Henri, Count of Paris (1933–2019) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Henri d'Orléans |
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|---|---|
| Count of Paris, Duke of France | |
Henri d'Orléans, Count of Paris, in Poissy, April 27, 2014, at the celebrations of the 8th centenary of the birth of Saint Louis.
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| Orléanist pretender to the French throne | |
| Tenure | 19 June 1999 – 21 January 2019 |
| Predecessor | Prince Henri, Count of Paris |
| Successor | Prince Jean, Count of Paris |
| Born | Henri Philippe Pierre Marie d'Orléans 14 June 1933 Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, Belgium |
| Died | 21 January 2019 (aged 85) Paris, France |
| Spouse |
Micaela Cousiño Quiñones de León
(m. 1984) |
| Issue | Princess Marie Prince François, Count of Clermont Princess Blanche Prince Jean, Count of Paris Prince Eudes, Duke of Angoulême |
| House | Orléans |
| Father | Henri, Count of Paris |
| Mother | Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Signature |  |
Henri, Count of Paris, Duke of France (born Henri Philippe Pierre Marie d'Orléans on June 14, 1933 – died January 21, 2019), was a member of the House of Orléans. This family claims the right to the French throne, even though France has been a republic for a long time. Henri was known as Henry VII by those who supported his claim.
He was the leader of the House of Orléans. This family is directly descended from Louis Philippe I, who was King of the French from 1830 to 1848. Henri was also a retired military officer, an author, and a painter.
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Early Life and Family
Henri was the first son of Henri, Count of Paris (1908–1999) and Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza. He was born in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, Belgium. At that time, a law from 1886 had forced the heads of former French royal families and their oldest sons to live outside France.
Even though they were banned from France, Henri sometimes visited with his mother. During World War II, his family moved to Morocco. While his father was involved in the French Resistance, Henri, then 7, stayed with his mother and other relatives. They lived in a small desert home without electricity.
Later, the family moved to Spain and then to Portugal. In 1947, Henri was allowed to visit France. In 1948, he could attend a school in Bordeaux.
The law that exiled his family was removed in 1950. This allowed Henri to return to France with his parents. They bought a home near Paris, which became Henri's first home in France.
Henri studied at the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris. He finished his studies in 1957. On June 30, 1957, his father gave him the title "Count of Clermont." This was because Henri was the next in line to lead their family.
Career and Interests
From 1959 to 1962, Henri worked for the Secretariat-General for National Defence and Security. He was part of the French Foreign Legion. After this, he became a military instructor in Corsica. His wife and children joined him there in 1963.
Henri left the military in 1967. He and his family lived in Paris. In the early 1970s, he worked in public relations for a Swiss investment company in Geneva.
Henri was also a writer. He published several books, including:
- À mes fils (1989)
- Adresse au futur chef d'État (1994)
- Désolé, Altesse, c’est mon jour de sortie (1994)
- La France survivra-t-elle à l'an 2000 (1997)
- Le passeur de miroir (2000)
- La France à bout de bras (2002)
- L'histoire en héritage (2003)
- La Royauté de l'Homme (2016)
Besides writing, Henri was a painter. He also created his own brand of perfume. He even tried to enter politics, running in the 2004 European elections for a monarchist party called the Alliance Royale.
Marriages and Children
Henri met Duchess Marie-Thérèse of Württemberg (born 1934) at a ball in Munich. They were both descendants of King Louis-Philippe. They married on July 5, 1957, at the Royal Chapel of Dreux. The French President, Charles de Gaulle, even congratulated them publicly.
Henri and Marie-Thérèse had five children:
- Princess Marie d'Orléans (born 1959). She married Prince Gundakar of Liechtenstein in 1989. They have five children.
- Prince François, Count of Clermont (1961–2017).
- Princess Blanche d'Orléans (born 1963).
- Prince Jean, Count of Paris (born 1965). He married Philomena de Tornos Steinhart in 2009. They have five children.
- Prince Eudes, Duke of Angoulême (born 1968). He married Marie-Liesse de Rohan-Chabot in 1999. They have two children.
Henri and Marie-Thérèse divorced in 1984. Later that year, Henri married Micaëla Anna María Cousiño y Quiñones de León (1938-2022). Because he remarried without his father's permission, his father initially said Henri would not inherit his titles. However, they later reconciled. In 1991, Henri's father gave him back his title as Count of Clermont.
In 1980, Henri joined a group called the Grand Orient de France, which is a type of Masonic Lodge. He became a leader there. In 2001, he left this group to focus on leading the House of Orléans.
Head of the House of Orléans
On June 19, 1999, Henri's father passed away. Henri then became the new head of the House of Orléans. He took the traditional title, Count of Paris. He also added an old title, Duke of France, which had not been used by his family for a long time. His wife, Micaëla, became "Duchess of France." After Henri's mother passed away in 2003, Micaëla took the title "Countess of Paris."
After his father's death, Henri changed some of his father's decisions. He gave back the succession rights to his brothers, Michel and Thibaut. His father had removed their rights because they married people without permission. Henri also gave titles to his brother Prince Jacques's sons.
Henri recognized his eldest son, François, as the next in line to lead the family. François was given the title Count of Clermont. However, François passed away in 2017. After that, Henri's younger son, Prince Jean, Duke of Vendôme, became the next in line.
In 2009, Henri's first marriage to Marie-Thérèse was officially ended by the Catholic Church. He then remarried his second wife, Micaëla Cousiño, in a Catholic ceremony that same year.
As Count of Paris, Henri attended some important events for European royal families. For example, he went to the wedding of Albert II of Monaco in 2011.
Public Matters
Before becoming the head of his family, Henri was involved in a court case from 1987 to 1989. He challenged his cousin, Louis-Alphonse, Duke of Anjou, who was using certain royal symbols. The French courts did not rule on the case, saying it was a family dispute over old royal claims.
After his father's death, a lawyer helped search through his father's belongings. They found jewels, artwork, and an old manuscript. These items were sold, raising about US$14 million.
Honours
Henri received several honours during his life:
France:
- Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour (2008)
- Cross for Military Valour (1959)
- Combatant Cross
- North Africa Security and Order Operations Commemorative Medal
- Protector of the Orléans Obedience of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem
House of Montenegro : Grand-Cross with Gold Star of the Order of Prince Danilo I (2005)
House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies: Bailiff Knight Grand Cross of Justice of the Calabrian Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
House of Württemberg : Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown
Images for kids
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Henri d'Orléans' signature.
See also
In Spanish: Enrique de Orleans (1933-2019) para niños
- Orléanist
- List of French monarchs
