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A Pretender's Concept of the French Monarchy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 August 2009

Samuel M. Osgood
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Extract

Out of what is sometimes called the dream world of pretenders have come some of the freshest, most common sensical political writings of contemporary France. Indeed, the doctrines advanced during the last twenty years by Henri, Comte de Paris (born in 1908), heir and pretender to the French throne, have earned him the epithet of “Revolutionary Prince.” To the many paradoxes of modern France must be added that of a pretender who has better understood the fundamental prerequisites of successful democratic government than many of the traditional Republican leaders.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Review of Politics , Volume 19 , Issue 1 , January 1957 , pp. 77 - 89
Copyright
Copyright © University of Notre Dame 1957

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References

1 Williams, Philip, Politics in Post-War France (London & New York, 1954), pp. 150–151. Williams is one of a few observers of the French scene who recently have begun to appreciate the Comte de Paris' position.Google Scholar

2 Courrter Royal, 12 10, 1934Google Scholar. Published under the direction of the Comte de Paris, Courrier Royal was the official organ of liaison and propaganda of the House of France from 1934 to 1940.

3 “Ce n'est pas avec les mauvais principes de la Revolution Frangaise qu'on chassera les principes de la Révolution Russe, car ce sont les mênes.” Ibid., July 11, 1936.

4 Comte de Paris, Faillite d'un Régime: Essai sur le Gouvernement de Demain (Paris, 1936), pp. 31–33. Unless otherwise indicated all works cited are those of the Comte de Paris.Google Scholar

5 Ibid., p. 33.

6 Le Prolétariat (Paris, 1937), pp. 42–43.Google Scholar

7 Ibid., p. 58.

8 Courrier Royal, 11 23, 1935.Google Scholar

9 Gouvernement de Demain, pp. 44–45.Google Scholar

10 Courrier Royal, 05 7, 1938.Google Scholar

11 Programme (Paris, 1938), pp. 21–22.Google Scholar

12 Ibid., p. 23.

13 Gouvernement de Demain, pp. 68–69.Google Scholar

14 Programme, pp. 31–32.Google Scholar

15 Ibid., p. 41.

16 Courrier Royal, 11 9, 1935.Google Scholar

17 Muret, Charlotte, French Royalist Doctrines Since the Revolution (New York, 1933), p. 289.Google Scholar

18 Sémichon, Roger, Les idées sociales et politiques de la Tour du Pin (Paris, 1936), p. 9Google Scholar. For an evaluation of La Tour du Pin's influence on twentieth century French corporatism, see Elbow, Matthew H., French Corporative Theory, 1789–1948 (New York, 1953), pp. 79–80.Google Scholar

19 Muret, , French Royalist Doctrines, p. 296.Google Scholar

20 In his exposition of the program of the Jeunesses Patriotes, René Rémond wrote: “Le programme social, teinté de neo-corporatisme comme tous les programmes de la droite autoritaire, prévoit la limitation du travail, une charte sociale, l'association des travailleurs.” La Droite en France (Paris, 1954), p. 202. Italics mine.Google Scholar

21 Elbow, , French Corporative Theory, p. 79.Google Scholar

22 Secrétariat de Mgr Le Comte de Paris, Textes: Le Comte de Paris, Sa Vie, Son Action, Ses idées politiques (1934–1951) (Paris, n.d.), pp. 8–9.Google Scholar

23 “… Si l'on nous offrait le trône de France et qu'il fallut verser du sang français pour le saisir, nous dirions jamais …” Quoted in Petit Journal, 11 28, 1934.Google Scholar

24 Courrier Royal, 11 27, 1937Google Scholar. By then the Action Française had taken on the aspects of a quasi-Fascist movement. It had long since ceased to be of any real value to the royalist cause.

25 The many interesting, and sometimes controversial, episodes of the Comte de Paris' career fall without the scope of this paper. Suffice it to say that the abrogation of the Law of Exile, June, 1950, can be interpreted as a blanket approval of his activities since 1934. The Comte de Paris inherited the mantle of pretender upon the death of the Due de Guise, August, 1940.

26 Entre Français (Paris, 1947), pp. 23–26.Google Scholar

27 Ibid., p. 161.

28 Ibid., p. 145.

29 Ibid., pp. 146–47

30 “A l'échelle humaine,” Bulletin Mensuel, 01 13, 1949.Google Scholar

31 Entre Français, p. 205.Google Scholar

32 Ibid., pp. 203–210.

33 Textes, p. 44.Google Scholar

34 Ibid., pp. 43–44.

35 Ibid.

36 The number of royalists in post-war France has been estimated at 100,000. Carrefour, 02 17, 1950.Google Scholar

37 Dansette, Adrien, Le Boulangisme (Paris, 1946), p. 183.Google Scholar

38 The Comte, Comtesse de Paris and their twelve children have many of the attributes one would look for in a royal family.