The surviving french monarchy

Hello all!
this is my first try in posting a TL in this site so plz be gentle with, i'm TL-wisely still a virgin!!!!

I know that this theme is probably one of the most cliché in ATL literature (along with british victory in the american war of independence and a southern victory in the american civil war), but hey! you got to start from something right?

My TL starts with the unexpected birth of a son to Louis Stanislas, the count of Provence (future King Louis XVIII), and his wife Marie-Joséphine de Savoie. the birth, which happened during their exile in the Austrian Netherlands in 1791. marked the start for a series of butterflies which will be detailed in this ATL.

anyway... i'll hope you'll enjoy it, and don't forget: Feedback is A_L_W_A_Y_S welcomed!
 
A Son of France is born, A Marriage is Consummated, Love is found again, An Exile

Chapter I: A Son of France is born,
A Marriage is Consummated,
Love is found again,
An Exile.

1791 AD.


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Louis Stanislas, Count of Provence, along with his wife, Marie-Joséphine de Savoie, is on the run. What horrible things and rumors were being said and spread behind this woman who now sits opposite him in the carriage - that she is ugly, of bad body odour, and above all: unfitting to the stately standards living of his beloved Versailles.

But now, all of that is forgotten. away from the humming and buzzing and always cunning conspiring lifestyle that Versailles offers to its occupants, now the prince has a chance to really get to know his wife, and what do you know? he finds out that he really likes this lady who now sits opposite him in the carriage. although he is undoubtedly immersed in sorrow for what happened to his ancestral seat; it appears now that with bad things that come, good things might happen to follow.

their newfound love is a hesitant one. After all, the dignified prince knows he cannot act as a teenager in love, and that he still has to present himself as a member of a royal family and a head of a government in exile. but in the nights, and in the intimacy of their chambers, the two lovebirds could finally shed away all signs of formalities and act as their hearts orders it to them: as husband and wife deeply in love.

Nine months later, and moving from the Austrian netherlands to Coblenz in the germanies, the princess Marie Josephine gives birth to a healthy son whom is lated baptized with the name of Louis Henri Philippe Victor-Emmanuel de France, and was given the title of Fils de France and Duke of Burgundy. but just like Revolution, this offspring of the Crown, was no less troublemaker as the times in which he lived in.​
 
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Chapter II: A Switch of Alliances, Orleans in defence of The Crown!

Chapter II: A Switch of Alliances,
An Orleans in defence of The Crown!
A Regicide in the countryside.

1792 AD.


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Louis Phillippe II, Duke of Orleans, was having a series of bad dreams in the last week. He was sure he was making a mistake by supporting the enlightenened that the King himself was also subject to the rule that all men were created equal. but what should a man do when his ideals clash with his morale?
At the the end, and after many sleepless nights, the duke has arrived to a final conclusion: Though the days of the old Divine right of Kings is long gone, the Importance and Necessity in the role of a King as the Supreme Head & Unifier of the French Nation, are not! In light of this new understanding, he sent letters to all the members of the Legislative Assembly, hoping that at least some of them will see that despites the King's flight at Varennes, all the suggestions of deposing him and putting on trial are all but utter nonsence.

In the end, members of the Jacobin club put a stop to the duke's lobbying for his cousin the King. the proceedings went on as planned and the king was found guilty and sentenced to be guillotined. the Duke, who by that time retired from political activity after the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly, decided to return to politics for one last time, and this time it was to save the neck of his cousin - the King.
He gave what was described by the viewers his life speech, he talked about Morale, Conscience, Idealism, and how none of these things must never end in spilled blood. he mentioned Abraham's plea to God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah if only 10 rightous man are found in the cities; He also mentioned Jesus Christ and how he didn't spilled any drop of blood when he lead the cleansing of the Temple.
It was truly most marvellous piece of oratoy at the time, and along with the boo's from the part of the Jacobins, many people applaused him and thereafter decided to change their vote and mitigate the sentence to Exile.
The Duke was ecstatic, he decided to join the exile with his cousin and safeguard his being as well as of himself, 'cause he knew that his country is going to be more extreme than it used to be so far. On hearing the mitigation, the Duke sent his two sons: Louis Philippe and Antoine Philippe to Madrid, in order to negotiate with their cousin the King of Spain his consent for providing the deposed King of France the necessary accomodations that are fit for a King. for his part the King of Spain was happy to do whatever he can for his kin, and gave the royal palace in Valladolid.
On their way to Spain from Paris, the royal entourage had come to pass several Jacobin support centres. the most dangerous of them was in Tours. In light of this danger, the entourage decided to go by the province of Vendee in which the King and the Duke knew that he will have a more hospitable reception by the people there. Unfortunately the Jacobins did not want to let the King get out of france alive, and when the entourage got closer to Fontenay the entourage was attacked by Jacobin armed men, who decided to do a little Field Trial for the entire royal entourage and than to execute them all on the spot by a makeshift firing squad that was made by the members of those Jacobin armed men.

The News of the regicide of course travelled fast, and France saw it's first Civil War since the French War of Religion in the 16th century. Frenchmen from Vendee fought bravely and lost against their fellow frenchmen, and the rest as they say is History.... (The reign of Terror, Thermidorian Reaction, rise of Napoleon, etc, etc...)
 
Interesting. So insteado f a Frenhc revolutionary state that dominates Europe, we have a Frenhc Civil War along the same broad lines as the English Civil War? Should be good... I look forward to more.
 
Interesting. So insteado f a Frenhc revolutionary state that dominates Europe, we have a Frenhc Civil War along the same broad lines as the English Civil War? Should be good... I look forward to more.

sorry to dissapoint you, but the french revolutionary state did exist, as well as that of the first French Empire. yet the real POD of this TL has yet to come.....
 
Chapter III: A Rebel Prince, A New Vision for France

Chapter III: A Rebel Prince,
A New Vision for France

Part 1: 1805 AD.


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The young duke of Burgundy was giving his dad a serious headache, he no longer saw the role of the Monarchy as that of absolute and enlightened ruler of the state who knew best for his people as his ancestor, Louis XIV, did. Instead, the young prince was getting more and more influenced by reading books which his father thought of as nothing less than sacrilege. The Boy, such rebel was he, that he read the books of such people like: Thomas Hobbes, Montesquieu, David Hume, Edmund Burke, and above all - Rousseau. His father was enraged by his son for his insolece, and even at times went as far as saying that his son had "crossed over to the other camp".
Yet, the young prince wanted to reassure his father that he has no intention of neglecting his god-ordained role to be a french prince and possibly even a future king, and he told his father all about this. the only thing he didn't told his fater was that he intended to adopt the british style of monarchy, which made the king a figurehead and gave the people's representative the true power of the state.

And so, Louis Stanislas was preparing for the day that his nemesis, Napoleon, will be off the chess board and that he could finally assume his role as a King of France. Yet still, he wasn't absolutely sure that his first-born son would fit into his scheme, and all of that becuase of those strange ideas he got from those damned books that made his own life so horrible and had sent him away from his beloved Versailles. Oh those damned ideas and books! they have taken me away from my beloved Versailles! Satan's Curse and Eternal Damnation be upon them all!!!​



Part II: 1815

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His moment has finally come! he was back in france and was king at last! Louis Stanislas had found the peace of mind that was lost to him during all those years in exile. Now back in Versailles he thought he could win some peace of mind and never be bothered again by war and rebelion.
After returning to Versailles, and despite that interruption that Napoleon's 100 days had caused, Louis Stanislas, now called Louis XVIII, was bent on one thing and one thing only: he was determined to turn back the clock to the time before the revolution. indeed, some minor changes had to be made, it was not the absolute monarchy that his late brother and grandfather enjoyed while being kings, but still, even with the Constitutional Charter of France, he still enjoyd quite a lot of power in his hands that (in his eyes) made him no less of a king as his brother and grandfather were.

The crown prince however, had other plans in mind. Louis Henri Philippe Victor-Emmanuel of France decided that he wanted to change (a bit) his name, from now on he ordered that he will be adressed as Msgr. Philippe, the Duke of Burgundy. When his father heard of his son's decision he was infuriated! how could his first born son be so rude and insolent to his family and tradition?! When confronted with his dad, Philippe reminded his father how much he respects his family and all the royal tradition that came along with it. In fact, he reminded to his father, that he wanted to pay his respect for all past dukes of burgundy who used the name Philip, and also to his Capetian ancestors and especially to king Philippe VI of france; On hearing that, Louis XVIII came back to his senses, hugged his son and appologised for his own ignorance.

All in all, it was a minor event, but still powerful enough that future generations have remembered this as the first time in which King Philippe VII had made a small change that only brought more peace and stability to the realm of france.​
 
tomorow I will post another chapter.... sorry... too tired today, (you know... 'cause of that annoying thing that keeps me fro AH-ing all day called work!)
 
I'm not trying to be a grammar nazi here, I like the idea, but I think if you kept a consistent verb tense and capitalize where needed it will be a more readable piece. That's just picky ol me.
 
wait... why the heck would the duke of orleans even if he has bad dreams support his brother. You do know how much the duke hated Louis right. In reality what he would do if he wanted to save absolutism is first get rid of his brother then betray the revolutionaries and take power himself. Heck he spent most of his time plotting to overthrow his brother. The dukes of Orleans since the time of Louis the XIV have always tried to overthrow their brothers.... This duke is no different and is in fact even more against his brother. Its a very unconvincing story that the duc of Orleans suddenly changes so much.
 
I'm not trying to be a grammar nazi here, I like the idea, but I think if you kept a consistent verb tense and capitalize where needed it will be a more readable piece. That's just picky ol me.

Sorry for that, but to my defence i can only say that English is not my native language.
 
No prob! My mother is an English major, and she has just bred that into me. She was also from Germany... the whole grammar Nazi thing doesn't seem so funny now...

More power to you, it's still an interesting piece.

ED: Oh, and if you need help with any of that, feel free to ask. I understand though if not, it's your work.
 
wait... why the heck would the duke of orleans even if he has bad dreams support his brother. You do know how much the duke hated Louis right. In reality what he would do if he wanted to save absolutism is first get rid of his brother then betray the revolutionaries and take power himself. Heck he spent most of his time plotting to overthrow his brother. The dukes of Orleans since the time of Louis the XIV have always tried to overthrow their brothers.... This duke is no different and is in fact even more against his brother. Its a very unconvincing story that the duc of Orleans suddenly changes so much.

I don't think i can agree with your statement. In the time before the revolution, it was very clear that the duke was involved in some underground movement that was seditious to the political system of what now is known as the "Ancien Regime". however, I am very much in disagreement as to whether this seditious movement was also against the body of the King himself. Personally, I'm more inclined to believe that the duke was acting for the purpose of creating a regime change, from that of Royal Absolutism to that of Constitutional Monarchy (à la Great Britain); in which the people would have more say in the affairs of the state via their elected representatives.
 
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