House of Bourbon-Montpensier

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La Grande Mademoiselle was the last of the official line of the House of Bourbon-Montpensier. She held the title in her own right as it was from her mother. It went to the wife of her cousin Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine.
La Grande Mademoiselle was the last of the official line of the House of Bourbon-Montpensier. She held the title in her own right as it was from her mother. It went to the wife of her cousin Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine.
Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine,the first holder of the title who was not a member of the House of Bourbon-Montpensier. She held the title in her own right as did the previous holder
Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine,the first holder of the title who was not a member of the House of Bourbon-Montpensier. She held the title in her own right as did the previous holder

The House of Bourbon-Montpensier or Maison de Bourbon-Montpensier was a semi royal family. The name of Bourbon comes from a marriage between Marie of Valois, Countess of Montpensier (1375 – 1434) who married John I, Duke of Bourbon. The second name of Montpensier, comes from the title of the family.

The Bourbon-Montpensier family were the founders of the vast wealth that would later be enjoyed by the House of Orléans and their cousins the Bourbon-Penthièvres.

Contents

[edit] History

The main line was founded by a marriage between John I, Duke of Bourbon and Marie of Valois, Countess of Montpensier . The title was transferred down the line, mainly by females. The most famous examples of holders of the title of Duc de Montpensier were:

  1. Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier (La Grande Mademoiselle)
  2. Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine
  3. Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier

This semi royal house was in existence for just over two centuries.

[edit] Counts of Montpensier (1384)

  1. Charles de Valois, Count of Montpensier (1362-1382) - son of John de Valois, Duke of Berry and Auvergne
  2. John de Valois, Count of Montpensier (1363–1401) - brother
  3. Marie of Valois, Countess of Montpensier (1375–1434) - sister of John; she married John I, Duke of Bourbon
  4. Louis I de Bourbon, Count of Montpensier (1403–1486) - son
  5. Gilbert de Bourbon, Count of Montpensier (1448–1496) - son of Louis I
  6. Louis II de Bourbon, Count of Montpensier (1483–1501) - son of Gilbert
  7. Charles III de Bourbon, Count of Montpensier (1490–1527) - brother of Louis II

[edit] Dukes of Montpensier (1539)

[edit] House of Bourbon

  1. Louise de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier (1482–1561) - sister of Charles III
  2. Louis III de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier (1513–1582) - son of Louise
  3. François de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier (1542–1592) - son of Louis
  4. Henri de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier (1573–1608) - son of François
  5. Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier (1605–1627) - daughter of Henri
  6. Anne d'Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier (La Grande Mademoiselle) (1627–1693) - daughter of Marie

[edit] House of Orléans

On the death of Anne, Duchess of Montpensier, many of her titles, lands and wealth went to the House of Orléans. Her cousin Philippe II de Bourbon-Orléans, duc d'Orléans was the founder of the modern House of Orléans and was her sole hier. As a result of this vast inheritance, the Orléans family became very wealthy. Their wealth only increased when the Bourbon-Penthièvre married into the family in 1769.

  1. Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine, 1652-1722 became Duchess of Montpensier after the death of the previous holder. She held the title by her own right and on her death it passed to her son:
  2. Philippe II de Bourbon-Orléans, Duke of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (1674-1723)
  3. Louis de Bourbon-Orléans, Duke of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (1703-1752) - son of Philippe
  4. Louis Philippe I de Bourbon-Orléans, Duke of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (1725-1785) - son of Louis
  5. Louis Philippe Joseph de Bourbon-Orléans, Duke of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (Philippe Égalité) (1747-1793) - son of Louis Philippe I
  6. Louis Philippe d'Orléans, King of the French, Duke of Montpensier (1773-1850) - son of Louis Philippe Joseph

[edit] Post Louis-Philippe of France

  1. Philippe d'Orléans, Count of Paris, Duke of Montpensier (1838-1894) - grandson of Louis Philippe
  2. Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (1869-1926) - son of Philippe
  3. Jean d'Orléans, Duke of Guise, Duke of Montpensier (1874-1940) - cousin of Philippe
  4. Henri d'Orléans, Count of Paris, Duke of Montpensier (1908-1999) - son of Jean
  5. Henri d'Orléans, Count of Paris, Duke of France, Duke of Montpensier (born 1933) - son of Henri

[edit] Courtesy title

The title Duke of Montpensier has been used as a courtesy title by other members of the House of Orléans:

[edit] Other Titles

The arms of the House of Bourbon-Montpensier family
The arms of the House of Bourbon-Montpensier family
The arms of the Dauphin of Auvergne.
The arms of the Dauphin of Auvergne.
The arms of the Duchy of Montpensier
The arms of the Duchy of Montpensier
The arms of the Principality of Joinville
The arms of the Principality of Joinville

Before the title was given to the Orléans Family, the title was the main on used by the holder. By the time of the marriage of Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier and a Prince du Sang, Gaston, Duke of Orléans, a whole collection of titles had been collected and used. These ones were:

  • Dauphin of Auvergne
  • Sovereign Prince of the Dombes' (Prince du Dombes)
  • Lord of Châtellerault
  • Duke of Montpensier
  • Prince de Luc,
  • Prince de la Roche-sur-Yon,
  • Prince de Joinville
  • Duc de Beaupréau
  • Duc de Guise
  • Duc de Saint-Fargeau
  • Duc de Joyeuse
  • Duc de Châtellerault
  • Marquise de Méziere
  • Comte d'Eu,
  • Comte de Mortain
  • Comte de Bar-sur-Seine
  • vicomte d'Auge
  • Vicomte de Brosse,
  • Baron de Beaujolais,
  • Lord de Champigny-sur-Veude

Note:Most of the titles were used in their feminine forms because most of the holders of the titles were women.

[edit] After Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans

On the death of Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier in 1627, less then a month after the birth of her daughter Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, duchesse de Montpensier the family wealth had grown astonishingly. After her mothers death, Anne became the hier to the largest fortune in, probably, Europe.

Unfortunalty she died with no heirs. Even though she could have been Queen of various countries, she was happy being a Princesse du Sang in France and having her various residences at her disposal. She died in 1693 and most of her fortune went to her other royal cousin Philippe I, Duke of Orléans. Even though some of her titles had gone to Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, Duke of Maine, the founder of the illegitimate line of Bourbon du Maine, as a result of a scam by his mother Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan.

Her vast wealth helped to found the House of Orléans and then the Bourbon-Penthièvre family financially. The latter getting most of it through the death and inheritances from their cousins the du Maines. They went on to be absorbed by the House of Orléans via a marriage and no male heirs.

[edit] House of Orléans

On the death of Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, the title was used exclusively by the main members on the house. The first person to hold the title of Duc de Montpensier was Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine and Duchesse d'Orléans by marriage. She was therefore known as both of her titles of Orléans and Montpensier, which she held in her own right.

Her husband, Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, was later the Duc de Montpensier by his marriage to her as the title was for her specific use. The title passed down the line of the Orléans family and is no used as Courtesy title by the pretender to the Throne on the Orléans Branch.

[edit] See also