August 9, 1901
Prince Henri of Orléans died today at 3:30 this afternoon in Saigon, French Cochinchina, according to an Atlantic cable sent to the Associated Press. The Prince was the oldest son of the Duke of Chartres and a cousin of the Duke of Orléans.
Prince Henri was en route to the United States "by way of San Francisco," and had planned to spend some time at Newport this fall. He had been "dangerously ill for some time."
Two years ago Henri was named as a "suitor for the hand of a well-known American heiress," Miss May Goelet, and was also at one time considered as a suitor for Infanta Maria de las Mercedes, eldest sister of King Alfonso XIII. Earlier this year, the Infanta married Prince Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, son of the Count and Countess of Caserta. Spain's legislature rejected the prince as a candidate for Mercedes' hand in marriage because "of the character of his private life.
Various "accusations of dishonorable acts in gaming" were made against Prince Henri. He never denied the charges, which "caused him to be discredited at home and abroad." He "squandered a fortune in cards," and in 1895, his father "had the French courts declare him irresponsible and incapable of managing his own affairs." The court named a board of trustees to manage Henri's fortune.
Prince Henri jilted his cousin, Princess Marguerite, the sister of the Duke of Orléans. The Duke, Pretender to the French throne, never forgave Prince Henri for this indiscretion.
The French newspaper, Le Figaro, is reporting that body of the late Prince will be brought to Paris and interred in the royal chapel at Dreux.
Prince Henri Philippe Marie was born at Ham, near the River Somme, on October 16, 1867
I found this obituary very interesting in the fact that no mention of Prince Henri's journeys and legendary books on the bio-diversities of Tibet and Indochina. Could this also be attributed to the subsequent loss of his duel with Prince Vittorio Emanuele, Count of Turin
ReplyDeleteIt was not an obituary, but a report about his death based on the AP dispatch. Newspapers rarel wrote long obits at that time. This was the report of his deth.
ReplyDeleteMarguerite was his sister, non?
ReplyDeleteThe prince who jilted his cousin was Philippe .. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Philippe,_Duke_of_Orl%C3%A9ans_(1869%E2%80%931926)
ReplyDelete