lame , was Queen consort of France as the first wife of Philip VI... |
Second creation (1392)
| Name | | Portrait | Lifespan | | Parents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louis I 1372–1407 |
March 13, 1372 - November 23, 1407 |
Charles V of France Charles V of France Charles V , called the Wise, was King of France from 1364 to his death in 1380 and a member of the House of Valois... Joanna of Bourbon Joanna of Bourbon Joanna of Bourbon was consort to Charles V of France.Born in Vincennes, Joanna was a daughter of Peter I, Duke of Bourbon and Isabella of Valois, a half-sister of Philip VI of France as the daughter of Charles of Valois and his third wife Mahaut of Châtillon.-Family:Joanna gave birth to nine... |
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| Charles I 1407–1465 |
November 24, 1394 - January 5, 1465 |
Louis I, Duke of Orléans Valentina Visconti Valentina Visconti Not to be confused with Valentina Visconti, Queen of CyprusValentina Visconti was the wife of Louis de Valois, Duke of Orléans, a younger brother of Charles VI of France.... |
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| Louis II Louis XII of France Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes... 1465–1515 |
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June 27, 1462 - January 1, 1515 |
Charles I, Duke of Orléans Marie of Cleves Marie of Cleves Maria of Cleves was the third wife of Charles, Duke of Orléans, and the mother of his only son, King Louis XII of France... |
Third creation (1519)
| Name | | Portrait | Lifespan | | Parents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry II Henry II of France Henry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,... 1519–1536 |
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March 31, 1519 – July 10, 1559 |
Francis I of France Francis I of France Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch... Claude of France Claude of France Claude of France was a princess and queen consort of France and ruling Duchess of Brittany. She was the eldest daughter of Louis XII of France and Anne, Duchess of Brittany.... |
| Charles II 1536–1545 |
January 22, 1522 – September 9, 1545 |
Francis I of France Francis I of France Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch... Claude of France Claude of France Claude of France was a princess and queen consort of France and ruling Duchess of Brittany. She was the eldest daughter of Louis XII of France and Anne, Duchess of Brittany.... |
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| Louis III 1549 |
3 February – 24 October 1549 |
Henry II, King of France Henry II of France Henry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,... Catherine de' Medici Catherine de' Medici Catherine de' Medici was an Italian noblewoman who was Queen consort of France from 1547 until 1559, as the wife of King Henry II of France.... |
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| Charles III Maximilian Charles IX of France Charles IX was King of France, ruling from 1560 until his death. His reign was dominated by the Wars of Religion. He is best known as king at the time of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.-Childhood:... 1550–1560 |
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June 27, 1550 – May 30, 1574 |
Henry II, King of France Henry II of France Henry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,... Catherine de' Medici Catherine de' Medici Catherine de' Medici was an Italian noblewoman who was Queen consort of France from 1547 until 1559, as the wife of King Henry II of France.... |
| Henry III Henry III of France Henry III was King of France from 1574 to 1589. As Henry of Valois, he was the first elected monarch of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with the dual titles of King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575.-Childhood:Henry was born at the Royal Château de Fontainebleau,... 1560–1574 |
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September 19, 1551 – August 2, 1589 |
Henry II, King of France Henry II of France Henry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,... Catherine de' Medici Catherine de' Medici Catherine de' Medici was an Italian noblewoman who was Queen consort of France from 1547 until 1559, as the wife of King Henry II of France.... |
Fourth creation (1607)
| Name | | Portrait | Lifespan | | Parents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholas Henri Nicholas Henri, Duke of Orléans Nicolas Henri de France, Duke of Orléans, was the second son and fourth child of Henry IV of France and his Italian queen Marie de' Medici.-Biography:... 1607–1611 |
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16 April 1607 - 17 November 1611 |
Henry IV of France Henry IV of France Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France.... Marie de' Medici Marie de' Medici Marie de Médicis , Italian Maria de' Medici, was queen consort of France, as the second wife of King Henry IV of France, of the House of Bourbon. She herself was a member of the wealthy and powerful House of Medici... |
Fifth creation (1626)
At the death of Nicholas Henri, his younger brother Gaston was given the title of Orléans but was not officially allowed to be styled as the Duke of Orléans till his marriage with the heiress Marie de Bourbon, Duchess de Montpensier in her own right (she had been betrothed to Nicholas at the age of 3). They were the parents of Anne Marie Louise of Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier. At her death in 1693, much of her vast wealth went to her cousin, Philippe I, Duke of OrléansPhilippe I, Duke of Orléans
Philippe of France was the youngest son of Louis XIII of France and his queen consort Anne of Austria. His older brother was the famous Louis XIV, le roi soleil. Styled Duke of Anjou from birth, Philippe became Duke of Orléans upon the death of his uncle Gaston, Duke of Orléans...
.
| Name | | Portrait | Lifespan | | Parents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaston Gaston, Duke of Orléans Gaston of France, , also known as Gaston d'Orléans, was the third son of King Henry IV of France and his wife Marie de Medici. As a son of the king, he was born a Fils de France. He later acquired the title Duke of Orléans, by which he was generally known during his adulthood... 1626–1660 |
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25 April 1608 - 2 February 1660 |
Henry IV of France Henry IV of France Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France.... Marie de' Medici Marie de' Medici Marie de Médicis , Italian Maria de' Medici, was queen consort of France, as the second wife of King Henry IV of France, of the House of Bourbon. She herself was a member of the wealthy and powerful House of Medici... |
Sixth creation (1660)
Upon the death of Gaston of Orléans, the appanageAppanage
An apanage or appanage or is the grant of an estate, titles, offices, or other things of value to the younger male children of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture...
of Orléans
Orléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
reverted back to the crown and was given to Philippe de France
Philippe I, Duke of Orléans
Philippe of France was the youngest son of Louis XIII of France and his queen consort Anne of Austria. His older brother was the famous Louis XIV, le roi soleil. Styled Duke of Anjou from birth, Philippe became Duke of Orléans upon the death of his uncle Gaston, Duke of Orléans...
, the brother of Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
. As the king's eldest brother he was known at court as Monsieur
Prince du Sang
A prince of the blood was a person who was legitimately descended in the male line from the monarch of a country. In France, the rank of prince du sang was the highest held at court after the immediate family of the king during the ancien régime and the Bourbon Restoration...
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Philippe and his second wife, the famous court writer Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate
Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate
Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine was a German princess and the wife of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, younger brother of Louis XIV of France. Her vast correspondence provides a detailed account of the personalities and activities at the court of her brother-in-law, Louis XIV...
, founded the modern House of Orléans
House of Orleans
Orléans is the name used by several branches of the Royal House of France, all descended in the legitimate male line from the dynasty's founder, Hugh Capet. It became a tradition during France's ancien régime for the duchy of Orléans to be granted as an appanage to a younger son of the king...
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Their surviving son Philippe d'Orléans
Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Philippe d'Orléans was a member of the royal family of France and served as Regent of the Kingdom from 1715 to 1723. Born at his father's palace at Saint-Cloud, he was known from birth under the title of Duke of Chartres...
was the regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
for the child king Louis XV
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
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The first two dukes were addressed as Royal Highness (Altesse royale); their successors had the style Serene Highness.
After 1709, the dukes of Orléans were the First Princes of the Blood – this meant that they could be addressed as Monsieur le Prince, and were in line to the throne of France after the descendants of Louis XIV.
| Name | | Portrait | Lifespan | | Parents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philippe I Philippe I, Duke of Orléans Philippe of France was the youngest son of Louis XIII of France and his queen consort Anne of Austria. His older brother was the famous Louis XIV, le roi soleil. Styled Duke of Anjou from birth, Philippe became Duke of Orléans upon the death of his uncle Gaston, Duke of Orléans... 1660–1701 |
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September 21, 1640 - June 8, 1701 |
Louis XIII of France Louis XIII of France Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority... Infanta Ana of Spain Anne of Austria Anne of Austria was Queen consort of France and Navarre, regent for her son, Louis XIV of France, and a Spanish Infanta by birth... |
| Philippe II Philippe II, Duke of Orléans Philippe d'Orléans was a member of the royal family of France and served as Regent of the Kingdom from 1715 to 1723. Born at his father's palace at Saint-Cloud, he was known from birth under the title of Duke of Chartres... 1701–1723 |
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August 2, 1674 - December 2, 1723 |
Philippe I, Duke of Orléans Philippe I, Duke of Orléans Philippe of France was the youngest son of Louis XIII of France and his queen consort Anne of Austria. His older brother was the famous Louis XIV, le roi soleil. Styled Duke of Anjou from birth, Philippe became Duke of Orléans upon the death of his uncle Gaston, Duke of Orléans... Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine was a German princess and the wife of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, younger brother of Louis XIV of France. Her vast correspondence provides a detailed account of the personalities and activities at the court of her brother-in-law, Louis XIV... |
| Louis 1723–1752 |
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August 4, 1703 - February 4, 1752 |
Philippe II, Duke of Orléans Philippe II, Duke of Orléans Philippe d'Orléans was a member of the royal family of France and served as Regent of the Kingdom from 1715 to 1723. Born at his father's palace at Saint-Cloud, he was known from birth under the title of Duke of Chartres... Françoise-Marie de Bourbon Françoise-Marie de Bourbon Françoise Marie de Bourbon, Légitimée de France was the youngest legitimised daughter of Louis XIV of France and his maîtresse-en-titre, Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan. Originally known as the second Mademoiselle de Blois, that style eventually gave way to the name Françoise Marie de... |
| Louis Philippe I Louis Philippe I, Duke of Orléans Louis Philippe d'Orléans known as le Gros , was a French nobleman, a member of a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon, the dynasty then ruling France. The First Prince of the Blood after 1752, he was the most senior male at the French court after the immediate royal family. He was the father of... 1752–1785 |
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May 12, 1725 - November 18, 1785 |
Louis, Duke of Orléans Margravine Auguste Marie Johanna of Baden-Baden Margravine Auguste Marie Johanna of Baden-Baden Johanna of Baden-Baden was born a Margravine of Baden-Baden, she was the Duchess of Orléans by marriage to Louis d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans. Her husband was a grandson of her father's former enemy Louis XIV of France. Known in France as Jeanne de Bade, she died in childbirth... |
| Louis Philippe II Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans Louis Philippe Joseph d'Orléans commonly known as Philippe, was a member of a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon, the ruling dynasty of France. He actively supported the French Revolution and adopted the name Philippe Égalité, but was nonetheless guillotined during the Reign of Terror... 1785–1793 |
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April 13, 1747 - November 6, 1793 |
Louis Philippe I, Duke of Orléans Louis Philippe I, Duke of Orléans Louis Philippe d'Orléans known as le Gros , was a French nobleman, a member of a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon, the dynasty then ruling France. The First Prince of the Blood after 1752, he was the most senior male at the French court after the immediate royal family. He was the father of... Louise Henriette de Bourbon |
| Louis Philippe III Louis-Philippe of France Louis Philippe I was King of the French from 1830 to 1848 in what was known as the July Monarchy. His father was a duke who supported the French Revolution but was nevertheless guillotined. Louis Philippe fled France as a young man and spent 21 years in exile, including considerable time in the... 1793–1830 |
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6 October 1773 - August 26, 1850 |
Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans Louis Philippe Joseph d'Orléans commonly known as Philippe, was a member of a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon, the ruling dynasty of France. He actively supported the French Revolution and adopted the name Philippe Égalité, but was nonetheless guillotined during the Reign of Terror... Louise Marie Adélaïde de Bourbon Louise Marie Adélaïde de Bourbon Louise Marie Adélaïde de Bourbon, Duchess of Orléans, , was the daughter of Louis Jean Marie de Bourbon, Duke of Penthièvre and of Princess Maria Theresa Felicitas of Modena. At the death of her brother, Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, prince de Lamballe, she became the wealthiest heiress in France... |
| Ferdinand Philippe 1830–1842 |
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September 3, 1810 - July 13, 1842 |
Louis Philippe III, Duke of Orléans Louis-Philippe of France Louis Philippe I was King of the French from 1830 to 1848 in what was known as the July Monarchy. His father was a duke who supported the French Revolution but was nevertheless guillotined. Louis Philippe fled France as a young man and spent 21 years in exile, including considerable time in the... Princess Maria Amalia Teresa of the Two Sicilies Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily sometimes known as Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies was a Princess of Naples and Sicily and later the Queen of the French from 1830–1848, consort to Louis Philippe I.... |
| Philippe Philippe, Comte de Paris Philippe d'Orléans, Count of Paris was the grandson of Louis Philippe I, King of the French. He was a claimant to the French throne from 1848 until his death.-Early life:... 1842–1869 (did not use the title) |
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24 August 1838 – 8 September 1894 |
Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans Duchess Helen of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Helen of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Helene of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a French Crown Princess after her marriage in 1837 to the eldest son of Louis Philippe I, Ferdinand Philippe of Orléans.... |
| Philippe 1869–1926 |
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August 24, 1869 - March 28, 1926 |
Philippe, Count of Paris Philippe, Comte de Paris Philippe d'Orléans, Count of Paris was the grandson of Louis Philippe I, King of the French. He was a claimant to the French throne from 1848 until his death.-Early life:... Princess Marie Isabelle of Orléans Princess Marie Isabelle of Orléans Marie Isabelle of Orléans was born an infanta of Spain and Princess of Orléans and was a Princess of Orléans and Countess of Paris by marriage.-Biography:She was born in Seville to Antoine d'Orléans and Infanta... |
Other Dukes
Members of the House of Orléans- François Gaston Michel Marie of Orléans, Duke of Orléans (1935–1960) second son of Henri, comte de ParisHenri, comte de ParisHenri of Orléans, Count of Paris , was the Orléanist claimant to the throne of France from 1940 until his death.-Early life:...
(posthumous creation) - Jacques Jean Jaroslav Marie of Orléans, Duke of OrléansJacques, duc d'OrléansPrince Jacques Jean Jaroslaw Marie d'Orléans, Fils de France, Duke of Orleans, was born on 25 June 1941 in Rabat, Morocco. He is the son of the late Henri Robert Ferdinand Marie Louis Philippe d'Orléans and Isabelle Marie de Orléans Bragança.-Family:He married Gersende Thérèse Françoise de...
(b. 1941) fourth son of Henri, comte de ParisHenri, comte de ParisHenri of Orléans, Count of Paris , was the Orléanist claimant to the throne of France from 1940 until his death.-Early life:... - James Moore Valios Bourbon Orléans, Duc d'Orléans (Junior branch beneath the Royal Family),direct descendant of King Philippe I (b.1952)
See also
- Duchess of Orléans
- Count of OrléansCount of OrléansThe Count of Orléans was the ruler of an area of modern France around the city of Orléans. The title was most commonly used in the Merovingian and Carolingian eras....
- OrleanistOrléanistThe Orléanists were a French right-wing/center-right party which arose out of the French Revolution. It governed France 1830-1848 in the "July Monarchy" of king Louis Philippe. It is generally seen as a transitional period dominated by the bourgeoisie and the conservative Orleanist doctrine in...
- Legitimist