Louis Jerome Victor Emmanuel Leopold Marie Bonaparte
Encyclopedia
Louis, Prince Napoléon, as Napoleon VI was the claimant
to the Imperial throne of France
of the Bonaparte dynasty from 1926 until his death.
, Belgium, due to the law which then banned
heirs of the former French ruling dynasties from residing in France. He was the son of Victor, Prince Napoléon and his wife Princess Clémentine of Belgium
, daughter of King Leopold II of the Belgians
and Archduchess Marie Henriette of Austria
. Leopold II's mother, Princess Louise-Marie of Orléans
, was the eldest daughter of King Louis Philippe I, ruler of France during the July Monarchy
.
As a child, Prince Louis spent some time in England
where he stayed with Empress Eugénie
, the widow of Napoleon III
. He was educated in Leuven
in Belgium and Lausanne
in Switzerland. His father died on 3 May 1926, and so Prince Louis succeeded as the Bonapartist
claimant to the French throne at the age of 12 with his mother acting as regent until he came of age.
, offering to serve in the French Army. His offer was refused so he assumed the nom de guerre of Louis Blanchard and joined the French Foreign Legion
, seeing action in North Africa
before being demobilised in 1941 following the Armistice. He then joined the French Resistance
and was arrested by the Germans after attempting to cross the Pyrenees
to get to London to join Free French leader Charles de Gaulle
. Following his arrest he spent time in various prisons including Fresnes
. Following his release, he joined the French Resistance group Organisation de Résistance dans l'Armee under the name Louis Monnier. Another member of the Charles Martel
Brigade to which he belonged was his cousin, Prince Joachim Murat
who was killed in July 1944. Prince Louis himself narrowly escaped death a month later when, on 28 August, he was badly wounded as part of a seven man patrol which came under attack: he alone survived. Following his recovery he joined the Alpine Division and was later decorated for bravery.
After the war, he lived in Switzerland and, illegally, in Paris
until 1950 when the law of banishment against the heads of France's former ruling dynasties was repeal
ed.
In his professional life, Prince Louis became a successful businessman with a number of financial interests in Africa. In 1951, the prince sent a memorial wreath bearing the Napoleonic 'N' insignia to the funeral of William, German Crown Prince, son of the deposed Wilhelm II, German Emperor. This was seen as an ironic gesture by royalists at the time, given the fact that it was the German House of Hohenzollern
which had defeated and dethroned Louis Napoleon's own imperial house during the Franco-Prussian War
in 1870.
Following Prince Louis' death in Prangins
, Switzerland, his will designated his grandson, Prince Jean-Christophe Napoléon, as his successor, thereby bypassing his elder son, Prince Charles Napoléon.
(born 4 April 1926), on August 16, 1949 at Linières-Bouton
, France. They had four children:
Pretender
A pretender is one who claims entitlement to an unavailable position of honour or rank. Most often it refers to a former monarch, or descendant thereof, whose throne is occupied or claimed by a rival, or has been abolished....
to the Imperial throne of France
Emperor of the French
The Emperor of the French was the title used by the Bonaparte Dynasty starting when Napoleon Bonaparte was given the title Emperor on 18 May 1804 by the French Senate and was crowned emperor of the French on 02 December 1804 at the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, in Paris with the Crown of...
of the Bonaparte dynasty from 1926 until his death.
Early life
He was born in BrusselsBrussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium, due to the law which then banned
Ban (law)
A ban is, generally, any decree that prohibits something.Bans are formed for the prohibition of activities within a certain political territory. Some see this as a negative act and others see it as maintaining the "status quo"...
heirs of the former French ruling dynasties from residing in France. He was the son of Victor, Prince Napoléon and his wife Princess Clémentine of Belgium
Princess Clementine of Belgium
align="right"|Clementine of Belgium was a member of the Belgian Royal Family and the wife of Napoléon Victor Bonaparte, Bonapartist pretender to the throne of France.-Early life:Princess Clémentine was born at the Royal Castle of Laeken in...
, daughter of King Leopold II of the Belgians
Leopold II of Belgium
Leopold II was the second king of the Belgians. Born in Brussels the second son of Leopold I and Louise-Marie of Orléans, he succeeded his father to the throne on 17 December 1865 and remained king until his death.Leopold is chiefly remembered as the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free...
and Archduchess Marie Henriette of Austria
Marie Henriette of Austria
Marie Henriette of Austria was the queen consort of King Leopold II of Belgium.-Family:...
. Leopold II's mother, Princess Louise-Marie of Orléans
Louise of Orléans
Louise of Orléans was born a Princess of Orléans and was Queen consort of the Belgians as the wife of King Leopold I...
, was the eldest daughter of King Louis Philippe I, ruler of France during the July Monarchy
July Monarchy
The July Monarchy , officially the Kingdom of France , was a period of liberal constitutional monarchy in France under King Louis-Philippe starting with the July Revolution of 1830 and ending with the Revolution of 1848...
.
As a child, Prince Louis spent some time in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where he stayed with Empress Eugénie
Eugénie de Montijo
Doña María Eugenia Ignacia Augustina de Palafox-Portocarrero de Guzmán y Kirkpatrick, 16th Countess of Teba and 15th Marquise of Ardales; 5 May 1826 – 11 July 1920), known as Eugénie de Montijo , was the last Empress consort of the French from 1853 to 1871 as the wife of Napoleon III, Emperor of...
, the widow of Napoleon III
Napoleon III of France
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was the President of the French Second Republic and as Napoleon III, the ruler of the Second French Empire. He was the nephew and heir of Napoleon I, christened as Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte...
. He was educated in Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
in Belgium and Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
in Switzerland. His father died on 3 May 1926, and so Prince Louis succeeded as the Bonapartist
Bonapartist
In French political history, Bonapartism has two meanings. In a strict sense, this term refers to people who aimed to restore the French Empire under the House of Bonaparte, the Corsican family of Napoleon Bonaparte and his nephew Louis...
claimant to the French throne at the age of 12 with his mother acting as regent until he came of age.
World War II and later life
On the outbreak of World War II Prince Louis wrote to the French prime minister, Édouard DaladierÉdouard Daladier
Édouard Daladier was a French Radical politician and the Prime Minister of France at the start of the Second World War.-Career:Daladier was born in Carpentras, Vaucluse. Later, he would become known to many as "the bull of Vaucluse" because of his thick neck and large shoulders and determined...
, offering to serve in the French Army. His offer was refused so he assumed the nom de guerre of Louis Blanchard and joined the French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
, seeing action in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
before being demobilised in 1941 following the Armistice. He then joined the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
and was arrested by the Germans after attempting to cross the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
to get to London to join Free French leader Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
. Following his arrest he spent time in various prisons including Fresnes
Fresnes Prison
Fresnes Prison is the second largest prison in France, located in the town of Fresnes, Val-de-Marne South of Paris...
. Following his release, he joined the French Resistance group Organisation de Résistance dans l'Armee under the name Louis Monnier. Another member of the Charles Martel
Charles Martel
Charles Martel , also known as Charles the Hammer, was a Frankish military and political leader, who served as Mayor of the Palace under the Merovingian kings and ruled de facto during an interregnum at the end of his life, using the title Duke and Prince of the Franks. In 739 he was offered the...
Brigade to which he belonged was his cousin, Prince Joachim Murat
Joachim, 7th Prince Murat
Joachim Murat, 7th Prince Murat , was a member of the Bonaparte-Murat family. He was killed in World War II.- Biography:...
who was killed in July 1944. Prince Louis himself narrowly escaped death a month later when, on 28 August, he was badly wounded as part of a seven man patrol which came under attack: he alone survived. Following his recovery he joined the Alpine Division and was later decorated for bravery.
After the war, he lived in Switzerland and, illegally, in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
until 1950 when the law of banishment against the heads of France's former ruling dynasties was repeal
Repeal
A repeal is the amendment, removal or reversal of a law. This is generally done when a law is no longer effective, or it is shown that a law is having far more negative consequences than were originally envisioned....
ed.
In his professional life, Prince Louis became a successful businessman with a number of financial interests in Africa. In 1951, the prince sent a memorial wreath bearing the Napoleonic 'N' insignia to the funeral of William, German Crown Prince, son of the deposed Wilhelm II, German Emperor. This was seen as an ironic gesture by royalists at the time, given the fact that it was the German House of Hohenzollern
House of Hohenzollern
The House of Hohenzollern is a noble family and royal dynasty of electors, kings and emperors of Prussia, Germany and Romania. It originated in the area around the town of Hechingen in Swabia during the 11th century. They took their name from their ancestral home, the Burg Hohenzollern castle near...
which had defeated and dethroned Louis Napoleon's own imperial house during the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
in 1870.
Following Prince Louis' death in Prangins
Prangins
Prangins is a municipality in the district of Nyon in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is located on Lake Geneva.-Geography:Prangins has an area, , of . Of this area, or 54.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 13.1% is forested...
, Switzerland, his will designated his grandson, Prince Jean-Christophe Napoléon, as his successor, thereby bypassing his elder son, Prince Charles Napoléon.
Decorations
- Commandeur de la Légion d'honneurLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
- Croix de guerreCroix de guerreThe Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
1939-1945. - Médaille de la RésistanceMédaille de la RésistanceThe French Médaille de la Résistance was awarded by General Charles de Gaulle "to recognise the remarkable acts of faith and of courage that, in France, in the empire and abroad, have contributed to the resistance of the French people against the enemy and against its accomplices since June 18,...
- Médaille commémorative de la Seconde Guerre mondiale
Family
Louis married Alix de ForestaAlix de Foresta
Alix de Foresta was the wife of Louis, Prince Napoléon, claimant to the Imperial throne of France of the House of Bonaparte from 1926 until his death. Bonapartists regarded her as "Empress of the French" in pretense for several decades in the 20th century.She was the daughter of Albéric, comte de...
(born 4 April 1926), on August 16, 1949 at Linières-Bouton
Linières-Bouton
Linières-Bouton is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France....
, France. They had four children:
- Prince Charles Marie Jérôme Victor (born October 19, 1950) who claims headship of the House of Bonaparte and the title, "Le Prince Napoléon".
- Princess Cathérine Elisabeth Albérique Marie (born 19 October 1950), who wed, firstly, Nicolò San Martino d'Agliè dei marchesi di Fontaneto con San Germano (born 3 July 1948) on June 4, 1974, in PranginsPranginsPrangins is a municipality in the district of Nyon in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is located on Lake Geneva.-Geography:Prangins has an area, , of . Of this area, or 54.7% is used for agricultural purposes, while or 13.1% is forested...
, SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and divorced in 1982 without issue. She wed, secondly, Jean-Claude Dualé (born 3 November 1936 in Medjez-el-BabMajaz al BabMajaz al Bab is a town in northern Tunisia. It is located at approximately , at the intersection of roads GP5 and GP6, in the Plaine de la Mejerda.-Commonwealth war grave site:...
, TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
) on October 22, 1982, in Paris, France, and had two children:- Charlotte Dualé was born October 13, 1983, in Paris.
- Mario Dualé was born October 29, 1985, in La Celle-Saint-CloudLa Celle-Saint-CloudLa Celle-Saint-Cloud is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the center.-Transport:...
, France.
- Laure Clémentine Geneviève Bonaparte (b. 8 October 1952 in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) married Jean-Claude Lecomte (b. 15 Mar 1948 in Ax-les-ThermesAx-les-ThermesAx-les-Thermes is a commune in the Ariège department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in southwestern France.It lies at the confluence of the Ariège River with three tributaries, 26 miles SSE of Foix by rail...
, France) on December 23, 1982, and had a son and two daughters:- Clément Louis Lecomte (born in 1995)
- Charlotte Lecomte
- Marion Lecomte
- Prince Jérôme Xavier Marie Joseph Victor (born 14 January 1957).