Henri, comte de Paris, duc de France

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Prince Henri Philippe Pierre Marie d'Orléans, comte de Paris, duc de France (born June 14, 1933) is a claimant to the French throne. If he were king, he would be Henry VII. For the Orléanists, he is the heir of Louis-Philippe, King of the French; for unionists, the heir of Henri, comte de Chambord, and so of Charles X, King of France. He is also the 76th in the Legitimist line of succession to the French throne.

Pretender Henri, comte de Paris, duc de France Born June 14, 1933 (1933-06-14) (age 75) Regnal name claimed Henry VII Title(s) comte de Paris, duc de France Throne(s) claimed France Pretend from June 19, 1999 - present Monarchy abolished 1848 Last monarch Louis-Philippe Connection with great-great-great-grandfather (5 times over) Royal House House of Orléans Father Henri, comte de Paris Mother Isabelle d'Orléans-Bragance Spouse Duchess Marie-Thérèse of Württemberg; Micaela Cousiño Quiñones de León Children Marie d'Orléans, François d'Orléans, Blanche d'Orléans, Jean d'Orléans and Eudes d'Orléans

French Royal Family Orléanist HRH The Count of Paris HRH The Countess of Paris HRH Princess Marie Isabelle HRH The Count of Clermont HRH Princess Blanche HRH The Duke of Vendôme HRH The Duke of Angoulême HRH The Duchess of Angoulême HRH Princess Thérèse HRH Prince Pierre HRH Princess Isabelle HRH Princess Hélène HRH The Duchess of Calabria HRH The Duchess of Württemberg HRH The Count of Evreux HRH The Countess of Evreux HRH Princess Clothilde HRH Princess Adélaïde HRH The Duke of Anjou HRH Prince François HRH The Duke of Orléans HRH The Duchess of Orléans HRH Princess Diane HRH The Duke of Chartres HRH The Duchess of Chartres HRH The Duke of Valois HRH Princess Louise HRH Princess Hélène HRH Prince Constantin HRH Princess Isabelle HRH The Duke of Aumale HRH Princess Claude HRH Princess Chantal HRH The Count of La Marche This box: view • talk • edit

[edit] Early life

He was born to Henri, comte de Paris and his wife Princess Isabelle d'Orléans-Bragande in Sint-Pieters-Woluwe, 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 August 25, 1940, Henri's grandfather, Jean d'Orléans, duc de 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'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po). After that, he served in the military, notably during the Algerian War.

[edit] Marriages

On July 5, 1957, he married Duchess Marie-Thérèse of Württemberg (born 1934). He received the title comte de Clermont. Five children were born from this union.

[edit] Children

1. Marie Isabelle Marguerite Anne Geneviève d'Orléans (born January 3, 1959, Boulogne sur Seine) married civilly in Dreux, July 22, 1989 and religiously in Friedrichshafen, July 29, 1989 to Prince Gundakar Albert Alfred Petrus of Liechtenstein (born April 1, 1949, Vienna), and has issue
2. François Henri Louis Marie d'Orléans (born February 7, 1961, Boulogne sur Seine), Count of Clermont, severely disabled.
3. Blanche Elisabeth Rose Marie d'Orléans (born September 10, 1962, Ravensburg), severely disabled.
4. Jean Charles Pierre Marie (born May 19, 1965, Boulogne sur Seine), Duke of Vendôme and Dauphin de Viennois, unmarried.
5. Eudes Thibaut Joseph Marie (born March 18, 1968, Paris), Duke of Angoulême, married civ in Dreux, June 19, 1999 and rel in Antrain, July 10, 1999 to Marie-Liesse Claude Anne Rolande de Rohan-Chabot (born June 29, 1969, Paris), with whom he has two children

• Thérèse Isabelle Marie Eléonore (born April 23, 2001, Cannes)
• Pierre Jean Marie (born August 6, 2003, Cannes)

[edit] Divorce

The marriage was unhappy. In 1984 Henri and Marie-Thérèse received a civil divorce. On October 31 of that same year Henri married Micaela Cousiño Quiñones de León (born April 30, 1938), daughter of Luis Cousiño 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 and stripped him of his titles and gave him the lesser-valued title comte de Mortain (Clermont was once held by the cadet son of St Louis, who became the ancestor of the Bourbon line )

Mortain was once held by John Lackland of England, who was regarded as lacking land and inheritance). Henri, and a number of French royalists who considered it impossible for a head of the royal house to unilaterally disinherit someone, never recognised the decision, and he refused all mail addressed to him as "Count of Mortain." Meanwhile, Marie-Thérèse, the former Countess of Clermont, was granted the title "Duchess of Montpensier" by her father-in-law.

Tensions lessened after several years, and Henri's father reinstated him as dauphin and gave Micaela the title "Princesse de Joinville".

[edit] Legal Cases

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 the year 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]

[edit] Succession Rights

On June 19, 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 July 5, 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 Evreux) 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, Prince Charles-Louis of Orléans, Duke of Chartres (11 Jul 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, Prince Jean, Duke of Vendôme.

[edit] Author

Styles of Henri, comte de Parid, duc de France
Reference style	His Royal Highness
Spoken style	Monseigneur (Mylord)
Alternative style	Sir

Henri has written a number of books:

• A mes fils (1989)
• Adresse au futur chef d'état (1994)
• La France survivra-t-elle l'an 2000 (1997)
• Le passeur de miroir (2000)
• La France à bout de bras (2002)
• L'histoire en héritage (2003)

[edit] Other Business

Henri is also a painter and has launched his own brand of perfume. In addition to that he ran in the European elections of 2004, but he was not elected.

[edit] Ancestors

Henri, Count of Paris and Duke of France, is a male-line great-great-great-grandson of Louis Philippe of the French. He has three further descents from Louis 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.

[edit] References

1. ^ Paris hunting down rent-skipping royal, Chicago Sun-Times, Nov 19, 2000

• Opfell, Olga S. "H.R.H. Henri, Count of Paris: Royal House of France (House of Bourbon-Orleans," Royalty Who Wait: The 21 Heads of Formerly Regnant Houses of Europe. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2001. 21-32.

• List of French monarchs,
• Members of the French Royal Families

[edit] External links

• Lawsuit brought by the comte de Clermont against the duc d'Anjou (1987-89)

v • d • e Pretenders to the Throne of France since 1792 Monarchy in Exile (1792-1815) Louis XVI (1792-1793)  · Louis XVII (1793-1795)  · Louis XVIII (1795-1814, 1815) Legitimist Pretenders (1830-present) Charles X (1830-1836)  · Louis XIX (1836-1844)  · Henri V (1844-1883)  · Jean III (1883-1887)  · Charles XI (1887-1909)  · Jacques I (1909-1931)  · Alphonse I (1931-1936)  · Alphonse II (1936-1941)  · Jacques II (1941-1975)  · Alphonse III (1975-1989)  · Louis XX (1989-present) Orleanist Pretenders (1848-present) Louis-Philippe (1848-1850)  · Philippe VII (1850-1870)  · Henri V (1870-1894)  ·  · Philippe VIII (1894-1926)  · Jean III (1926-1940)  · Henri VI (1940-1999)  · Henri VII (1999-present) Bonapartist Prince Imperial (1814-present) Napoleon I (1814, 1815-1821)  · Napoleon II (1821-1832)  · Joseph (1832-1844)  · Louis (1844-1846)  · Napoleon III (1846-1852, 1870-1873)  · Napoleon IV Eugene (1873-1879) · Napoleon V Victor (1879-1926)  · Napoleon VI Louis (1926-1997)  · Napoleon VII Charles (1997-present)  · Napoleon VIII Jean-Christophe (1997-present, disputed) Bonapartist Prince Canino (1832-1924) Lucien I (1832-1840)  · Charles (1840-1857)  · Joseph (1857-1865)  · Lucien II (1865-1895)  · Napoleon III Charles (1895-1899)  · Roland (1899-1924)