The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-27 00:00:00

DEATH

LOUIS PHILIPPE

g, tMajestyhe 26 King
th
o f August,Louis P
aip
moHrnisin
The King had been made aware of his approaching
Philippe
Claremont.
diedor it. yesterday
dissolution early on Sunday, in the presence of the
Queen, and receiving with calmness the melancholy
information thus first broken to him, prepared for the
final arrangements which he wished to make.
After a conversation with the Queen, he dictated,
with a remarkable clearness of mind, a conclusion to
his memoirs, in order to complete a history which ill-
ness had compelled him to suspend for more than four
months.
He then caused to be summoned his chaplain, the
Abbe Guelle, all his children and grandchildren who
were at Claremont at the time, and in the presence of
the Queen and his family, he discharged every duty
of religion with the most perfect Christian resigna •
tion, a stoical firmness, and a simplicity which is the
real evidence of human greatness.
He then remained for some time surrounded by
his family. Towards seven o'clock in the evening
the debility from which the King had been suffering
appeared to have passed over, and fever came on,
which continued during the night with much violence,
but without disturbing the composure of mind which
never abandoned his Majesty.
He Pxpired at eight o'clock yesterday morning, in
the presence of the Queen and the following members
of his fatally :—Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess
of Orleans, the Count de Paris, the Duke de Chartres,
the Duke and Duchess de Nemours, the Prince and
Princess de Joinville, the Duke and Duchess d'Au-
male, the Duchess Augusta de Saxe-Coburg, and the
attached attendants of the Royal household.
Louis Philippe was the eldest son of Louis Philippe
Joseph, Duke of Orleans, and of Narie, the only
daughter of the wealthy Duke of Penthievre. He
was born in the city of Paris, on the ,6th of October,
1773, and was consequently in his 77th year. He
was at the head of the Orleans branch, of the Bourbon
family, which originated in Phillippe, a son of Louis
the Thirteenth, created Duc d'Orleans by his elder
brother, of whom the ex-King was the grandson's
great grandson. Phillippe, the first Duke of Orleans,
was twice married, his last wife being Elizabeth
Charlotte, of Bohemia, grand-daughter of James I. of
England. It was from this lady that the Orleans
family descended, and through her has b; en traced a
direct relationship to the line of Stuart. When a
minor, Louis Philippe was entitled Duke of Valois,
but on his father succeeding to the title of Duke of
Orleans in 1785, he became Duke of Chartres. He
was, with his brothers and sisters, placed under the
superintendence of Madame de Genlis, and under her
tuition they were taught the English and other lan •
guages. Of the political movement in 1789 the
countess and her husband were warm adherents, and
they failed not to impress their sentiments on the
young minds of their charge. Louis Philippe was
introduced, whilst very young, a member of the Jaco-
bin Club, and was frequently present at its sittings.
In June, 1783, he proceeded to Vendome, where a
popular commotion took place in consequence of a
number of clergymen refusing to take an oath, he
being at that time appointed to an honorary colonelcy
in the 14th Regiment of Dragoons. At this place he
saved the lives of the non-juring clergymen, who
were about being killed by the police. Some time
after this emeute he saved the life of a citizen of Ven-
dome, who was rescued from drowning only by the
heroic efforts of the Duke. For his intrepidity he
was presented with a civic crown. About two months
after going to Vendome he quitted the garrison with
his regiment, and proceeded to Valenciennes, in the
north of France, where he continued his military
avocations. About the middle of April, 1792, war
was declared against Austria, and now Louis Philippe
made his first campaign. At the head of his troops
he fought at Vainly, in September, 1792, and after-
wards, on November 6, at Jemmapes, under Dutnou-
riez. While the Duke was engaged in repelling the
foreign armies which menaced the tottering fabric of
the French monarchy, the revolution was hastening
to its climax. The monarchy being extinguished,
and the King and his family placed in confinement,
a decree of banishment was hastily passed against
all other members of the Bourbon Capet race. This
act of proscription, however, was as summarily re-
pealed.
On the 21st of January, 1793, the unfortunate
Louis XVI. was executed, and on the 6th of No-
vember the Duke of Orleans (Egalitil) was tried be-
fore the revolutionary tribunal, on a charge of con-
spiring; against the nation, was condemned, and
guillotined.
At that period the Duke of Chartres fled into the
Belgian Netherlands, then under Austria, where he
was courteously received, but he refused to take up
arms against France. For some time he was subject
to great privations, frequently journeying on toot,
with a pack on his back, and shoes worn out, and
sometimes fearful of discovery. Ile, however, ma-
naged to get an introduction to the teacher of an
academy at Reichenau, in the Grisons. Here, under
a feigned name, and without being recognised, he
taught geography, and the French and English
languages for many months. In consequence of
some political troubles, the Duke of Orleans for
such he was now entitled to be called, after the de-
cease of his father—left Switzerland, and travelled
through a great part of Europe, residing for some
time in Denmark, without the knowledge of the
French Government. Through his mother, the
Duchess of Orleans, a communication was made, that
if he went to America the sequestration should be
taken from his property, and she would be made
more comfortable, and her two other sons, Montpen-
sier and Beaujolais, should be released from prison,
and permitted also to embark for America. To this
proposition the Duke of Orleans acceded ; and ac-
cordingly, on the 24th of September, 1726, he em-
barked for Philadelphia, which he reached after a
passage of 27 days, and where he was joined by
Montpensier and Beaujolais.
Whilst here they learned that a law had been
passed in France decreeing the expulsion of all the
Bourbon family from the country, and that their mo-
ther had been deported to Spain. Their object was
now to join her, but owing to their pecuniary cir-
cumstances, and to the war between England and
Spain, this object was not easily accomplished. After
many extraordinary adventures, however, they
reached England, end having proceeded to London,
they shortly afterwards took up their quarters at
Twickenham. The English Government having al-
lowed the Duke of Orleans a free passage in a frigate
to Minorca, he proceeded thither, expecting to find
the means of passing over to Spain. From the con-
vulsed state that country was in the expedition
proved fruitless, and he was obliged to return back
to England again, retiring to Twickenham; at
which place the Duke of Montpensier died on the
18th of May, 1807, and was buried in Westminster
Abbey.
At the invitation of Ring Ferdinand of Naples, the
Duke of Orleans visited P.lermo, where he gained
the affections of the Princess Amelia, the second
daughter of the King, and in 1809 they were mar-
ried. In 1814, intelligence reached Palermo that Na-
poleon had abdicated the throne, and that the Bour-
bons were to be restored to France. On the 18th of
May he arrived in Paris, when, in a short time, he
was in the enjoyment of the honour due to them.
The return of Napoleon in 1815 broke up his ar-
rangements, and he again went to reside in Twicken-
ham. On the return of Louis XVIII., after the hun-
dred days, an ordinance was issued, authorising, ac-
cording to the charter as it then stood, all the princes
of the blood to take their seats in the Chamber of
Peers, and the Duke returned to France in Septem-
ber 1815. Here he distinguished himself by a display
of liberal sentiments, which were so little agreeable to
the Administration that he returned to England, where
he remained till 1817. He then returned to France, but
was not again summoned
to sit in the Chamber of Peers.
He therefore remained in private lite for some time,
when an unexpected scene was opened, viz., the revo-
lution of 1830, during which the King was in effect
discrowned, and the throne vacated. In this emer-
gency the Provisional Government, which had arisen
out of the struggle, and in which _
fitte, Lafayette,
and other politicians had taken thelead turned to-
wards Louis Philippe.
A negotiation
i
with him was
opened, sad after a few
days consideration he
July,
nhe ecceded
to the request, and at DOOO, on the 31s ebe
went to Paris, and accepte
d the office which had been
assigned to him. Oa the 2d of August the abdication
in the
of Charles X. and of his son was placed hands
of the Lieutenant-General; the abdication, however,
being in favour of the Duke of Bordeaux. On
the 7th the Chamber of Deputies declared the
throne vacant, and on the
following day the Chamber
went in a body to Louis and offered him
the crown on terms 0f
a revised charter, which
he formally accepted in the Chamber of Deputies on
the 9th. He brought to the throne habits which
for active business. Without
peculiarly fitted himenet or showy talents, he was a
possessing any brillianai
in
formation ; of a calm and
tranquil nature ;
person of great general a
naturally cold and reserved
disposition in affairs of moment ; distinguished alike
in
small by prudence and per-
in great things and
severence. He was a an • oflabour,
immense
taking a pleasure,
in affairs and in the transaction and
dispatch of business.
Ha examined himself all im-
portant papers
connected with the affairs of state,
read the principal journals, and attended even to the
e,
fortun and to
the manage-
mentdetails of his own private „
of his family and children.
of the tafitirs