Who Was Louis-Philippe? The Last King of the French in Brief On 24 February 1848, an elderly king in a plain black coat climbed into a hired cab in the middle of Paris and slipped away from his own throne. Louis-Philippe, the last King of the French, had just abdicated after eighteen years of rule, […]

The July Revolution of 1830 Explained for History Lovers In just three days — 27, 28 and 29 July 1830 — Paris rose in revolt, Charles X fled to England, and a cousin of the Bourbon dynasty, Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, was handed the French crown. It remains one of the most dramatic regime changes […]

The Château d’Eu: From the Guise Family to the House of Orléans Stand on the edge of the town of Eu in Normandy and you will see it rise suddenly above the slate rooftops: a pale, elegant façade of turrets, gables and long windows, more Loire Valley fairy tale than grim medieval fortress. Yet the […]

Claremont House and Other English Homes of the French Royals It is a grey morning in March 1848, and a modest carriage rolls through the gates of Claremont House in Surrey. Inside sits Louis-Philippe, until weeks ago King of the French, accompanied by Queen Marie-Amélie and a small circle of loyal attendants. They have crossed […]

A Self-Drive Route Through Normandy’s Royal Châteaux There’s a particular pleasure in packing the car, rolling onto a ferry or Eurotunnel shuttle at dawn, and watching the white cliffs shrink in the rear-view mirror. Ahead lies Normandy: apple orchards, half-timbered towns, and a stretch of coastline that once welcomed kings. For anyone curious about France’s […]