Henri, comte de Paris
Encyclopedia
Henri of Orléans, Count of Paris (Henri Robert Ferdinand Marie Louis Philippe d'Orléans; 5 July 1908 – 19 June 1999), was the Orléanist
claimant to the throne of France from 1940 until his death.
in the Aisne
department of France
to Jean, Duke of Guise (1874–1940), and his wife, Isabelle of Orléans
(1878–1961). He grew up in Morocco
and attended the University of Louvain
. In 1926, he became the Dauphin of France in pretence after his father became the Orléanist claimant to the throne.
, Henri was allowed to join the French Foreign Legion
. In 1950, after the law of exile was rescinded, he returned to France.
. The wedding was celebrated in Palermo Cathedral in Sicily, the same church where their mutual ancestors, Louis Philippe of France and his Queen Maria Amalia, married in 1809. Guests at the wedding included official representatives of the Italian, Greek, Belgian, Danish, Spanish, and British Royal Families. The Count and Countess of Paris were the parents of eleven children and separated in 1986.
During his tenure as pretender to the throne, Henri dissipated the majority of his family's great wealth, selling off family jewels, paintings, furniture and properties to support his political cause and large family, as well as establishments in Belgium, North Africa, Brazil, Portugal and France. The family château at Amboise
now belongs to a trust he created. Conflict over the diversion of the family wealth (formerly worth over £40 million) led to court conflicts between him and five of his children, some of whom he unilaterally disinherited.
In 1984, Henri declared that his son, Henri of Orléans
, had lost his rights of inheritance because he had divorced his first wife and married a second time, outside of the Roman Catholic Church
, as non-Catholic marriages are not recognised by French royalists. Henri gave his son the lesser-valued title comte de Mortain in place of comte de Clermont, and removed him from the line of succession. After a couple of years, Henri reinstated his son with his previous titles, including reestablishing him as heir and gave his new wife, Micaela Cousiño Quinones de Leon, the title "princesse de Joinville".
Henri also disinherited his sons Michel and Thibaut from their rights to the throne, because one married a commoner and the other married non-royal nobility. This decision was later annulled by his son and successor, Henri
. Henri's actions over inheritance were never recognised by a number of French royalists who considered it impossible for a head of the royal house to unilaterally disinherit any member of his family, thus in effect these decisions carried little weight.
He died of prostate cancer
at Cherisy
, near Dreux
, France.
had eleven children:
, making Henri a quadruple great-great-grandson of the King, as well as being the grandson of four members of the House of Orléans
. Henri's wife, Isabelle, was also a great-great-grandchild of Louis-Philippe (in the male line) and therefore their children are descended from Louis-Philippe five times as great-great-great-grandchildren.
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...
claimant to the throne of France from 1940 until his death.
Early life
He was born at the castle of Le Nouvion-en-ThiéracheLe Nouvion-en-Thiérache
Le Nouvion-en-Thiérache is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Population:-References:*...
in the Aisne
Aisne
Aisne is a department in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River.- History :Aisne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Île-de-France, Picardie, and Champagne.Most of the old...
department of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to Jean, Duke of Guise (1874–1940), and his wife, Isabelle of Orléans
Isabelle d'Orléans, duchesse de Guise
Princess Isabelle of Orléans was a member of the French Orleanist royal family and by marriage Duchess of Guise....
(1878–1961). He grew up in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and attended the University of Louvain
Catholic University of Leuven
The Catholic University of Leuven, or of Louvain, was the largest, oldest and most prominent university in Belgium. The university was founded in 1425 as the University of Leuven by John IV, Duke of Brabant and approved by a Papal bull by Pope Martin V.During France's occupation of Belgium in the...
. In 1926, he became the Dauphin of France in pretence after his father became the Orléanist claimant to the throne.
Duties
In 1939, after being refused admission to both the French Armed Forces and the British Armed ForcesBritish Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
, Henri was allowed to join the French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
. In 1950, after the law of exile was rescinded, he returned to France.
Marriage and family life
On 8 April 1931, he married Princess Isabelle of Orléans-BraganzaIsabelle, comtesse de Paris
Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza , became by marriage duchess of Orléans, of Valois, of Chartres, of Guise, of Enghien, of Vendôme, of Penthièvre, of Aumale, of Nemours and of Montpensier, dauphine of Auvergne, princess of Joinville, princess of Condé, etc., titular Countess of...
. The wedding was celebrated in Palermo Cathedral in Sicily, the same church where their mutual ancestors, Louis Philippe of France and his Queen Maria Amalia, married in 1809. Guests at the wedding included official representatives of the Italian, Greek, Belgian, Danish, Spanish, and British Royal Families. The Count and Countess of Paris were the parents of eleven children and separated in 1986.
During his tenure as pretender to the throne, Henri dissipated the majority of his family's great wealth, selling off family jewels, paintings, furniture and properties to support his political cause and large family, as well as establishments in Belgium, North Africa, Brazil, Portugal and France. The family château at Amboise
Amboise
Amboise is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. It lies on the banks of the Loire River, east of Tours. Today a small market town, it was once home of the French royal court...
now belongs to a trust he created. Conflict over the diversion of the family wealth (formerly worth over £40 million) led to court conflicts between him and five of his children, some of whom he unilaterally disinherited.
In 1984, Henri declared that his son, Henri of Orléans
Henri, comte de Paris, duc de France
Henri d'Orléans is a member of the former French ruling dynasty of the House of Bourbon, and one of the current pretenders to the defunct French crown. A descendant of King Louis-Philippe , he is the current head of the Orléans line of the Bourbon dynasty...
, had lost his rights of inheritance because he had divorced his first wife and married a second time, outside of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, as non-Catholic marriages are not recognised by French royalists. Henri gave his son the lesser-valued title comte de Mortain in place of comte de Clermont, and removed him from the line of succession. After a couple of years, Henri reinstated his son with his previous titles, including reestablishing him as heir and gave his new wife, Micaela Cousiño Quinones de Leon, the title "princesse de Joinville".
Henri also disinherited his sons Michel and Thibaut from their rights to the throne, because one married a commoner and the other married non-royal nobility. This decision was later annulled by his son and successor, Henri
Henri, comte de Paris, duc de France
Henri d'Orléans is a member of the former French ruling dynasty of the House of Bourbon, and one of the current pretenders to the defunct French crown. A descendant of King Louis-Philippe , he is the current head of the Orléans line of the Bourbon dynasty...
. Henri's actions over inheritance were never recognised by a number of French royalists who considered it impossible for a head of the royal house to unilaterally disinherit any member of his family, thus in effect these decisions carried little weight.
He died of prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
at Cherisy
Cherisy
Cherisy is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.-Population:-References:*...
, near Dreux
Dreux
Dreux is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.-History:Dreux was known in ancient times as Durocassium, the capital of the Durocasses Celtic tribe. Despite the legend, its name was not related with Druids. The Romans established here a fortified camp known as Castrum...
, France.
Children
Henri, Count of Paris, and his wife IsabelleIsabelle, comtesse de Paris
Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza , became by marriage duchess of Orléans, of Valois, of Chartres, of Guise, of Enghien, of Vendôme, of Penthièvre, of Aumale, of Nemours and of Montpensier, dauphine of Auvergne, princess of Joinville, princess of Condé, etc., titular Countess of...
had eleven children:
| Name | |Death | Duchess Marie Thérèse of Württemberg Duchess Marie Therese of Württemberg Marie Therese of Württemberg was a member of the House of Württemberg and a Duchess of Württemberg by birth and a member of the House of Orléans and Countess of Clermont and Princess of Orléans through her marriage to Prince Henri, Count of Clermont Marie Therese of Württemberg (born 12 November... ; has issue. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hélène Astrid Léopoldine Marie | 17 September 1934 (age 77) | married Count Evrard de Limburg Stirum; has issue. | |
| François Gaston Michel Marie, Duc d'Orléans | 15 August 1935 | died in the Algerian War | |
| Anne Marguerite Brigitte Marie | 4 December 1938 (age 73) | married Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria Infante Carlos, Duke of Calabria Infante Carlos of Spain, Prince of the Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria, KOGF, KGCHS is the son of Don Alfonso of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria and Princess Alicia of Bourbon-Parma .-Biography:Infante Carlos is one of two claimants of the dignity of... ; has issue. |
|
| Diane Françoise Marie Diane, Duchess of Württemberg Diane, Duchess of Württemberg is a successful artist and sculptor.-Marriage:... |
24 March 1940 (age 71) | married Carl, Duke of Württemberg Carl, Duke of Württemberg Carl, Duke of Württemberg is the current Head of the House of Württemberg.-Heir to House of Württemberg:... . |
|
| Michel Joseph Benoît Marie Michel, comte d'Evreux Prince Michel of Orléans, Fils de France, Count of Évreux is the son of the late Prince Henri, Count of Paris and Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza... |
25 June 1941 (age 70) | married Béatrice Pasquier de Franclieu; has issue. | |
| Jacques Jean Yaroslaw Marie Jacques, duc d'Orléans Prince 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... , Duc d'Orléans |
25 June 1941 (age 70) | married Gersende de Sabran-Pontevès; has issue. | |
| Princess Claude Marie Agnès Catherine | 11 December 1943 (age 68) | married Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta; has issue. | |
| Jeanne de Chantal Alice Clothilde Marie | 9 January 1946 (age 66) | married Baron François Xavier de Sambucy de Sorgue; has issue. | |
| Thibaut Louis Denis Humbert Thibaut, Count of La Marche Thibaut Louis Denis Humbert Marie d'Orléans, Fils de France, comte de la Marche , was the son of the late Henri Robert Ferdinand Marie Louis Philippe d'Orléans and Isabelle Marie de Orléans Bragança.-Family:He married... |
20 January 1948 | married Marion Gordon-Orr; has issue. | |
Ancestry
Multiple descent from Louis-Philippe
Henri's three great-grandfathers (Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans, is a double great-grandfather) were sons of King Louis-PhilippeLouis-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...
, making Henri a quadruple great-great-grandson of the King, as well as being the grandson of four members of the 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...
. Henri's wife, Isabelle, was also a great-great-grandchild of Louis-Philippe (in the male line) and therefore their children are descended from Louis-Philippe five times as great-great-great-grandchildren.
Sources
- Franck Hériot, Laurent Chabrun, La fortune engloutie des Orléans, Plon, 2005. [ISBN 2-259-19843-0]
- http://www.royaltymonarchy.com/genealogy/orleans.html