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European Royals

Henri d’Orléans, Count of Paris, has died at the age of 85

Henri d’Orléans, Count of Paris and Duke of France died Monday afternoon at the age of 85. The news was announced on Facebook by his son, Prince Jean, the Duke of Vendôme.

The statement was published in French, with an English translation below:

It is with great sorrow that I have to announce my father’s death, the count of Paris, this morning. I hope you will send your prayers to him.

Jean, Duke of Vendôme

The royal domain of dreux, January 21, 2019

The Duke of France with his wife in 2014. Volokhoff via Wikimedia Commons.

It has not been confirmed what is the cause of death. Reports on the Duke from December has stated that he was healthy. It is not clear if his son, Prince Jean, the Duke of Vendôme, will take up the titles after his father as count of Paris and Duke of France.

It is only a few weeks since the Count of Paris, Henri of Orleans, published on Twitter several statements regarding the ongoing gilets jaunes protests in France. Early in December last year, the Count of Paris called everyone to calm and reason themselves. A week later, the Count visited the Arc de Triomphe to rekindle the flame of the Unknown Soldier following the request of French General Bruno Dary.

In the French election of 2017, the Duke of France created much attention when he backed François Fillon in the presidential race. “I have studied the programme of each candidate with great attention. The only one who can straighten France is François Fillon” the Duke said in 2017.

Henri, Count of Paris, Duke of France was head of the House of Orléans, and was one of the pretenders to the defunct French crown as Henry VII. A descendant in the male-line of France’s “Citizen-King” Louis-Philippe d’Orléans (ruled 1830–1848), he is was recognised as the legitimate claimant to the throne by those French royalists, called Unionists.  Henri d’Orléans was a former military officer as well as an author and painter.

About author

Senior Europe Correspondent Oskar Aanmoen has a master in military and political history of the Nordic countries. He has written six books on historical subjects and more than 1.500 articles for Royal Central. He has also interview both Serbian and Norwegian royals. Aanmoen is based in Oslo, Norway.