Princess Claude of Orléans
Encyclopedia
Princess Claude of Orléans (Claude Marie Agnès Catherine; 11 December 1943) is a French princess from the House of Orléans
. She is the former wife of Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, a disputed head of the House of Savoy
. Claude was the third Orleanist
princess to hold the title Duchess of Aosta.
as the ninth child and fifth daughter of Henri, comte de Paris
, Orléanist
claimant to the French throne, and his wife Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza.
She is the sister of Prince Henri, Count of Paris, the current Orleanist pretender to the French throne, as well as Diane, Duchess of Württemberg
, and Prince Jacques, Duke of Orléans. They grew up together on an estate outside Lisbon
, Portugal.
, Portugal, Princess Claude married Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta. He was the only son of Prince Aimone, Duke of Aosta and Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark. His father had been recognized by some as Tomislav II of Croatia, making Amedeo his titular heir for a short period.
During the time of their wedding, Amedeo was a student at the Morosini Naval College in Venice
, where his father had also attended. The couple met while attending the wedding of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain
and Sofia of Greece and Denmark in May 1962 in Athens
. They announced their engagement on 4 October 1963. The couple married in a parish church twelve miles from Lisbon. The wedding had been planned for earlier in the month, but was rescheduled after former king Umberto II of Italy
(uncle of the groom) needed time to recover from an abdominal operation. The wedding was attended by 300 guests, including Umberto and Prince Juan Carlos and his wife Princess Sofia.
They had three children together:
claimant Henri, comte de Paris
.
House of Orleans
Orléans is the name used by several branches of the Royal House of France, all descended in the legitimate male line from the dynasty's founder, Hugh Capet. It became a tradition during France's ancien régime for the duchy of Orléans to be granted as an appanage to a younger son of the king...
. She is the former wife of Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, a disputed head of the House of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
. Claude was the third Orleanist
Orléanist
The Orléanists were a French right-wing/center-right party which arose out of the French Revolution. It governed France 1830-1848 in the "July Monarchy" of king Louis Philippe. It is generally seen as a transitional period dominated by the bourgeoisie and the conservative Orleanist doctrine in...
princess to hold the title Duchess of Aosta.
Family
Princess Claude was born in LaracheLarache
Larache is an important harbour town in the region Tanger-Tétouan in northern Morocco. It was founded in the 7th century when a group of Muslim soldiers from Arabia extended their camp at Lixus onto the south bank of the Loukkos River.In 1471, the Portuguese settlers from Asilah and Tangier drove...
as the ninth child and fifth daughter of Henri, comte de Paris
Henri, comte de Paris
Henri of Orléans, Count of Paris , was the Orléanist claimant to the throne of France from 1940 until his death.-Early life:...
, Orléanist
Orléanist
The Orléanists were a French right-wing/center-right party which arose out of the French Revolution. It governed France 1830-1848 in the "July Monarchy" of king Louis Philippe. It is generally seen as a transitional period dominated by the bourgeoisie and the conservative Orleanist doctrine in...
claimant to the French throne, and his wife Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza.
She is the sister of Prince Henri, Count of Paris, the current Orleanist pretender to the French throne, as well as Diane, Duchess of Württemberg
Diane, Duchess of Württemberg
Diane, Duchess of Württemberg is a successful artist and sculptor.-Marriage:...
, and Prince Jacques, Duke of Orléans. They grew up together on an estate outside Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal.
Marriage and issue
On 22 July 1964 in SintraSintra
Sintra is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.In addition to...
, Portugal, Princess Claude married Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta. He was the only son of Prince Aimone, Duke of Aosta and Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark. His father had been recognized by some as Tomislav II of Croatia, making Amedeo his titular heir for a short period.
During the time of their wedding, Amedeo was a student at the Morosini Naval College in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, where his father had also attended. The couple met while attending the wedding of Prince Juan Carlos of Spain
Juan Carlos I of Spain
Juan Carlos I |Italy]]) is the reigning King of Spain.On 22 November 1975, two days after the death of General Francisco Franco, Juan Carlos was designated king according to the law of succession promulgated by Franco. Spain had no monarch for 38 years in 1969 when Franco named Juan Carlos as the...
and Sofia of Greece and Denmark in May 1962 in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. They announced their engagement on 4 October 1963. The couple married in a parish church twelve miles from Lisbon. The wedding had been planned for earlier in the month, but was rescheduled after former king Umberto II of Italy
Umberto II of Italy
Umberto II, occasionally anglicized as Humbert II was the last King of Italy for slightly over a month, from 9 May 1946 to 12 June 1946. He was nicknamed the King of May -Biography:...
(uncle of the groom) needed time to recover from an abdominal operation. The wedding was attended by 300 guests, including Umberto and Prince Juan Carlos and his wife Princess Sofia.
They had three children together:
| Name | |Death | Count Count A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is... Arrivabene-Valenti-Gonzaga House of Gonzaga The Gonzaga family ruled Mantua in Northern Italy from 1328 to 1708.-History:In 1433, Gianfrancesco I assumed the title of Marquis of Mantua, and in 1530 Federico II received the title of Duke of Mantua. In 1531, the family acquired the Duchy of Monferrato through marriage... ; has issue | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prince Aimone Umberto Emanuele Filiberto Luigi Amedeo Elena Maria Fiorenzo, Duke of Apulia | 13 October 1967 (age 44) | married Princess Olga Isabella of Greece, daughter of Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark, is the author of several historical novels and biographies, as well as a contributing writer to Architectural Digest.-Birth and family:... ; has issue |
|
| Princess Mafalda Giovanna Shams Maria Fiorenza Isabella of Savoy | 20 September 1969 (age 42) | married firstly Don Don (honorific) Don, from Latin dominus, is an honorific in Spanish , Portuguese , and Italian . The female equivalent is Doña , Dona , and Donna , abbreviated "Dª" or simply "D."-Usage:... Alessandro Ruffo di Calabria-Santapau dei principi di Palazzolo, divorced without issue; Mafalda married secondly Francesco Ferrante Carlo Napoleone, 10th Baron Baron Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"... Lombardo di San Chirico and has issue |
|
Divorce
Amedeo and Claude officially separated from each other 20 July 1976. They received a civil divorce 26 April 1982, and an ecclesiastical annulment from the Roman Rota 8 January 1987. Amedeo remarried to Silvia Paternò di Spedalotto later that year. Silvia is now the current holder of the style Duchess of Aosta. Claude reverted back to her previous style of Princess of France, as a daughter of the OrleanistOrléanist
The Orléanists were a French right-wing/center-right party which arose out of the French Revolution. It governed France 1830-1848 in the "July Monarchy" of king Louis Philippe. It is generally seen as a transitional period dominated by the bourgeoisie and the conservative Orleanist doctrine in...
claimant Henri, comte de Paris
Henri, comte de Paris
Henri of Orléans, Count of Paris , was the Orléanist claimant to the throne of France from 1940 until his death.-Early life:...
.