Ferdinand d'Orléans, Duke of Montpensier () (9 September 1884 – 30 January 1924) was a member of the

House of Orléans The 4th House of Orléans (), sometimes called the House of Bourbon-Orléans () to distinguish it, is the fourth holder of a surname previously used by several branches of the House of France, Royal House of France, all descended in the legitimat ...

and a Prince of France.

Early life

Ferdinand was born on 9 September 1884 at

Château d'Eu The Château d'Eu () is a former royal residence in the town of Eu, in the Seine-Maritime department of France, in Normandy. The Château d'Eu stands at the centre of the town and was built in the 16th century to replace an earlier one purpose ...

, Eu,

Seine-Inférieure Seine-Maritime () is a department of France in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the northern coast of France, at the mouth of the Seine, and includes the cities of Rouen and Le Havre. Until 1955 it was named Seine-Inféri ...

French Republic France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. He was the eighth, and youngest, child of Philippe d'Orléans, Count of Paris and his wife Marie Isabelle d'Orléans. His elder siblings were Princess Amélie (wife of

Carlos I of Portugal Dom (title), ''Dom'' Carlos I (; 28 September 1863 – 1 February 1908), known as "the Diplomat" (), "the Oceanographer" () among many other names, was List of Portuguese monarchs, King of Portugal from 1889 until his Lisbon Regicide, assassin ...

), Prince Philippe (who married Archduchess Maria Dorothea, daughter of

Archduke Joseph Karl of Austria Archduke Joseph Karl of Austria (, ; 2 March 1833 – 13 June 1905) was a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. He was the second son of Archduke Joseph, Palatine of Hungary (seventh son of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor) and Duchess ...

), Princess Hélène (the wife of Emmanuel Philibert, 2nd Duke of Aosta), Prince Charles (who died young), Princess Isabelle (wife of Prince Jean D'Orléans, Duke of Guise), Prince Jacques (who also died young), and

Princess Louise Princess Louise may refer to: People * Louise of Denmark (disambiguation), various princesses * Louise of Prussia (disambiguation), various princesses * Louise of Saxe-Meiningen (disambiguation), various princesses * Princess Louise of Schleswig-H ...

(wife of

Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies Don Carlos, Prince of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Infante of Spain (Full Italian language, Italian name: ''Carlo Maria Francesco d'Assisi Pasquale Ferdinando Antonio di Padova Francesco de Paola Alfonso Andrea Avelino Tancredi, Principe di Borbone dell ...

). His father reigned as

King of the French The precise style of French sovereigns varied over the years. Currently, there is no French sovereign; three distinct traditions (the Legitimist, the Orleanist, and the Bonapartist) exist, each claiming different forms of title. The three style ...

for two days, from 24 February 1848 to 26 February 1848 until the monarchy was abolished, his family fled and the

French Second Republic The French Second Republic ( or ), officially the French Republic (), was the second republican government of France. It existed from 1848 until its dissolution in 1852. Following the final defeat of Napoleon, Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle ...

was proclaimed. His paternal grandparents were Prince Ferdinand, Duke of Orléans and

Duchess Helene of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Duchess Helene of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Helene Luise Elisabeth; 24 January 1814 – 17 May 1858) was a French Crown Princess after her marriage in 1837 to the eldest son of Louis Philippe I. She is known as the mother of the future Count of Paris ...

. Through his father, he was a great-grandson of

Louis-Philippe I, King of the French Louis Philippe I (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850), nicknamed the Citizen King, was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, the penultimate monarch of France, and the last French monarch to bear the title "King". He abdicated from his thron ...

and his wife Queen

Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily (Maria Amalia Teresa; 26 April 1782 – 24 March 1866) was Queen of the French by marriage to Louis Philippe I, King of the French. She was the last Queen of France. Among her grandchildren were the mon ...

. His maternal grandparents were Infanta Luisa Fernanda of Spain and

Prince Antoine, Duke of Montpensier Antoine, Duke of Montpensier (Antoine Marie Philippe Louis d'Orléans; 31 July 18244 February 1890), was a member of the French royal family#Louis Philippe of France (1773–1850, r.1830–1848), French royal family in the House of Orléans. He ...

(the youngest son of

Louis-Philippe of France Louis Philippe I (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850), nicknamed the Citizen King, was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, the penultimate monarch of France, and the last French monarch to bear the title "King". He abdicated from his thron ...

and

Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily (Maria Amalia Teresa; 26 April 1782 – 24 March 1866) was List of French royal consorts, Queen of the French by marriage to Louis Philippe I, King of the French. She was the last Queen of France. Among ...

Career

The Duke lived in England for many years, until "his reported indiscretions with regard to his recollections of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

made it somewhat uncomfortable for him when in London." When the Germans went into Belgium, he returned to London until

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

was over and then returned to Belgium. In the fall of 1923, the French government bestowed upon him the Cross of

Officer of the Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...

for his services to his native land.

Albanian throne

In 1912, during the Congress of Trieste, he was proposed as a candidate for the Albanian throne. Others considered for the throne were Prince Ghika of Romania, Prince Karl, Duke of Urach, Prince Moritz of

Schaumburg-Lippe Schaumburg-Lippe, also called Lippe-Schaumburg, was created as a county in 1647, became a principality in 1807 and a free state in 1918, and was until 1946 a small state in Germany, located in the present-day state of Lower Saxony, with its capi ...

, the Count of Turin and

Prince Arthur of Connaught Prince Arthur of Connaught (Arthur Frederick Patrick Albert; 13 January 1883 – 12 September 1938) was a British military officer and a grandson of Queen Victoria. He served as Governor-General of the Union of South Africa from 20 November 19 ...

Personal life

On 20 August 1921, Ferdinand married Doña María Isabel González de Olañeta e Ibarreta (22 April 1895 – 11 July 1958), 3rd Marchioness of Valdeterrazo and

Grandee of Spain Grandee (; , ) is an official royal and noble ranks, aristocratic title conferred on some Spanish nobility. Holders of this dignity enjoyed similar privileges to those of the peerage of France during the , though in neither country did they ha ...

, 2nd Viscountess of los Antrimes, at the Château de Randan in Randan, which he inherited from his mother. She was the daughter of Don Ulpiano González de Olañeta y González de Ocampo, 2nd Marquis of Valdeterrazo and Grandee of Spain, and his wife Doña Isabel de Ibarreta y Uhagón. Ferdinand and María Isabel did not have children. The Duke of Montpensier died on 30 January 1924 at the Château de Randan in Randan in the

Ancestry

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferdinand of Montpensier, Duke 1884 births 1924 deaths 20th-century French explorers Princes of France (Orléans) Dukes of Montpensier People from Eu, Seine-Maritime Recipients of the Legion of Honour Drug-related deaths in France Burials at the Chapelle royale de Dreux 20th-century French male writers 20th-century French writers Children of Prince Philippe, Count of Paris