Henri, comte de Paris

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Henri Robert Ferdinand Marie Louis Philippe d'Orléans, also known as Henri, comte de Paris (5 July 1908-19 June 1999) was the Orleanist claimant to the French throne from 1940 until his death. As king, he would have been Henri VI.

[edit] Early life

He was born at the Chateau de Nouvion-en-Thiérache in the department of Aisne in France to Jean d'Orléans (1874-1940) and his wife, Isabelle d'Orléans (1878-1961). He grew up in Morocco and attended the University of Louvain. In 1926 he became (the pretended) dauphin after his father became the Orleanist claimant to the throne.

[edit] Duties

In 1939, after being refused admission to both the French armed forces and the British Armed Forces, Henri joined the French Foreign Legion. In 1950 after the law of exile was rescinded, he returned to France.

[edit] Marriage and family life

On 8 April 1931, he married HRH Princess Isabel of Orléans-Braganza (1911-2003). They 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, Prince Henri, 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 were not recognised by a number of French royalists. Henri gave his son the lesser-valued title 'comte de Mortain' in place of comte de Clermont and said he was removed 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, comte de Paris, duc de France. 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 someone, thus in effect these decisions carried little weight.

He died of prostate cancer at Chérisy, near Dreux, France.

[edit] Children

Henri, Count of Paris and his wife Isabelle had eleven children:

1. Princess Isabelle (b. 8 April 1932), m. 9 (civil) and 10 September (religious) 1964 Friedrich Karl, Count of Schönborn-Buchheim (b. 30 March 1938). Has issue
2. Henri, Count of Paris, Duke of France (b. 14 June 1933), m. (1) 5 July 1957 (div. 1984) Duchess Marie-Therese of Württemberg, created Duchess of Montpensier (b. 12 November 1934); m. (2) 31 October 1984 Micaela Cousino (b. 30 April 1938). Has issue from first marriage (three sons, two daughters).
3. Princess Hélène (17 September 1934), m. 16 (civil) and 17 January (religious) 1957 Count Evrard de Limburg Stirum (31 October 1927 – 5 March 2001). Has issue.
4. François, Duke of Orléans (15 August 1935 - 11 October 1960)
5. Princess Anne (b. 4 December 1938), m. 11 (civil) and 12 May (religious) 1965 Infante Carlos of Spain, Duke of Calabria, Prince of the Two Sicilies (b. 16 January 1938). Has issue.
6. Princess Diane (b. 24 March 1940), m. 18 (civil) and 21 July (religious) 1960 Carl, Duke of Württemberg (b. 1 August 1936). Has issue.
7. Michel, Count of Evreux (b. 25 June 1941), m. 17 (civil) and 18 November (religious) 1967 Beatrice Pasquier de Franclieu (b. 24 October 1941). Has issue (two sons, two daughters).
8. Jacques, Duke of Orléans (b. 25 June 1941), m. 2 (civil) and 3 August (religious) 1969 Gersende de Sabran-Pontevès (b. 29 July 1942). Has issue (two sons, one daughter).
9. Princess Claude (b. 11 December 1943), m. (1) 22 July 1964 (div. 1982; ann. 1987) Amadeo, 5th Duke of Aosta (b. 27 September 1943); m. (2) 27 April 1982 (div. 1996) Arnaldo La Cagnina (b. 26 June 1929). Has issue from first marriage.
10. Princess Chantal (b. 9 January 1946), m. 28 July 1972 Baron François Xavier de Sambucy de Sorgue (b. 20 August 1943). Has issue.
11. Thibaut, Count of La Marche (b. 20 January 1948 - 23 March 1983), m. 23 September 1972 Marion Gordon-Orr (b. 4 September 1942). Had issue (two sons, one died as an infant).

[edit] Ancestry

[edit] 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-Philippe, 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.

[edit] References

• Franck Hériot, Laurent Chabrun, La fortune engloutie des Orléans, Plon, 2005. [ISBN 2-259-19843-0]
• http://www.royaltymonarchy.com/genealogy/orleans.html

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