Antoine of Orleans (1824-1890)

See also: Antoine of Orleans

The French prince Antoine Marie of Orleans, duke of Montpensier was born on July 31st, 1824 with Neuilly, in France, and is deceased on February 4th, 1890, with Sanlucar de Barrameda, in Spain.

Family

Prince Antoine is the last child of the king of the French Louis-Philippe Ier (1773-1850) and of his wife Marie-Amélie de Bourbon (1782-1866), princess of Deux-Siciles.

October 10th, 1846, the duke of Montpensier marries the Spanish infante Louise-Fernande de Bourbon (1832-1897), girl of the king Ferdinand VII of Spain (1784-1833) and his fourth wife Marie-Christine of Bourbon, princess of Deux-Siciles. It is a prestigious marriage because the Louise-Fernande princess is then the presumptive heiress of her sister, the young queen Isabelle II of Spain (1830-1904), itself married to a prince considered impotent.

The couple has nine children but only six of them reach the adulthood:

  • Marie-Amélie of Orleans (1851-1870).

  • Marie-Christine of Orleans (1852-1879) which becomes engaged to the king Alphonse XII of Spain after the death of his/her young Mercedes sister but who dies before the celebration of the weddings.

  • Marie of Regulated of Orleans (1856-1861).

  • Ferdinand of Orleans (1859-1873).

  • Marie of mow Mercedes of Orleans (1860-1878) which marries his/her first cousin the king Alphonse XII of Spain but dies before to have given to the king a child.

  • Philippe-Raymond Marie of Orleans (1862-1864).

  • Antoine of Orleans (1866-1930), infant of Spain and Duke of Galliera (in Italy), which links with his/her German cousin the infante Marie-Eulalie of Spain (1864-1958), girl of the queen Isabelle II. Unsteady and extravagant, the duke of Galliera has in particular as a mistress Marie-Louise Manac' H.

  • Louis-Marie-Philippe-Antoine of Orleans (1867-1874).

Biography

First years

Antoine of Orleans becomes royal highness in 1830, when his/her Louis-Philippe father is named king of the French.

In 1842, it is made lieutenant of the 3rd Artillery Regiment and, on November 17th, 1843, it goes up to the rank of captain of the 7th regiment of Infantry, with the head of the 7th battery. In 1844, it fights in Algérie and is distinguished with Biskra, which is worth to him to be made knight of the Légion of honor by his/her father (June 24th, 1844). It is then named major on August 8th, 1844 and lieutenant-colonel on March 22nd, 1845. It is still distinguished with the combat against the Kabyles.

In 1845, he undertakes a voyage to the Middle East, in Greece, in Turkey and Egype, with his secretary and friendly Antoine of the Tower. During this time, France and the United Kingdom negotiate a treaty of State concerning the marriage of the two heiresses of the king Ferdinand VII of Spain: the infante Louise-Ferdinande is promised to the duke of Montpensier while his/her older sister, the queen Isabelle II, must marry her first cousin infant it of Spain François d' Assise Bourbon.

August 13rd, 1846, the duke of Montpensier goes up to the rank of colonel and his/her father appoints it brigadier and artillery commander with Vincennes on September 11th, 1846. October 10th of the same year is celebrated the marriage of Antoine and Louise-Fernande: been engaged is then 22 years old and its wife of 15. The same day, the Isabelle queen marries gift François d' Assise.

In Spain

In February 1848 bursts in France a revolution against Louis-Philippe the Ist duke of Montpensier is then near his/her father but, frightened by the events, it does not do anything to push it to resist. It presses on the contrary the king to be abdicated and pushes his family with the exile. Worse still, whereas the royal family flees the taken Tuileries by storm by crowd, the duke of Montpensier forgets his wife who escapes the multitude only thanks to the intervention from a deputy!

After having gained England with the remainder of the royal family, Antoine of Orleans decides to leave for Spain with his wife. The couple settles initially in Seville, with the palate of San Telmo, then in Sanlucar de Barrameda, the Palate of Orleans.

August 5th, 1858, the duke of Montpensier is named by his sister-in-law the queen Isabelle II large commander of Aragon of the Ordre of Calatrava and captain-general of the Spanish army. Promoted with the row of infant of Spain by the queen the October 10th 1859, it is however banished some time afterwards by his/her sister-in-law because of her temperament plotter.

July 7th, 1868 begins the Spanish revolution of the general Juan Prim there Prats. Among the principal financeurs of this event which ends up reversing the Isabelle queen is the duke of Montpensier, her brother-in-law. In spite of that, the new government of Gonzalez Cheer request with the duke of Montpensier and his family to leave Spain. The prince is carried out on July 16th, 1868 and settles for one year in Portugal.

Banishment and exile

April 13rd, 1870, Antoine de Montpensier, who is then candidate with the succession of his sister-in-law on the Spanish throne, is condemned, by a council of war, in one month of exile out of Madrid and with a fine of 30.000 francs to have killed in duel, on March 12th, it infant Henri de Bourbon (1823-1870), duke of Seville and brother-in-law of the Isabelle queen, who had published against him an abusive lampoon in the newspaper Epoca .

A few months later (on November 16th, 1870), in the search of a king, the the Cortes elect, by 191 votes out of 307, prince Amédée of Savoy-Aoste (1845-1890), which then becomes Amédée Ier of Spain. The other candidates with the election arrive well behind him: the duke of Montpensier obtains 27 votes, the general Espartero 8 and prince Alphonse, wire of Isabelle and future Alphonse XII, only 2. The republic obtains as for it the support of 60 deputies while 19 others vote white with the election. Little time after, prince Antoine is banished in a military fortress Minorque to have refused to lend oath of fidelity to Amédée Ier, like its rank of general captain requires of him. Later, the prince is excluded from the army and loses his military rank.

Last years

In 1875, one year after the proclamation of its nephew Alphonse XII with the throne of Spain, the duke of Montpensier obtains the authorization to return in its country of adoption. In 1878, the reconciliation of its family with that of Isabelle II is even total since one of the girls of Antoine, the princess Mercedes of Orleans, wife the young king Alphonse XII.

The duke of Montpensier dies out finally cerebral apoplexy at the 65 years age. His wife the infante Louise-Fernande survives to him until 1897.

Internal bonds

  • Marie-Amélie of Bourbon-Siciles (1782-1866)

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