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 77th in the Legitimist line of succession to the French throne.
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Early life
He was born to Henri, 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 August 25, 1940, Henri's grandfather, Jean, 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'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po). After that, he served in the military, notably during the Algerian War.
Marriages & children
On July 5, 1957, he married Duchess Marie-Thérèse of Württemberg (born 1934). He received the title Count of Clermont. Five children were born out of this union.
- Marie Isabelle Marguerite Anne Geneviève (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
- François Henri Louis Marie (born February 7, 1961, Boulogne sur Seine), Count of Clermont, severely disabled.
- Blanche Elisabeth Rose Marie (born September 10, 1962, Ravensburg), severely disabled.
- Jean Charles Pierre Marie (born May 19, 1965, Boulogne sur Seine), Duke of Vendôme and Dauphin de Viennois, unmarried.
- 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
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 Count of 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".
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.
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.
Author
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)
Other Business
Henri is also a painter and has launched his own brand of perfume. He ran in the European elections of 2004, but he was not elected.
Ancestors
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16. Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans | |||||||||||||||
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8. Robert, Duke of Chartres |
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17. Duchess Hélène of Mecklenburg-Schwerin | |||||||||||||||
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4. Jean, Duke of Guise |
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18. François, Prince of Joinville | |||||||||||||||
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9. Princess Françoise of Orléans |
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19. Princess Francisca of Brazil | |||||||||||||||
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2. Henri, Count of Paris |
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20. Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans | |||||||||||||||
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10. Philippe, Count of Paris |
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21. Duchess Hélène of Mecklenburg-Schwerin | |||||||||||||||
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5. Princess Isabelle of Orléans |
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22. Antoine, Duke of Montpensier | |||||||||||||||
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11. Princess Marie Isabelle of Orléans |
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23. Infanta Luisa Fernanda of Spain | |||||||||||||||
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1. Henri, Count of Paris & Duke of France |
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24. Louis, Duke of Nemours | |||||||||||||||
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12. Gaston, Count of Eu |
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25. Princess Victoria of Koháry | |||||||||||||||
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6. Prince Pedro de Alcantara of Orléans-Braganza |
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26. Pedro II of Brazil | |||||||||||||||
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13. Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil |
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27. Teresa of the Two Sicilies | |||||||||||||||
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3. Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza |
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28. Count John Nepomuk Dobrzensky | |||||||||||||||
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14. Count John Dobrzensky |
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29. Baroness Maria Friederike Wanczura | |||||||||||||||
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7. Countess Elisabeth Dobrzensky |
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30. Count Joseph Kottulinsky | |||||||||||||||
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15. Countess Elisabeth Kottulinsky |
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31. Countess Adelaide von Attems | |||||||||||||||
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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.
References
- 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.
See also
List of French monarchs, Members of the French Royal Families
External links
- His official website: Institut de la Maison Royale de France
- Lawsuit brought by the comte de Clermont against the duc d'Anjou (1987-89)
| Styles of Henri, Count of Paris, Duke of France |
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| Reference style | His Royal Highness |
| Spoken style | Monseigneur (Mylord) |
| Alternative style | Sir |
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Henri, comte de Paris, duc de France
Cadet branch of the House of Bourbon
Born: 14 June 1933 |
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| Titles in pretence | ||
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| Preceded by Henri VI |
— TITULAR — King of the French 19 June 1999 – present |
Incumbent Designated heir: François, comte de Clermont |
| — TITULAR — King of France and Navarre 19 June 1999 – present |
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| Preceded by Christophe, Prince of the Blood |
Legitimist line of succession to the French throne 76th position |
Succeeded by François, comte de Clermont |
