| Henri d'Orléans Count of Paris, Duke of France |
|
|---|---|
| Pretender | |
| Born | 14 June 1933 |
| Regnal name claimed | Henry VII |
| Title(s) | Count of Paris, Duke of France |
| Throne(s) claimed | France |
| Pretend from | 19 June 1999 – present |
| Monarchy abolished | 1848 |
| Last monarch | Louis-Philippe I |
| Connection with | five generations in direct line |
| Royal House | House of Orléans |
| Father | Henri, Count of Paris |
| Mother | Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza |
| Spouse | Micaela Cousiño Quiñones de León |
| Children | Marie Isabelle of Orléans, François of Orléans, Blanche of Orléans, Jean of Orléans and Eudes of Orléans |
|
Orléanist |
|
HRH The Count of Paris
Extended royal family
|
Henri d'Orléans (Henri Philippe Pierre Marie d'Orléans; born on 14 June 1933) 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 (ruled 1830–1848), he is the current head of the Orléans line of the Bourbon dynasty. As such he is recognized as the legitimate claimant to the throne by those French royalists who adhere to the succession of Louis-Philippe ("Orléanists"), as well as by the "Unionist" faction that rejects Louis-Philippe's title but recognizes his grandson Philippe, Count of Paris (1838–1894) as the heir of the competing claimant Henry, Count of Chambord, the last direct agnatic descendant of King Louis XV. Henri of Orléans is a former military officer as well as an author and painter.
Contents |
He was born to Henri of Orléans, Count of Paris and his wife Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, Belgium, because an 1886 law banned the heirs of formerly reigning French dynasties from entering France. This law was abrogated in 1950, but Henri had already been allowed to enter France by special favour of President Vincent Auriol in 1948.
On 25 August 1940, Henri's grandfather, Jean of Orléans, Duke of Guise died. His father was recognised by most French royalists as head of the French royal house, and Henri became their dauphin.
He studied at the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po) and then served in the military, notably during the Algerian War.
On 5 July 1957, he married Duchess Marie Therese of Württemberg (born 1934). He received the title Count of Clermont. Five children were born from this union.
The marriage was unhappy. In 1984, Henri and Marie-Thérèse received a civil divorce. On 31 October of that same year, Henri married Micaëla Anna María Cousiño y Quiñones de León (born on 30 April 1938), daughter of Luis Cousiño y Sebire and his wife Doña Antonia Maria Quiñones de Léon y Bañuelos, 4th Marchioness of San Carlos. As this marriage was not celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church, it was not recognised by a number of French royalists. Henri's father, too, was furious; he disinherited Henri, stripped him of his titles, and gave him the lesser-valued title comte de Mortain (Clermont was once held by the cadet son of Louis IX of France, who became the ancestor of the Bourbon line, Mortain was once held by John Lackland of England, who was regarded as lacking land and appanage). Henri refused all mail addressed to him as "Count of Mortain." Meanwhile, Marie-Thérèse, the former Countess of Clermont, was granted the title "Duchesse de Montpensier" by her father-in-law.
Tensions lessened after several years, and Henri's father reinstated him as heir apparent and gave Micaela the title "Princesse de Joinville". Relations between Henri and his former wife, the Duchesse de Montpensier also improved and became cordial.
Although Henri adopted the title of Count of Paris upon the death of his father, his second wife remained Princesse de Joinville during the life of his mother who remained Countess of Paris. Upon the death of his mother, Micaëla assumed the title of Countess of Paris. In 2009, Henri, Count of Paris and his former wife, the Duchesse de Montpensier were able to obtain an annulment of their marriage from the Vatican without affecting the status and legitimacy of their children. The Count of Paris was then able to re-marry his second wife, Micaëla Countess of Paris and Duchess of France in the Roman Catholic Church.
In an attempt to establish his legal rights as head of the Royal House of France, Henri launched an unsuccessful court case (1987–1989) in which he challenged his rival Louis-Alphonse, Duke of Anjou's right to use the undifferenced Royal Arms. The French courts denied that they had jurisdiction over the dispute and did not address the merits of the case.
After his father's death, a court-appointed lawyer searched through the late count's effects on behalf of his nine children, to reclaim what remained of the family's dissipated fortune. Jewels, art-work, and an exceptional medieval illustrated manuscript were found. These were auctioned off, raising approximately US$14 million. Soon after, in 2000 however, bailiffs pursued Henri for US$143,000 back rent after he fled the Villa Boileau, a 17th-century Paris house he had occupied.[1]
On 19 June 1999, Henri's father died and Henri became the new head of the French royal house (according to his supporters). He took the titles Count of Paris and Duke of France. His wife became known as Duchess of France, in order to enable Henri's widowed mother to continue to use the title Countess of Paris. Henri's mother died on 5 July 2003, and Micaela started to use the title Countess of Paris.
He claims the title of Duke of France as heir to Hugh Capet and Hugh's ancestors before they were Kings of France.
After his father's death, Henri annulled his father's decision to disinherit his brothers Michel (Count of Évreux) and Thibaut (the late Count of La Marche) from their rights to the throne because Michel married a noble woman but not a royal one and because Thibaut married a commoner. He also bestowed titles upon his nephews by brother Jacques, Duke of Orléans, Charles-Louis of Orléans, Duke of Chartres (11 July 1972 – ), m. 21/28 Jun 1997 Ileana Manos (22 Sep 1970 – ), and Prince Foulques of Orléans, Duke of Aumale (9 Jul 1974 – ) and Count of Eu.
He also recognised his disabled eldest son François as heir, with the title Count of Clermont, with a 'regency' by his middle son, Jean, Duke of Vendôme. Prince Jean had a son in November 2009, Gaston.
| Styles of Prince Henri, Count of Paris, Duke of France |
|
|---|---|
| Armoiries Maison de France.jpg | |
| Reference style | His Royal Highness |
| Spoken style | Monseigneur |
Henri has written a number of books:
Henri is also a painter and has launched his own brand of perfume. In addition, he ran in the European elections of 2004, which he lost.
Henri, Count of Paris and Duke of France, is an agnatic fifth-generation descendant of Louis-Philippe I, King of the French. He has three further descents from Louis-Philippe through his father and one through his mother, who also descends from Louis-Philippe in the male line, for a total of five descents as a great-great-great-grandson.
Henri is a member of the House of Bourbon-Orléans, a sub-branch of the House of Bourbon, itself a branch of the House of Capet and of the Robertians.
Henri's patriline is the line from which he is descended father to son. It follows the Kings of France, the Dukes of Bourbon and before them, again the Kings of France. The line can be traced back more than 1,400 years and is one of the oldest in Europe.
|
Henri d'Orléans, Count of Paris
Cadet branch of the House of Bourbon
Born: 14 June 1933 |
||
| French nobility | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Henri VI |
Duke of France Count of Paris 19 June 1999 – present |
Incumbent Heir: François d'Orléans, comte de Clermont |
| Titles in pretence | ||
| Preceded by Henri VI |
— TITULAR — King of the French Orléanist pretender to the French throne 19 June 1999 – present |
Incumbent Heir: Prince Jean, Duke of Vendôme |
| Preceded by Christophe, Prince of the Blood |
Legitimist line of succession to the French throne 80th position |
Succeeded by François d'Orléans, comte de Clermont |
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||