Antoine, Duke of Montpensier Facts for Kids

Antoine, Duke of Montpensier (born Antoine Marie Philippe Louis d'Orléans; 31 July 1824 – 4 February 1890) was an important member of the French royal family. He belonged to the House of Orléans. Antoine was the youngest son of King Louis Philippe of France and his wife Maria Amelia Teresa of the Two Sicilies. He was known as the Duke of Montpensier. He was born in France and later lived much of his life in Spain.

Antoine's Family Life
Antoine and the Spanish Throne
An Early Photography Collector
Awards and Family Symbols
- Awards
- Family Symbols (Arms)
See also

Antoine's Family Life

On 10 October 1846, Antoine married Infanta Luisa Fernanda of Spain in Madrid, Spain. Luisa Fernanda was the daughter of King Ferdinand VII of Spain. Her mother was Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies.

Antoine and Luisa Fernanda had ten children together. Here are some of their notable children:

Maria Isabel (1848–1919): She married her cousin, Philippe, comte de Paris. He was a claimant to the French throne. Maria Isabel became known as Marie Isabelle, Countess of Paris.
Mercedes (1860–1878): She married her cousin, Alfonso XII of Spain. He was the King of Spain. Mercedes became Queen of Spain, but she sadly passed away at a young age.
Antonio (1866–1930): He became the Duke of Galliera in Italy. Antonio married his cousin, Infanta Eulalia of Spain. They had two sons.

Antoine and the Spanish Throne

Antoine de Montpensier moved to Spain in 1848. This happened after the Revolution of 1848 in France. He and his family had to leave their home country.

In Spain, Antoine became involved in politics. During the Spanish revolution of 1868, he supported those who wanted to remove Queen Isabel II from the throne. Queen Isabel II was his own sister-in-law.

Antoine had a strong rivalry with Infante Enrique, Duke of Seville. This rivalry led to a serious confrontation in 1870. Antoine faced legal consequences for this event and was sentenced to a short time in prison.

Later in 1870, the Spanish parliament voted for a new king. Amadeo of Savoy was chosen with many votes. Antoine received fewer votes. After this, he left Spain but returned in 1874.

Even though Antoine never became king, his family later had a connection to the Spanish throne. His daughter, Mercedes, became Queen of Spain when she married King Alfonso XII. Sadly, she died young without children. However, Antoine is an ancestor of all Spanish monarchs since Juan Carlos I. His great-granddaughter, Mercedes, Countess of Barcelona, was the mother of Juan Carlos. Juan Carlos became king in 1975. He later gave up his throne to his son, Felipe VI, in 2014.

An Early Photography Collector

The Duke of Montpensier was one of the first people to collect photographs. His collection was very large. It included many albums and hundreds of early photos. Most of these pictures were taken by Spanish, French, and British photographers. After his death, this special collection was split up.

Awards and Family Symbols

Awards

Antoine received many awards and honors during his life. Here are some of them:

Kingdom of France: Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour
Spain:
- Knight of the Golden Fleece
- Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III
- Grand Cross of the Military Order of St. Hermenegild
Baden:
- Knight of the House Order of Fidelity
- Grand Cross of the Zähringer Lion
Belgium: Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold
Kingdom of Portugal: Grand Cross of the Tower and Sword
Beylik of Tunis: Husainid Family Order
Two Sicilies: Grand Cross of St. Ferdinand and Merit

Family Symbols (Arms)

Prince Antoine did not have his own personal coat of arms. Instead, he used the traditional symbols of the House of Orléans. These symbols are described in a special language called heraldry:

Azure, three fleur-de-lis Or and a label Argent

In simpler terms:

Azure means blue.
Or means gold.
Argent means silver.
A fleur-de-lis is a stylized lily flower, a symbol of France.
A label is a special bar placed across the top of a shield. It shows that the person is a younger member of the family.

This coat of arms was first used by Philippe II, Duke of Orléans. He was the nephew and son-in-law of King Louis XIV of France. As younger members of the French royal family, they used the main French symbols but added a silver label to show their specific branch of the family.

Heraldry of Antoine, Duke of Montpensier
Coat of arms of Prince Antoine in Spain
Arms of alliance of Prince Antoine and his wife

Antoine, Duke of Montpensier facts for kids

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