Pierre Plantard
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Pierre Plantard de Saint-Clair (born Pierre Athanase Marie Plantard, 18 March 1920 – 3 February 2000) was a French technical drawer, best known for being the principal fabricator of the
Priory of Sion The ''Prieuré de Sion'' (), translated as Priory of Sion, was a fraternal organization founded in France in 1956 by Pierre Plantard in his failed attempt to create a prestigious neo-chivalric order. In the 1960s, Plantard began claiming that ...
hoax, by which he claimed from the 1960s onwards that he was a male line
Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gauli ...
descendant of
Dagobert II Dagobert II ( la, Dagober(c)tus; ang, Dægberht; died 679) was a Merovingian king of the Franks, ruling in Austrasia from 675 or 676 until his death. He is one of the more obscure Merovingians. He has been considered a martyr since at least the ni ...
and the " Great Monarch" prophesied by
Nostradamus Michel de Nostredame (December 1503 – July 1566), usually Latinised as Nostradamus, was a French astrologer, apothecary, physician, and reputed seer, who is best known for his book ''Les Prophéties'' (published in 1555), a collection o ...
. Today in France, he is commonly regarded as a
con artist A confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust. Confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, confidence, irresponsibility, and greed. Researchers have def ...
.


Early life

Pierre Plantard was born in 1920 in
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, the son of a
butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some a ...
and a
concierge A concierge () is an employee of a multi-tenant building, such as a hotel or apartment building, who receives guests. The concept has been applied more generally to other hospitality settings and to personal concierges who manage the errands of ...
(described as a cook for wealthy families in police reports of the 1940s).Jean-Luc Chaumeil, ''La Table d'Isis ou Le Secret de la Lumière'', Editions Guy Trédaniel, 1994, p. 121-124. Massimo Introvigne,
Beyond The Da Vinci Code: History and Myth of the Priory of Sion
'.
Leaving school at 17, he became
sacristan A sacristan is an officer charged with care of the sacristy, the church, and their contents. In ancient times, many duties of the sacrist were performed by the doorkeepers ( ostiarii), and later by the treasurers and mansionarii. The Decretals ...
at the church of Saint-Louis d'Antin, in the 9th ''
Arrondissement An arrondissement (, , ) is any of various administrative divisions of France, Belgium, Haiti, certain other Francophone countries, as well as the Netherlands. Europe France The 101 French departments are divided into 342 ''arrondissements' ...
'' of Paris, and from 1937 began forming mystical ultranationalist associations like ''The French Union'' (1937) and ''French National Renewal'' (1941) to support a "National Revolution" based upon
antisemitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...
and anti-Masonry.


Occupation of France

Following the dissolution of Grand Orient Freemasonry in
Vichy France Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its ter ...
on 13 August 1940,Robert Richardson
The Priory of Sion Hoax
in ''
Gnosis Gnosis is the common Greek noun for knowledge ( γνῶσις, ''gnōsis'', f.). The term was used among various Hellenistic religions and philosophies in the Greco-Roman world. It is best known for its implication within Gnosticism, where it ...
'' (No. 51, Spring 1999), p. 49-55.
Plantard wrote a letter dated 16 December 1940 to Marshal
Philippe Pétain Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Pétain (24 April 1856 – 23 July 1951), commonly known as Philippe Pétain (, ) or Marshal Pétain (french: Maréchal Pétain), was a French general who attained the position of Marshal of France at the end of World ...
offering his services to the collaborationist government, referring to a 'terrible Masonic and Jewish conspiracy'. On 21 April 1941, Plantard wrote to the
Paris Police Prefecture The police prefecture (french: préfecture de police) is the unit of the French Ministry of the Interior that provides police, emergency services, and various administrative services to the population of the city of Paris and the surrounding t ...
that his group the French National Renewal was to take possession of the unoccupied premises located at 22 place Malesherbes, 1st floor "which are currently let to an English Jew, Mr. Shapiro, who is presently fighting alongside his fellows in the British armed forces." By 1942, Plantard wanted to form another association, the Alpha Galates, membership prohibited to Jews, but the occupying German authorities refused permission.


Alpha Galates

The statutes of the Alpha Galates were deposited on 21 September 1942, describing itself as a tripartite order composed of the ''Temple'', ''la Cité'' and ''les Arches''. The Alpha Galates published a periodical called ''Vaincre - Pour une jeune chevalerie'' ("Conquer - for a young knighthood"), that lasted for six issues between September 1942 and February 1943, containing an anti-Semitic and anti-Masonic agenda; Plantard's disregard of the prohibition by the German authorities of the formation of the Alpha Galates earned him a four-month sentence in Fresnes Prison. The Statutes of the Alpha Galates existed in the German language as well as French. Claude Charlot of the Paris Prefecture of Police stated on a
CBS News CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio service CBS. CBS News television programs include the ''CBS Evening News'', ''CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs '' CBS News Sunday Morning'', '' 60 Minutes'', and '' 48 H ...
''
60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who chose to set it apart from other news programs by using a unique styl ...
'' documentary that the Alpha Galates "had only four regular members".''The Secret of the Priory of Sion'', CBS News '60 Minutes' (CBS Worldwide Inc.), 30 April 2006, Presented by CBS Correspondent Ed Bradley, Produced By Jeanne Langley
/ref> According to a police report on the Alpha Galates dated 13 February 1945, the organisation was only composed of at most 50 members, who resigned one after the other as soon as they sized up the president of the association (Pierre Plantard) and figured out that it was not a serious enterprise.


Post war activities

Following the Liberation, Plantard tried to transform the Alpha Galates into a resistance group and in 1947, tried to form "The Latin Academy". On July 8, 1951, he was initiated into Freemasonry in the Grand Orient de France by the lodge L’Avenir du Chablais in Ambilly. In 1951, Plantard married Anne-Léa Hisler (1930–1970). They lived in the town of
Annemasse Annemasse (; Arpitan: ''Anemâsse'') is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. Even though it covers a relatively small territory (4.98 km2 or 1.92 sq mi), it is Haute-Savoie's second ...
in south-east France, near the border with Switzerland, until their separation in 1956. At the same time Plantard worked as a draughtsman for the company ''établissements Chanovin''. In 1972, he married Anne-Marie Cavaille who originated from
Montauban Montauban (, ; oc, Montalban ) is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department, region of Occitania, Southern France. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse. Montauban is the most populated town in Tarn-et-Garonne, an ...
, with
Philippe de Chérisey Philippe Louis Henri Marie de Chérisey, 9th marquess de Chérisey (13 February 1923 – 17 July 1985) was a French writer, radio humorist, surrealist and supporting actor (using the stage name Amédée). He is best known for his creatio ...
acting as
best man A groomsman or usher is one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony and performs the first speech at the wedding. Usually, the groom selects close friends and relatives to serve as groomsmen, and it is considered an honor to be ...
. According to the late Robert Amadou (1924–2006), Pierre Plantard in 1953 was accused of selling degrees of esoteric orders for exorbitant sums. According to a more reliable source, given in a letter written by Léon Guersillon the Mayor of Annemasse in 1956, contained in the folder holding the 1956 Statutes of the Priory of Sion in the
subprefecture A subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province. Albania There are twelve Counties of Albania, Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is divided into several Districts of Albania, district ...
of
Saint-Julien-en-Genevois Saint-Julien-en-Genevois (; frp, Sant-Jelien) is a subprefecture of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. In 2018, the commune had a population of 15,509. Geography Saint-Julien-en-Genevois is locat ...
, Plantard was given a six-month sentence in December 1953 for ''abus de confiance'' (breach of trust), relating to other crimes. French researchers dispute the connection between Robert Amadou and Pierre Plantard.


Priory of Sion

On 25 June 1956, Pierre Plantard and André Bonhomme legally registered in the town of
Saint-Julien-en-Genevois Saint-Julien-en-Genevois (; frp, Sant-Jelien) is a subprefecture of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. In 2018, the commune had a population of 15,509. Geography Saint-Julien-en-Genevois is locat ...
a new association called the ''Priory of Sion'', based in
Annemasse Annemasse (; Arpitan: ''Anemâsse'') is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. Even though it covers a relatively small territory (4.98 km2 or 1.92 sq mi), it is Haute-Savoie's second ...
close to the French border near
Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
. The group was devoted to the support of building low-cost housing in Annemasse, and criticising local government through its journal ''Circuit''. The "Sion" in the name did not refer to the ancient
Land of Israel The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine (see also Isra ...
, but to a local mountain, Mont-Sion (or Mont-de-Sion), where the order (according to its statutes) intended to establish a retreat center. The association dissolved by December 1956.


Committee of Public Safety and Captain Way

By 1958, Plantard was back living in Paris where he was actively supporting
General de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...
during the Algerian Crisis, establishing his own version of a Committee of Public Safety (calling it the 'Central Committee') based in Paris, using the name "Captain Way", claiming it was part of the official Committee based in Algeria founded by General
Jacques Massu Jacques Émile Massu (; 5 May 1908 – 26 October 2002) was a French general who fought in World War II, the First Indochina War, the Algerian War and the Suez crisis. He led French troops in the Battle of Algiers, first supporting and later ...
. De Gaulle did not support the existence of any of the Committees of Public Safety, gave Algeria free elections and the country eventually got its independence, endorsed by de Gaulle, in 1962.


Alleged letters from General de Gaulle

In 1959, Plantard edited a second series of the journal ''Circuit'', subtitled ''Publication Périodique Culturelle de la Fédération des Forces Françaises''. It never mentioned the Priory of Sion in its pages, and dealt with
paranormal Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Nota ...
and
mystical Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in u ...
topics. At the same time, Plantard was offering his services as a
clairvoyant Clairvoyance (; ) is the magical ability to gain information about an object, person, location, or physical event through extrasensory perception. Any person who is claimed to have such ability is said to be a clairvoyant () ("one who sees cl ...
under the name of "Chyren". It was in this second series of ''Circuit'' that Plantard allegedly claimed he received a letter from President
Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...
dated 27 June 1959. Louis Vazart referred to a letter to Plantard from de Gaulle dated 29 July 1958, also referring to another similar letter from de Gaulle dated 3 August 1958 where he allegedly thanked Plantard for his support during the Algerian crisis. None of these alleged letters from de Gaulle have ever been produced.


Priory of Sion hoax


Gisors

In 1961, author Gérard de Sède had an article published in ''Noir et blanc'' about the Château de Gisors in Normandy, linked to the claims of Roger Lhomoy who since 1946, alleged it contained the treasure of the
Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...
. Plantard read the article and wrote to de Sède, later collaborating with him on the book ''Les Templiers sont parmi nous, ou, L'Enigme de Gisors'' ("The Templars are Amongst Us, or The Enigma of Gisors"), that was published in 1962. The name Priory of Sion reappeared within the pages of this book.


Rennes-le-Château

In 1962, author
Robert Charroux Robert Charroux was the best-known pen-name of Robert Joseph Grugeau (April 7, 1909 – June 24, 1978). He was a French author known for his writings on the ancient astronaut theme. Career Charroux worked for the French post office and wrote e ...
published his book ''Trésors du monde'' telling the story of
Noël Corbu Noël Corbu (27 April 1912 – 20 May 1968) is best known as a former restaurateur in the Southern French village of Rennes-le-Château who, between 1955 and 1962 circulated the story that the 19th-century French priest Bérenger Saunière disco ...
, who claimed the 19th century priest
Bérenger Saunière François-Bérenger Saunière (11 April 1852 – 22 January 1917) was a French Catholic priest in the village of Rennes-le-Château, in the Aude region. He was a central figure in the conspiracy theories surrounding the village, which form the ...
had discovered the treasure of
Blanche of Castile Blanche of Castile ( es, Blanca de Castilla; 4 March 1188 – 27 November 1252) was Queen of France by marriage to Louis VIII. She acted as regent twice during the reign of her son, Louis IX: during his minority from 1226 until 1234, and during ...
in the village of
Rennes-le-Château Rennes-le-Château (; oc, Rènnas del Castèl) is a commune approximately 5 km (3 miles) south of Couiza, in the Aude department in the Occitanie region in Southern France. In 2018, it had a population of 91. This hilltop village is k ...
. This inspired Plantard to write his own book on the subject matter but, failing to find a publisher his manuscript was extensively rewritten by Gérard de Sède resulting in the 1967 book, ''L'Or de Rennes''. The book adapted Corbu's story to fit-in with Plantard's claims about the survival of the line of
Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from the middle of the 5th century until 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the Franks and northern Gauli ...
king
Dagobert II Dagobert II ( la, Dagober(c)tus; ang, Dægberht; died 679) was a Merovingian king of the Franks, ruling in Austrasia from 675 or 676 until his death. He is one of the more obscure Merovingians. He has been considered a martyr since at least the ni ...
, and Plantard began claiming to be descended from Dagobert II since 1964 when he began depositing false documents in the
Bibliothèque nationale A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...
giving the secret history of the Priory of Sion. These Priory of Sion documents contained false genealogies attaching Plantard's family tree to another genealogy found in an article by Louis Saurel in the French magazine ''Les Cahiers de l'Histoire'' Number 1 (1960). Plantard originally claimed these genealogies had been compiled by a Doctor Hervé and Abbé Pichon (a historical person, 1828–1905), originally at the request of
Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
, who found out about the Merovingian survival from
Abbé Sieyès ''Abbé'' (from Latin ''abbas'', in turn from Greek , ''abbas'', from Aramaic ''abba'', a title of honour, literally meaning "the father, my father", emphatic state of ''abh'', "father") is the French word for an abbot. It is the title for lowe ...
. Plantard added that Abbé Pierre Plantard, former vicar of the Basilica of St. Clotilde, Paris (falsely claiming they were related), drew up genealogies giving the survival of the line of Dagobert II on 18 March 1939. Philippe de Chérisey, Plantard's friend and accomplice, later claimed that Abbé Pichon was the pseudonym of François Dron (a completely different historical person who was a
numismatist A numismatist is a specialist in numismatics ("of coins"; from Late Latin ''numismatis'', genitive of ''numisma''). Numismatists include collectors, specialist dealers, and scholars who use coins and other currency in object-based research. Altho ...
). When Jean-Luc Chaumeil revealed during the 1980s that Plantard's genealogical claims were fictional adaptations of Louis Saurel's article published in 1960, Plantard released a "
cheque A cheque, or check (American English; see spelling differences) is a document that orders a bank (or credit union) to pay a specific amount of money from a person's account to the person in whose name the cheque has been issued. The pers ...
" dated 14 April 1960 showing his former wife Anne-Léa Hisler had been paid for the article contained in ''Les Cahiers de l'Histoire'', and therefore claiming she was the original author. The Priory Documents of the 1960s gave a revised history of the Priory of Sion, claiming it had been founded by
Godfrey of Bouillon Godfrey of Bouillon (, , , ; 18 September 1060 – 18 July 1100) was a French nobleman and pre-eminent leader of the First Crusade. First ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1099 to 1100, he avoided the title of king, preferring that of princ ...
during the Crusades and named after Mount Sion in Jerusalem, conflating it with a genuine historical monastic order, the Abbey of Our Lady of Mount Zion. De Sède's book was most famous for its reproduction of two "parchments" that were allegedly discovered by Saunière that hinted at the survival of the line of Dagobert II. However, Plantard and de Sède fell out over book royalties following the publication of ''L'Or de Rennes'' in 1967 and Philippe de Chérisey, Plantard's friend and accomplice, announced he had forged the "parchments". But it was due to the success of de Sède's book ''L'Or de Rennes'' that Pierre Plantard became famous, as the guardian of the secret of Rennes-le-Château. By 1978, Plantard began claiming that his grandfather had met Bérenger Saunière in Rennes-le-Château, and that the real source of Saunière's wealth was the Abbé
Henri Boudet L'abbé Jean-Jacques-Henri Boudet (16 November 1837 – 30 March 1915), is best known for being the French Catholic parish priest of Rennes-les-Bains between 1872 and 1914 and for being the author of the book ''La Vraie langue celtique et le ...
, parish priest of the nearby village of
Rennes-les-Bains Rennes-les-Bains (; oc, Los Banhs de Rènnas) is a commune in the Aude department in southern France. Bathers have enjoyed the natural hot spring waters for thousands of years - they are still used today as a cure for rheumatism and certain ...
.


Parchments and genealogies hoax

When the "parchments" were originally published in Gérard de Sède's book ''L'Or de Rennes'' in 1967, it was claimed there were four parchments originally discovered by Saunière in the hollow pillar of his church. In “L'Enigme de Rhedae” (1964) Henri Lobineau said that Saunière discovered documents bearing the royal seal of Blanche of Castile, giving the line of Dagobert II drawn up by Abbé Pichon between 1805 and 1814, using documents found during the Revolution. The parchments said the Merovingians were descended from the
Tribe of Benjamin According to the Torah, the Tribe of Benjamin () was one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The tribe was descended from Benjamin, the youngest son of the patriarch Jacob (later given the name Israel) and his wife Rachel. In the Samaritan Pentateuc ...
and Dagobert II had hidden an ‘accursed’ treasure in Rennes-le-Château. This was elaborated upon in a 1965 Priory document by stating it was Abbé Antoine Bigou, one of Saunière's predecessor curés at Rennes-le-Château, who hid the parchments in 1790 in the hollow pillar that supported the church altar, after finding out about the secret of Rennes-le-Château on 17 January 1781 at the deathbed of Marie de Negri d'Ables, Marquise d'Hautpoul-Blanchefort. There were four parchments altogether, two of which were reproduced in Gérard de Sède’s forthcoming book (their contents were described in this 1965 document) and the other two containing genealogies made by the Abbé Bigou (running from 1548 to 1789) and Henri Lobineau (running from 1780 to 1915). When in 1967 de Chérisey announced that the parchments published in ''L'Or de Rennes'' were fakes, different claims were introduced about the exact nature of Sauniere's discovery. Based on a 1966 fake letter that appeared in ''
Dossiers Secrets The ''Dossiers Secrets d'Henri Lobineau'' ("Secret Files of Henri Lobineau"), supposedly compiled by Philippe Toscan du Plantier, is a 27-page document which was deposited in the Bibliothèque nationale de France on 27 April 1967. The document purpo ...
'' allegedly written by the
International League of Antiquarian Booksellers The International League of Antiquarian Booksellers is a non-profit umbrella organization of bookseller associations, with its legal location in Geneva, Switzerland. It federates 22 National Associations of Antiquarian Booksellers, representing ...
, being an adaptation of material contained in a 1964 book by René Descadeillas involving François-Pierre d'Hautpoul, these revised claims appeared in a 1977 Priory document by Jean Delaude, ''Le Cercle d'Ulysse''. This revised version of the story stayed more-or-less intact right up to 1990, containing minor variations involving exact dates. The 1977 Priory document claimed Saunière discovered three documents: 1) a genealogy of the Counts of Rhedae dated 1243 bearing the seal of Blanche of Castile, 2) a document of 1608 relating to François-Pierre d'Hautpoul providing a complementary genealogy from 1240 onwards and, 3) a last will and testament of Henri d'Hautpoul dated 24 April 1695 bearing the stamp and signature of the testator, adding they were originally sold by Saunière's niece Madame James to two Englishmen, Captain Ronald Stansmore and Sir Thomas Frazer of the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers. Then repeating again that the parchments given in ''L'Or de Rennes'' were fakes by Philippe de Chérisey. In 1978 Philippe de Chérisey repeated the parchments had been sold by Madame James to Captain Ronald Stanmore and Sir Thomas Frazer, adding they were deposited in a
Safe deposit box A safe deposit box, also known as a safety deposit box, is an individually secured container, usually held within a larger safe or bank vault. Safe deposit boxes are generally located in banks, post offices or other institutions. Safe deposit ...
of
Lloyds Bank Lloyds Bank plc is a British retail and commercial bank with branches across England and Wales. It has traditionally been considered one of the " Big Four" clearing banks. Lloyds Bank is the largest retail bank in Britain, and has an exte ...
; and following an article in ''
The Daily Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet ...
'', "the demand for the recognition of Merovingian rights made in 1955 and 1956 by Sir Alexander Aikman, Sir John Montague Brocklebank, Major Hugh Murchison Clowes and nineteen other men in the office of Notary Public, P. J. F. Freeman." In 1981 Plantard circulated a French newspaper cutting of unknown provenance stating the parchments were stored in a Safe deposit box of Lloyds Bank, London. A book published in 1983 by Louis Vazart reproduced two fake "notarised documents" allegedly dating from October 1955 naming Captain Ronald Stansmore Nutting (altered from Captain Ronald Stansmore), Major Hugh Murchison Clowes and the Right Honourable Viscount Leathers as the legal owners of the parchments discovered by Saunière "whose value cannot be estimated", and requesting the parchments - all containing proof of the survival of the line of Dagobert II - to be removed from France. The Notary Public was named as Maître Patrick Francis Jourdan Freeman. Another "notarised document" that was later reproduced in ''Vaincre'' Number 1 (1990), gave the caption "after a photograph taken by Etienne Plantard in London in 1958", naming only Captain R.S. Nutting as the owner of the "parchments". The firm of solicitors was given as John Newton & Sons, London. In 1989, when Plantard revised his claims about the Priory of Sion, it was stated in a 1989 issue of ''Vaincre'': "The parchments of Blanche of Castile were in Etienne Plantard's safe-deposit box in London since November 1955 and they did not 'mention' Dagobert, or a Dagobert II and Pierre Plantard de Saint-Clair was never 'a Merovingian pretender' to the throne of France: His lineage results from the Counts de Rhédae and by the female line of Saint Clair-sur-Epte, which has no relationship with 'Sinclair'."


Plantard de Saint Clair

From 1975, Pierre Plantard used the surname ''Plantard de Saint-Clair'', described as an epithet by Jean-Luc Chaumeil, following his interview with Plantard in the magazine ''l’Ère d’Aquarius''. The " Saint-Clair" part of his surname was added to his real surname on the basis that this was the family name associated with the area of Gisors associated with his hoax - according to the mythology of the Priory of Sion "Jean VI des Plantard" married a member of the House of Gisors during the 12th century. Plantard also appropriated the false titles of "Comte de Saint-Clair" and "Comte de Rhédæ" to himself.


The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail

In 1982, authors
Michael Baigent Michael Baigent (born Michael Barry Meehan, 27 February 1948 – 17 June 2013) was a New Zealand writer who published a number of popular works questioning traditional perceptions of history and the Historical Jesus, life of Jesus. He is best kno ...
, Richard Leigh and
Henry Lincoln Henry Soskin (12 February 1930 – 23 February 2022), better known as Henry Lincoln, was a British author, television presenter, scriptwriter, and actor. He co-wrote three '' Doctor Who'' multi-part serials in the 1960s, and — starting in t ...
published ''
The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail ''The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail'' (published as ''Holy Blood, Holy Grail'' in the United States) is a book by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh (author), Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln. The book was first published in 1982 by Jonathan Cape in ...
''. It became a bestseller and publicized Plantard's Priory of Sion story, treating seriously the content of the Priory of Sion documents of the 1960s and 1970s. The book added a new element to the story, that the Merovingian line of kings had actually been descended from the
historical Jesus The term "historical Jesus" refers to the reconstruction of the life and teachings of Jesus by critical historical methods, in contrast to religious interpretations. It also considers the historical and cultural contexts in which Jesus lived. ...
and
Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cru ...
, and that the purpose of the Priory (and its military arm, the
Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...
) was to protect the secret of the
Jesus bloodline The Jesus bloodline refers to the proposition that a lineal sequence of descendants of the historical Jesus has persisted to the present time. The claims frequently depict Jesus as married, often to Mary Magdalene, and as having descendants livin ...
. Pierre Plantard was hypothesised as the direct descendant of Jesus Christ. In February 1982, Plantard dismissed ''The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail'' as fiction on a French radio interview, and later even dismissed the Priory of Sion documents of the 1960s and 1970s as false and irrelevant.


Revised claims

A new revived series of ''Vaincre'' appeared during the late 1980s, containing a "good luck message from
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing Valéry René Marie Georges Giscard d'Estaing (, , ; 2 February 19262 December 2020), also known as Giscard or VGE, was a French politician who served as President of France from 1974 to 1981. After serving as Minister of Finance under prime ...
", proponent of the
United States of Europe The United States of Europe (USE), the European State, the European Federation and Federal Europe, is the hypothetical scenario of the European integration leading to formation of a sovereign superstate (similar to the United States of Ameri ...
, as well as an article attributed to
Frederick Forsyth Frederick McCarthy Forsyth (born 25 August 1938) is an English novelist and journalist. He is best known for thrillers such as ''The Day of the Jackal'', ''The Odessa File'', '' The Fourth Protocol'', '' The Dogs of War'', ''The Devil's Alter ...
. Plantard revised his Priory of Sion story, claiming the order was founded on 17 January 1681 in Rennes-le-Château, based upon documents discovered in
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, relating to a secret involving the
mystical Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in u ...
power of
ley lines Ley lines () are straight alignments drawn between various historic structures and prominent landmarks. The idea was developed in early 20th-century Europe, with ley line believers arguing that these alignments were recognised by ancient socie ...
and sunrise lines, and ''Rocco Negro'' (Black Rock), a promontory near Rennes-le-Château where he owned substantial property. The alleged contents of the "parchments" allegedly discovered by Saunière were revised and altered (see above). The genealogies contained in Jean Delaude's Priory document ''Le Cercle d'Ulysse'' were also revised. The previous claims found in the notarised documents published in Vazart's book in 1983 were made out of "errors of decipherment" and were falsified because of "political pressures of 1956". In a letter dated 4 April 1989, Plantard wrote that
Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...
"drew up the constitutions of the Priory of Sion on 14 July 1870, on the same day that he planted the oak-tree of the United States of Europe". In 1990, Plantard revised himself by claiming he was only descended from a
cadet branch In history and heraldry, a cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets— realm, title ...
of the line of Dagobert II, while arguing that the direct descendant was really
Otto von Habsburg Otto von Habsburg (german: Franz Joseph Otto Robert Maria Anton Karl Max Heinrich Sixtus Xaver Felix Renatus Ludwig Gaetan Pius Ignatius, hu, Ferenc József Ottó Róbert Mária Antal Károly Max Heinrich Sixtus Xaver Felix Renatus Lajos Gaetan ...
, actually descended from Sigebert I (nicknamed "Plant-Ard"), different from
Sigebert IV According to the pseudohistorical ''Dossiers Secrets d'Henri Lobineau'' and related documents, Sigebert IV was the son of the Merovingian king Dagobert II who, on the assassination of his father, was rescued by his sister and smuggled to the domain ...
, who was the son of Bera II and the grandson of Wamba, the founding father of the
House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
and also the builder of
Habsburg Castle Habsburg Castle (german: Schloss Habsburg, ) is a medieval fortress located in what is now Habsburg, Switzerland, in the canton of Aargau, near the Aar River. At the time of its construction, the location was part of the Duchy of Swabia. Habs ...
, drawing on content found in a 1979 book by Jean-Luc Chaumeil.


Roger-Patrice Pelat and downfall

A 1989 Priory of Sion circular cited Roger-Patrice Pelat as a Grand Master of the Priory of Sion. Pelat was a friend of the then
President of France The president of France, officially the president of the French Republic (french: Président de la République française), is the executive head of state of France, and the commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces. As the presidency i ...
François Mitterrand François Marie Adrien Maurice Mitterrand (26 October 19168 January 1996) was President of France, serving under that position from 1981 to 1995, the longest time in office in the history of France. As First Secretary of the Socialist Party, he ...
and centre of a scandal involving French Prime Minister
Pierre Bérégovoy Pierre Eugène Bérégovoy (; 23 December 1925 – 1 May 1993) was a French politician who served as Prime Minister of France under President François Mitterrand from 2 April 1992 to 29 March 1993. He was a member of the Socialist Party and ...
. This initiative by Plantard had an unexpected consequence; in October 1993, the judge investigating the Pelat scandal had Pierre Plantard's house searched. The search failed to find any documents related to Pelat, but turned up a hoard of false documents, including some proclaiming Plantard the true king of France. Plantard admitted under oath he had fabricated everything, including Pelat's involvement with the Priory of Sion."Affaire Pelat: Le Rapport du Juge", ''Le Point'', no. 1112 (8–14 January 1994), p. 11.Philippe Laprévôte, "Note sur l’actualité du Prieuré de Sion", in: ''Politica Hermetica'', Nr. 10 (1996), p. 140–151. Plantard was later threatened with legal action by the Pelat family and therefore disappeared to his house in
southern France Southern France, also known as the South of France or colloquially in French language, French as , is a defined geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi ...
. He was 74 years old at the time.


Death

Nothing more was heard of Plantard until he died in Paris on 3 February 2000.Laurent "Octonovo" Buccholtzer, "Pierre Plantard, Geneviève Zaepfell and the Alpha-Galates", in: ''Actes du Colloque 2006'', Oeil-du-Sphinx, 2007. His remains were cremated.


Works

* ''Vaincre: Pour une Jeune Chevalerie'' (editor, six issues, 1942–1943). Bibliothèque nationale, RES 4- LC2-7335 * ''Circuit. Bulletin d'Information et de Défense des Droits et de la Liberté des Foyers H.L.M.'' (editor, twelve issues, 1956). Bibliothèque nationale, 4-JO-12078 * ''Circuit, Publication Périodique Culturelle de la Fédération des Forces Françaises'' (editor, originally nine issues, 1959). Bibliothèque nationale, 4-JO-14140 * ''Gisors et son secret'' (1961). Bibliothèque nationale, 4-LK7-56747 * ''Tableaux Comparatifs des Charges Sociales dans les Pays du Marché Commun'' (1961). Bibliothèque nationale, 4-R PIECE-5274 * ''Victor Hugo'' (1978). Bibliothèque nationale, 4-LN27-75000 * Preface to Henri Boudet, ''La Vraie Langue Celtique et le Cromleck de Rennes-les-Bains'' (Paris: Éditions Pierre Belfond, 1978). * ''L'Or de Rennes: mise au point'' (1979). Bibliothèque nationale, 4-Z PIECE-1182 * "L'Horloge Sacrée qui permet décoder les quatrains", in ''Nostra'', Special-Issue Number 1 (1982). * ''Vaincre'' (editor, four issues, 1989–1990). Bibliothèque nationale, 4-JO-57134


References


External links


Chaumeil - Plantard
second part of an interview of Jean-Luc Chaumeil where he mentions his discovery of the bewitched hill and the owner of the abbé's estate, Henri Buthion, as well as his tumultuous relations with Pierre Plantard, Gérard de Sède and Mathieu Paoli {{DEFAULTSORT:Plantard, Pierre 1920 births 2000 deaths Writers from Paris Impostor pretenders Priory of Sion hoax French draughtsmen French Freemasons Criminals from Paris