Marie of Orléans (1865-1909)
Encyclopedia
Princess Marie Amélie Françoise Hélène d'Orléans (13 January 1865 – 4 December 1909) was a French princess by birth and a Danish princess by marriage. She was politically active with left-wing sympathies by the standards of her day.
, and his wife Princess Françoise d'Orléans. Her father was the second son of Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans, and Duchess Helena of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Françoise was the daughter of François d'Orléans, prince de Joinville, and Princess Francisca of Brazil
.
Born during the reign in France of her family's rival, Napoléon III
, she grew up in England, were her family had moved in 1848. She moved to France with her family after the fall of Napoleon in 1871. She defined herself as "une bourgeoise".
, the youngest son of King Christian IX of Denmark
, after obtaining the consent of the pope, on 20 October 1885 in a civil ceremony
in Paris and again in a religious ceremony in the Château d'Eu
two days later. She remained a Roman Catholic, he a Lutheran
. They adhered to the dynastic
arrangement usually stipulated in the marriage contract in such circumstances: sons were to be raised in the faith of their father, daughters in the denomination of their mother.
The couple took up residence in the castle of Bernstorff
in Copenhagen
, in which Valdemar had been born. Since 1883, Valdemar had lived there with his nephew and ward Prince George of Greece, a younger son of Valdemar's elder brother Vilhelm
, who had become King of the Hellenes in 1863 as George I. The king had taken the boy to Denmark to enlist him in the Danish navy and consigned him to the care of his brother Valdemar, who was an admiral in the Danish fleet.
Feeling abandoned by his father on this occasion, George would later describe to his fiancée, Princess Marie Bonaparte
, the profound attachment he developed for his uncle from that day forward.
It was into this household and relationship that Marie came to live. In 1907, when George brought his bride to Bernstorff for the first family visit, Marie d'Orléans was at pains to explain to Marie Bonaparte the intimacy which united uncle and nephew, so deep that at the end of each of George's several yearly visits to Bernstorff, he would weep, Valdemar would take sick, and the women learned the patience not to intrude upon their husbands' private moments.
On this and subsequent visits, the Bonaparte princess found herself a great admirer of the Orléans princess, concluding that she was the only member of her husband's large family in Denmark and Greece endowed with brains, pluck, or character. Marie, in addition to her duties as mother and royal hostess, painted. During the first of these visits, Valdemar and Marie Bonaparte found themselves engaging in the kind of passionate intimacies she had looked forward to with her husband who, however, only seemed to enjoy them vicariously, sitting or lying beside his wife and uncle. On a later visit, George's wife carried on a passionate flirtation with Prince Aage, Valdemar's eldest son. In neither case does it appear that Marie objected, or felt obliged to give the matter any attention.
George criticized Marie to his wife, alleging that she was having an affair with his uncle's stablemaster. He also contended that she drank too much alcohol and could not conceal the effects. But Marie Bonaparte found no fault with Marie d'Orléans, rather she admired her forbearance and independence under circumstances which caused her bewilderment and estrangement from her own husband.
She had asked the permission of the court to leave the house withouth a lady-in-waiting, and she had mainly spent her time with artists. She painted and photographed and was a student of Otto Bache and Frants Henningsen. She participated in the exhibitions on Charlottenborg 1889, 1901 and 1902 and was a member of the Danish Arts Academy.
She refused to obey the expectation on royal women to stay away from politics. She belonged to the political left and participated in convincing the king to agree to the reforms of 1901, which led to an appointment of a Venstre
government, and the de facto introduction of parliamentarism. In 1902 she rejected the idea to offer the Danish West Indies to the United States. She also saw to the interests of France: she was credited by the French press to have influenced the French-Russian alliance in 1894 and the peace in the French-German Colonial conflict of Morocco in 1905. She assisted her friend H.N. Andersen, the founder of the East Asiatic Company
, with contacts in his affairs in Thailand. She was a popular person in Denmark.
Marie's husband and three sons were in India en route to Siam when they received word that she had died at Bernstorff.
, near St. Alben's English Church
in Copenhagen. It was installed in 1912 in features a bust created by Carl Martin-Hansen.
Background
Marie was the eldest child of Robert, duke of ChartresRobert, Duke of Chartres
Prince Robert Philippe Louis Eugène Ferdinand of Orléans, Duke of Chartres was the son of Prince Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans and thus grandson of King Louis-Philippe of France. He fought for the Union in the American Civil War, and then for France in the 1870 Franco-Prussian War...
, and his wife Princess Françoise d'Orléans. Her father was the second son of Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans, and Duchess Helena of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Françoise was the daughter of François d'Orléans, prince de Joinville, and Princess Francisca of Brazil
Princess Francisca of Brazil
Francisca of Brazil was a princess of Brazil. She was a daughter of Pedro I of Brazil and IV of Portugal and his first wife Maria Leopoldina of Austria...
.
Born during the reign in France of her family's rival, Napoléon III
Napoleon III of France
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was the President of the French Second Republic and as Napoleon III, the ruler of the Second French Empire. He was the nephew and heir of Napoleon I, christened as Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte...
, she grew up in England, were her family had moved in 1848. She moved to France with her family after the fall of Napoleon in 1871. She defined herself as "une bourgeoise".
Nuptials
Marie married Prince Valdemar of DenmarkPrince Valdemar of Denmark
Prince Valdemar of Denmark, GCTE was a member of the Danish Royal Family, the youngest son of Christian IX of Denmark and his wife Luise of Hesse-Kassel...
, the youngest son of King Christian IX of Denmark
Christian IX of Denmark
Christian IX was King of Denmark from 16 November 1863 to 29 January 1906.Growing up as a prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a junior branch of the House of Oldenburg which had ruled Denmark since 1448, Christian was originally not in the immediate line of succession to the Danish...
, after obtaining the consent of the pope, on 20 October 1885 in a civil ceremony
Civil ceremony
A civil registrar ceremony is a non-religious legal marriage ceremony performed by a government official or functionary. In the UK, this person is normally called a registrar...
in Paris and again in a religious ceremony in the Château d'Eu
Château d'Eu
The Château d'Eu is a former royal residence in the town of Eu, in the Seine-Maritime department of France, in Normandy.The château d'Eu stands at the centre of the town and was built in the 16th century to replace an earlier one purposely demolished in 1475 to prevent its capture by the English...
two days later. She remained a Roman Catholic, he a Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
. They adhered to the dynastic
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
arrangement usually stipulated in the marriage contract in such circumstances: sons were to be raised in the faith of their father, daughters in the denomination of their mother.
The couple took up residence in the castle of Bernstorff
Bernstorff
Bernstorff is a German-Danish noble family of Mecklenburgian origin. Notable members of the family include:* Albrecht von Bernstorff diplomat, Prussian Foreign Minister...
in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, in which Valdemar had been born. Since 1883, Valdemar had lived there with his nephew and ward Prince George of Greece, a younger son of Valdemar's elder brother Vilhelm
George I of Greece
George I was King of Greece from 1863 to 1913. Originally a Danish prince, George was only 17 years old when he was elected king by the Greek National Assembly, which had deposed the former king Otto. His nomination was both suggested and supported by the Great Powers...
, who had become King of the Hellenes in 1863 as George I. The king had taken the boy to Denmark to enlist him in the Danish navy and consigned him to the care of his brother Valdemar, who was an admiral in the Danish fleet.
Feeling abandoned by his father on this occasion, George would later describe to his fiancée, Princess Marie Bonaparte
Princess Marie Bonaparte
Princess Marie Bonaparte was a French author and psychoanalyst, closely linked with Sigmund Freud. Her wealth contributed to the popularity of psychoanalysis, and enabled Freud's escape from Nazi Germany....
, the profound attachment he developed for his uncle from that day forward.
It was into this household and relationship that Marie came to live. In 1907, when George brought his bride to Bernstorff for the first family visit, Marie d'Orléans was at pains to explain to Marie Bonaparte the intimacy which united uncle and nephew, so deep that at the end of each of George's several yearly visits to Bernstorff, he would weep, Valdemar would take sick, and the women learned the patience not to intrude upon their husbands' private moments.
On this and subsequent visits, the Bonaparte princess found herself a great admirer of the Orléans princess, concluding that she was the only member of her husband's large family in Denmark and Greece endowed with brains, pluck, or character. Marie, in addition to her duties as mother and royal hostess, painted. During the first of these visits, Valdemar and Marie Bonaparte found themselves engaging in the kind of passionate intimacies she had looked forward to with her husband who, however, only seemed to enjoy them vicariously, sitting or lying beside his wife and uncle. On a later visit, George's wife carried on a passionate flirtation with Prince Aage, Valdemar's eldest son. In neither case does it appear that Marie objected, or felt obliged to give the matter any attention.
George criticized Marie to his wife, alleging that she was having an affair with his uncle's stablemaster. He also contended that she drank too much alcohol and could not conceal the effects. But Marie Bonaparte found no fault with Marie d'Orléans, rather she admired her forbearance and independence under circumstances which caused her bewilderment and estrangement from her own husband.
Marriage
Marie was described as impulsive, witty and energetic and eased things up at the stiff Danish court. She never fully learned to speak Danish. The marriage was friendly. She gave her children a free upbringing and her artistic taste and Bohemian habits dominated her household. In 1886, Valdemar declined the throne of Bulgaria with her consent. She was informal, not snobbish, believed in social equality, and performed her ceremonial duties in an unconventional manner. She once wrote: "I believe that a person, regardless of her position, should be herself" (1896). She was an independent character with firm opinions, and showed this both privately and publicly. She liked both to ride and to drive and was known for her elegance. She was the official protector of the fire brigade and let herself be photographed in a fire brigade uniform, which was caricatured, and as a support to her spouse's career as a marine, she had an anchor tattooed on her upper arm. She once said regarding the complaints of her unconventional manners: "Let them complain, I am just as happy nevertheless".She had asked the permission of the court to leave the house withouth a lady-in-waiting, and she had mainly spent her time with artists. She painted and photographed and was a student of Otto Bache and Frants Henningsen. She participated in the exhibitions on Charlottenborg 1889, 1901 and 1902 and was a member of the Danish Arts Academy.
She refused to obey the expectation on royal women to stay away from politics. She belonged to the political left and participated in convincing the king to agree to the reforms of 1901, which led to an appointment of a Venstre
Venstre (Denmark)
VenstreThe party name is officially not translated into any other language, but is in English often referred to as the Liberal Party. Similar rules apply for the name of the party's youth wing Venstres Ungdom. , full name Venstre, Danmarks Liberale Parti , is the largest political party in Denmark...
government, and the de facto introduction of parliamentarism. In 1902 she rejected the idea to offer the Danish West Indies to the United States. She also saw to the interests of France: she was credited by the French press to have influenced the French-Russian alliance in 1894 and the peace in the French-German Colonial conflict of Morocco in 1905. She assisted her friend H.N. Andersen, the founder of the East Asiatic Company
East Asiatic Company
The East Asiatic Company was founded by Hans Niels Andersen in Copenhagen in 1897. Service which would eventually include both passenger and freight lines between the Danish capital, Bangkok and the far east was the initial objective. Routes to include the Baltic and Black Seas were...
, with contacts in his affairs in Thailand. She was a popular person in Denmark.
Marie's husband and three sons were in India en route to Siam when they received word that she had died at Bernstorff.
Issue
The couple had five children:- Prince Aage of DenmarkCount Aage of RosenborgAage, Count of Rosenborg , was a Danish prince and officer of the French Foreign Legion...
(1887–1940), married Mathilda Calvi dei Conti di Bergolo in 1914 and had one son - Prince Axel of DenmarkPrince Axel of DenmarkAxel Christian Georg, Prince of Denmark and Iceland was a Danish and Icelandic prince.Prince Axel was the second son of Prince Valdemar of Denmark and his wife, Princess Marie d'Orléans....
(1888–1964), married Margaretha of SwedenPrincess Margaretha of SwedenPrincess Margaretha of Sweden and Norway, later just of Sweden, Margaretha Sofia Lovisa Ingeborg was a Princess of Sweden by birth and Princess of Denmark by marriage...
in 1919 and had two sons - Prince Erik of DenmarkCount Erik of RosenborgPrince Erik, Count of Rosenborg was a Danish and Icelandic prince. He was born in Copenhagen, a son of Prince Valdemar of Denmark and Princess Marie of Orléans.-Marriage and issue:...
(1890–1950), married Lois Frances Booth in Ottawa, Canada 1924, divorced 1937, and had a son and a daughter. - Prince Viggo of DenmarkCount Viggo of RosenborgPrince Viggo, Count of Rosenborg was a Danish and Icelandic prince. He was born in Copenhagen the youngest son of Prince Valdemar of Denmark and Princess Marie of Orléans.-Biography:...
(1893–1970), created Count of Rosenborg, married Eleonora Green, and had no children - Princess Margrethe of DenmarkPrincess Margrethe of DenmarkPrincess Margaret of Denmark was a princess of Denmark and Iceland by birth and a princess of Bourbon-Parma as the wife of Prince René of Parma.Her parents were Prince Valdemar of Denmark, youngest son of Christian IX of Denmark and...
(1895–1992), married Prince René of Bourbon-ParmaPrince René of Bourbon-ParmaPrince René of Bourbon-Parma was the seventh surviving son of Robert I, Duke of Parma, and his second wife, Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal...
. Her daughter AnneQueen Anne of RomaniaQueen Anne of Romania , is the wife of the former King Michael I of Romania.She is a niece of Empress Zita of Austria and a great niece of Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia.-Early life:...
is titular Queen of RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
.
Legacy
Princess Marie is conmemorated with a monument at LangelinieLangelinie
Langelinie is a pier, promenade and park in central Copenhagen, Denmark, and home of the statue of The Little Mermaid. The area has for centuries been a popular destination for excursions and strolls in Copenhagen...
, near St. Alben's English Church
St. Alban's Church, Copenhagen
St. Alban's Church, locally often referred to simply as the English Church, is an Anglican church in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was built from 1885 to 1887 for the growing English congregation in the city...
in Copenhagen. It was installed in 1912 in features a bust created by Carl Martin-Hansen.