FRANCE: A Ducal Philanderer

Louis Philippe Robert, Duke of Orleans, was taken ill in London. In a delirium he thought he was a prisoner and said : ” I am here a prisoner, I, the King of France, a prisoner ! “

It is expected that he will recover in a month’s time, when he will return to his home in Brussels.

The Duke of Orleans (descendant of Louis Philippe) is Pretender to the Throne of France ; as such he has never had any political significance. The kindest thing that can be said about him is that he has proved himself a worthy successor of the dissolute Bourbons of France.

His life has been full of love affairs. Once he became so infatuated with an actress that he gave her many of the historic family jewels. Supporters were disgusted with him ; but were, fortunately, able to regain possession of the jewels for a large sum of money.

The last generation still remembers the Duke’s cowardly insult to Queen Victoria, who had previously allowed him to enter the British Army and had shown him many courtesies.

On this occasion he was boor enough to permit publicity to be given to a letter of his in which he had approved caricatures grossly insulting to the Queen.

On Nov. 5, 1896, he married the Archduchess Marie Dorothé Amélie de Saxe-Coburg Gotha. In 1913 his wife tried to divorce him. During the divorce proceeding wide publicity was given to his many affaires d’amour and he was accused of misusing the Duchess’ dowry. The Duke’s supporters, however, were successful in 1914 in persuading the Duchess to drop divorce proceedings. It made no difference to the Duke.