House Orleans Religion Roman Catholic | Name Prince Count | |
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Born 25 June 1941 (age 83)
Rabat, Morocco ( 1941-06-25 ) Spouse Beatrice Marie Pasquier de Franclieu Issue Princess Clotilde of Orleans
Princess Adelaide of Orleans
Charles-Philippe, Duke of Anjou
Francois, Count of Dreux Father Prince Henri, Count of Paris Mother Princess Isabelle of Orleans-Braganza | ||
Prince Michel of Orléans, Fils de France, Count of Évreux (Michel Joseph Benoît Marie; born 25 June 1941, Rabat, Morocco) is a French nobleman and part of the claimant family to the French throne. He is the son of the late Prince Henri, Count of Paris (the Orleanist claimant to the French throne from 1940 until his death) and Princess Isabelle of Orléans-Braganza. Prince Michel is styled as the Count of Évreux.
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Background
Prince Michel was born in Morocco and raised in exile as one of the eleven children of the Comte de France. His family re-patriated to France in 1950 after the law of banishment against former French dynasties was repealed.
Prince Michel earned a university degree studying mathematics, chemistry and physics,
Family
He was dating Princess Irene of Greece and Denmark when he met Béatrice Marie Pasquier de Franclieu, whom he married on 18 November 1967 in Casablanca, Morocco, without his father's consent.
The bride was born Béatrice Marie Guillemine Huguette in Neuilly-sur-Seine on 24 October 1941, the daughter of Count Bruno Marie Emilien Pasquier de Franclieu (Lyon, 4 March 1914 - Paris, 15 September 1944) of a noble family, and his wife Jacqueline Françoise Marie Thérèse Irène Térisse (Rambouillet, 7 September 1918 - 2006) who had married in Lormes on 29 April 1938.
The marriage was not regarded as dynastic, and Prince Michel's wife and children were not initially given traditional Orléanist royal titles. On 10 December 1976, Béatrice was allowed by her father-in-law to share ad personam her husband's style, viz., "Her Royal Highness Princess Michel of Orléans, comtesse d'Evreux". Subsequent to the accession as head of the House of Orléans and pretender by his brother Prince Henri, Count of Paris, Duke of France in 1999, his wife and children were recognized as fully dynastic members of the royal house with commensurate styles and titles.
The family lived in Morocco, Germany and England. Their children attained adulthood in Spain. According to the prince's wife, her work as a fashion consultant for Women's Wear Daily and Dior, combined with her husband's lack of a career, imposed strains upon the marriage. Michel and Beatrice were separated in 1994 and he left their home, although there were no plans to terminate the marriage. They had four children (and several grandchildren):