Chambord, Henri Charles Ferdinand Marie Dieudonné, comte de

Chambord, Henri Charles Ferdinand Marie Dieudonné, comte de

Chambord, Henri Charles Ferdinand Marie Dieudonné, comte de, 1820-83, Bourbon claimant to the French throne, posthumous son of Charles Ferdinand, duc de Berry. His original title was duke of Bordeaux. His grandfather, Charles X, abdicated in his favor during the Revolution of 1830, and he is known to the legitimists as Henry V, although he never held the throne. He accompanied Charles into exile and spent most of the rest of his life at Frohsdorf, Austria. In 1832 his mother, Caroline de Berry, unsuccessfully attempted to overthrow Louis Philippe. Efforts to reconcile his claims with those of the Orleanist pretender, Louis Philippe Albert d'Orléans (see under Orléans, family), after the February Revolution of 1848, met with little success. In 1871, after the fall of the Second Empire, Chambord's prospects improved, and in 1873 the Orleanist pretender relinquished his claims in Chambord's favor. However, his stubborn adherence to the Bourbon flag in preference to the national flag, destroyed his chance of recognition. He died without issue, and his claims passed to the house of Bourbon-Orléans.

See biography by M. L. Brown, Jr. (1967).

Marie-Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (Marie Adélaïde Theresia Hilda Antonia Wilhelmina vu Lëtzebuerg; June 14, 1894January 24, 1924) was a daughter of Grand Duke Guillaume IV of Luxembourg and Marie Anne of Portugal. Her maternal grandparents were Miguel of Portugal and Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg.

Eldest of six sisters, she was proclaimed Heir Apparent on July 10, 1907, to solve the succession crisis. Thus, when her father died on February 25, 1912, she became the first reigning Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. She was also the first sovereign of Luxembourg since 1296 to have actually been born within the country.

She was highly interested in politics and took an active part in the government and the political life of the Grand Duchy. During World War I, she enjoyed a rather cordial relationship with the German occupiers, for which she was harshly criticized after the end of the war. Although not having done anything unconstitutional, voices in Parliament began to demand her abdication in January 1919. At the same time, prominent political figures in both neighbouring France and Belgium espoused annexationist plans towards the Grand Duchy and thus had a vested interest in discrediting Marie-Adélaïde. After consulting with the Prime Minister, she abdicated on January 14,1919, and was succeeded by her younger sister Charlotte.

Marie-Adélaïde entered a convent in Italy, taking the name "Sister Marie of the Poor", and died at Hohenburg Castle of influenza. She is interred in the Ducal Crypt of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in the city of Luxembourg.

Search another word or see Chambord, Henri Charles Ferdinand Marie Dieudonné, comte deon Dictionary | Thesaurus |Spanish
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature