The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-10-09
EXCHANGED BABIES.
The Cn,eppini Story as TO the
Origin Of Louis Philippe.
Serious Doubts Entertained by the Royal
lists of France Recar.lin;: the
Origin OF the Count
of Paris.

'sNot IA Bourbon. but mere Chap
pini with the blood of baSe-born
Italian iailer," were the words used by
Count Maurice dAntigne. the favorlte
and confidential secretary of the late
compt dc Chambord, to stigmatize the
compt de Paris ut the banquet held the
other day in the French capital by that
section of the royalist party which de
nies the prctenSionS of the compt de
Paris, and which regards Don Carlos as
the rirhtful heir To the claims of the
compt de Chambord.
Inasmuch as but few people outside
of France are aware of the very serious
doubts which exist rs To the royal char-
meter of the comtc dc Paris descent, 1t
NAV be of interest, says the marquis de
Fontcnoy in the New York Recorder, To
give n brief outline of the so-called
Chiappini story.
will begin by stating that the latter
is strongly indorscd by Sir Bernard
Burke. Ulster king-at-arms, and the
greatest of gencalogists, who, after
careful researches extending over
number of years, publicly proclaims
that neither the comtc dc Paris nor any
OF his children and unclcs have drop
of Orleans or Bourbon blood in their
veins.
Accnrslinr to documentary evidence
of the most complete nature King Louis
Philippe. who taught school in this
country at the beginning of the present
century, and who subsequently rcigned
from 1910 to 1915 as sovereign of France,
was n changcling. He was not the son
of the rcgicide Duke Philippe d,Orleans,
srrnamcd ''Egalitc," but was the off
spring of the Florentine jailer, Chap
pini
The documentary evidence which |
have referred to above, and of which
the originals are preserved among the
archives of Lord New borough's family,
go to show that in 1888 the duke and
duchess of Orleans, travelling under the
very transparent incoguito of Comte
and Comtcsse de .Ioinvillc, arrived at a
small town. forget at this moment
the name thereof, but ii is somewhere
near Florcnce-and took up their resi-
dcncc at the leading inn of the place.
Twcnty-four hours later the duchess
gave birth to daughter, who was en-
tered upon the local parish register as
the female child of the ''Comte and
.Comtesse de .Joinville."
Both the duke and the duchess dis
played signs Of disappointment at the
sex of the child, and learning that the
wife of the local jailer. Chiappini by
name, had a fine healthy boy, they in
duced the parents of the latter by means
of Il large bride TO consent to an eX-
change of children.
The jailer's son. Chiappini, therefore
grew up to consider the duke and
duchess of Orleans rs his parents, and
eventually aSccnded the throne of
France as King Louis Philippe, while
the authentic child Of the duke and
duchess was taught to believe that she
was the daughter of the Chiappinis.
She grew up to be beautiful girl.
figured Cor time under the name OF !
Maria Stella Chiappini as leading dams
eusc of the opera of Florence, and final |
~ became the wife of an Irish peer, the
first Lord Marlborough, 10 whom she
bore two sons, the younger of whom,
born in 1908, is the present bearer of
the title.
On Jailcr ChiappinTs dcathbed he
made a last confession in writing. duly |
attcstcd by witnesses, of the change OF |
children that had taken place at the |
Zinc of Lady NcwbOrough's birth, and
other evidences in support OF the state
mcnts contained in this dying confess
sion were duly lcgalizcd copies of the
entries in the (sincc mutilatcd) parish
register of the town where she was
born. and a sworn statement of the old
chief steward of the duke and duchess
of Orleans, who had accompanied them
during their momcntous Journey to
Italy.
Lady Newborough sacrificed both her
peace of mind and the major part of the
immense fortune bcQucathed 10 her by
her husband in her vain efforts TO get
the French courts 10 recognize her
claims to royal rank. an obviously hope
less task. since Chiappini's son, Louis
Philippe. was on the throne of France
Mt the time.
When sh> died her son. the present
Lord Newbarough, determined TO waste
no further trouble or money in prose-
cutting claims that could lead to but
barren honors, and made up his mind
that the position of an English peer and
landowner was after all superior 70 that
of a French prctcndcr.
II is a fact that Car Nicholas was so
firmly convinced of the truth of Lady
New bOrOuph'S claims and # the falSitv
of Louis Philippc's prctcnsions to royal
parentagc that in order topublicly man
ifest his sentiments on the subject he
declined during the entire eight wears
of Louis PhiGppe's reign to accredit
Russian ambassador to the French
court.