The assassination attempt on the Duc of Berry fails in 1820

The Avenger

Banned
In our TL, Charles Ferdinand, Duc de Berry (second son of then-future French King Charles X) got assassinated by a disgruntled Bonapartist in 1820:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Ferdinand,_Duke_of_Berry

What if the Duc de Berry would survive this assassination attempt?

One notable consequence of this is that he'll have more children (including more surviving sons)--thus massively increasing the odds that the elder branch of the House of Bourbon would survive past 1883 (which is when his only surviving son, Henri, Comte de Chambord passed away without having any children of his own).

Also, this raises some questions:

1. Does Louis-Philippe still seize the French throne for himself in 1830 if the Duc de Berry is still alive during this time?

2. Do the Orleanists still support Henri, Comte de Chambord's bid for the French throne in the early 1870s if Henri has male siblings who have sons of their own?

3. Is Henri, Comte de Chambord less stubborn in the early 1870s (for instance, by agreeing to accept the tricolor) if he knows that the French throne will go to his brother or nephew after his death instead of going to the Orleanists?

Thoughts?
 
The Duke would probably take the throne instead of Louis Phillip, and he was more liberal than Charles X and Louis XIX (who will probably abdicate immediately like OTL if the July Revolution still happens).

Whether or not TTL Charles XI performs better than Louis Phillip and keeps his throne is up for debate, but assuming he does the Bourbons could remain in power with the future Henry V and then his children or brothers.

The trouble is that the French in this period seem to switch government every time there's a crisis.
 

The Avenger

Banned
The Duke would probably take the throne instead of Louis Phillip, and he was more liberal than Charles X and Louis XIX (who will probably abdicate immediately like OTL if the July Revolution still happens).

Could the 1830 Revolution be eliminated in this TL? Or do Charles's autocratic ways still trigger it?

Whether or not TTL Charles XI performs better than Louis Phillip and keeps his throne is up for debate, but assuming he does the Bourbons could remain in power with the future Henry V and then his children or brothers.

I don't think that Henri would have children in this TL unless he has a different wife--and even then, it's not guaranteed because we don't know if the problem was with him, his wife, or both of them (we don't know which of them were infertile).

You are correct that Henri's brother(s) and/or nephew(s) would succeed him if the elder branch of the Bourbons manages to avoid Louis-Philippe's fate and thus keeps the French throne.

The trouble is that the French in this period seem to switch government every time there's a crisis.

Yeah.

Anyway, could Louis-Philippe or his son become French monarch in 1848 if there's another revolution in France that year in this TL?
 
If exile can't temper Charles X, I don't know what will. He believes in divine rights of king too strongly.

If there's a revolution in 1848 it might go straight to a republic. A moderately liberal Charles XI or son wouldn't be different from a moderate liberal Louis Phillip to justify a monarchy.
 

The Avenger

Banned
If exile can't temper Charles X, I don't know what will. He believes in divine rights of king too strongly.

If there's a revolution in 1848 it might go straight to a republic. A moderately liberal Charles XI or son wouldn't be different from a moderate liberal Louis Phillip to justify a monarchy.
Everything here makes sense.

Also, do the Orleanists support the Bourbon claim to the French throne in the early 1870s in this TL?
 
Everything here makes sense.

Also, do the Orleanists support the Bourbon claim to the French throne in the early 1870s in this TL?

The Orleanists were constitutional monarchicts as opposed to the more absolute Legitimists, so if Charles, Henry V, and their successors are constitutionalist then there's no need for an Orleanist faction.

That said, I think Charles XI et al have a good shot at keeping their throne into the 20th century at least if they don't get into a foreign disaster and have good political instincts.
 

The Avenger

Banned
The Orleanists were constitutional monarchicts as opposed to the more absolute Legitimists, so if Charles, Henry V, and their successors are constitutionalist then there's no need for an Orleanist faction.

That said, I think Charles XI et al have a good shot at keeping their throne into the 20th century at least if they don't get into a foreign disaster and have good political instincts.
Are you sure that the Duc of Berry was more liberal than his father was?
 
Are you sure that the Duc of Berry was more liberal than his father was?

I'll admit it's second hand information from the William IV of England's daughter survives thread, but the sources I've found mention he was jovial and personable. If not liberal, he may at least prove pragmatic.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Ferdinand-de-Bourbon-duc-de-Berry

"His death hastened the downfall and replacement of the Decazes government and the polarization into liberal and royalist groups"

And Wikipedia

"His frank, open manners gained him some favour with his countrymen"
 

The Avenger

Banned
I'll admit it's second hand information from the William IV of England's daughter survives thread, but the sources I've found mention he was jovial and personable. If not liberal, he may at least prove pragmatic.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Ferdinand-de-Bourbon-duc-de-Berry

"His death hastened the downfall and replacement of the Decazes government and the polarization into liberal and royalist groups"

And Wikipedia

"His frank, open manners gained him some favour with his countrymen"
Interesting.

Also, what do you think he'd do in regards to Algeria as King?
 
Interesting.

Also, what do you think he'd do in regards to Algeria as King?

The conquest seems to have started with Charles X, and I can see Charles XI continuing it to have some successes to show off at home for legitimacy. What happens afterwards depends on Charles' personal beliefs and what the French people accept and want.
 

The Avenger

Banned
The conquest seems to have started with Charles X, and I can see Charles XI continuing it to have some successes to show off at home for legitimacy. What happens afterwards depends on Charles' personal beliefs and what the French people accept and want.
AFAIK, the French people wanted more where that came from.
 
Are you sure that the Duc of Berry was more liberal than his father was?
Yes. He likely was much more liberal than his uncle Louis XVIII and surely he was at least so liberal and pragmatic as his uncle was. Plus Charles XI's queen was open minded like him and considering her OTL fertility (her last children was born in 1840) I think we can count fifteen/eighteen pregnancies for them (so 11/14 to be added to the 4 of OTL): i will left to you do decide how many stillbirths, miscarriages, deaths in infancy, sons and daughters between them...
Henry V growning up with his parents would never had his OTL's upbringing, education and mentality (who were all work of Charles X, the Duke and the Duchesse of Angouleme) and would also marry differently (his OTL bride was choised because she was daughter of a very reactionary prince, one of the few (or the only one) who refuted to recognize the Monarchy of July)
 
Top