WI: The Bourbon Restoration of 1873

BobtheSaget

Point of divergence: Legitimist pretender to the French throne Henri, comte de Chambord ultimately swallows his pride and accepts the French tricolour as the national standard in exchange for the crown of France. In our timeline, Henri was vehemently opposed to the French tricolour due to its association (in his view) with radicalism and Bourbon regicide. This controversial view, coupled with his desire to rule in an autocratic fashion reminiscent of his predecessors, ultimately contributed to the monarchist-dominated National Assembly's great reluctance to christen him king. As an alternative, the monarchist-dominated National Assembly opted for the Orleanist pretender comte de Paris, essentially waiting for Henri to die in the near future so as to re-instate the monarchy while they still had a majority in Parliament. However, time passed and nostalgia for royalist regimes of the past gradually dissipated, culminating in the unexpected and to some extent miraculous survival of the fragile French Third Republic by the late 1870s (1870-1940). Henri defied all of his supporters' expectations and finally perished in 1883, by which point the Opportunist Republicans had effectively consolidated their authority over the French political apparatus.
What do you guys think?
 
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BobtheSaget

I've also considered that. The Orleanists were viewed in a much more positive light by contemporaries than can be said for their Legitimist colleagues, who were permanently tainted by the vilifying mythos of the July Revolution.
 

jb3

BobtheSaget said:
Point of divergence: Legitimist pretender to the French throne Henri, comte de Chambord ultimately swallows his pride and accepts the French tricolour as the national standard in exchange for the crown of France. In our timeline, Henri was vehemently opposed to the French tricolour due to its association (in his view) with radicalism and Bourbon regicide. This controversial view, coupled with his desire to rule in an autocratic fashion reminiscent of his predecessors, ultimately contributed to the monarchist-dominated National Assembly's great reluctance to christen him king. As an alternative, the monarchist-dominated National Assembly opted for the Orleanist pretender comte de Paris, essentially waiting for Henri to die in the near future so as to re-instate the monarchy while they still had a majority in Parliament. However, time passed and nostalgia for royalist regimes of the past gradually dissipated, culminating in the unexpected and to some extent miraculous survival of the fragile French Third Republic by the late 1870s (1870-1940). Henri defied all of his supporters' expectations and finally perished in 1883, by which point the Opportunist Republicans had effectively consolidated their authority over the French political apparatus.
What do you guys think?
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This has come up in other threads. Henri has no incentive to throw away the principles he had lived with all his life in return for a few years as a constitutional monarch so he could pave the way for a lasting Orleans dynasty - the line of Egalitie and Louis-Phillipe, who had brought so much pain to those Henri had loved the most (including his grandfather, his aunt, his mother, even himself who was barred from France and constantly watched by L-P's government). Henri loathed the Orleans. It only works for him to "swallow his pride" if he has an alternative heir.
 
JonasResende

JonasResende

Henri AFAIK never wanted Orléans to succeed him. He (and many legitimistes) believed the next heir was the Conde de Montizon. Added to that, Chambord even toyed with the idea of adopting the Prince Imperial (i.e. a Bonaparte) and marrying him to Queen Isabel II's daughter to cement his claim.
 
morbidteaparty

morbidteaparty

Henri adopting the Prince Imperial would be interesting. If the Count of Montizón took the throne, you see active French state interest in Spanish affairs.
 
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