Henri Robert Ferdinand Marie Louis Philippe d'Orléans, also known as Henri, comte de Paris (5 July 1908-19 June 1999) was the Orleanist pretender to the French throne from 1940 until his death. As king, he would have been Henri VI, or Henri V in direct succession from his great-grand father Louis Philippe.

He was born at the Chateau de Nouvion-en-Thiérache in the department of Aisne in France to Jean d'Orléans (1874-1940) and his wife, Isabelle d'Orléans (1878-1961). He grew up in Morocco and attended the University of Louvain.

In 1926 he became dauphin after his father became the Orleanist claimant to the throne.

On 8 April 1931, he married HRH Doña Izabel Maria Amelia Luiza Vitoria Teresa Joana Micaela Gabriela Rafaela Gonzaga, Princess of Orleans and Braganza (1911-2003). They were the parents of eleven children and separated in 1986.

In 1939, after being refused admission to both the French armed forces and the British Armed Forces, Henri joined the French Foreign Legion.

In 1950 after the law of exile was rescinded, he returned to France.

During his 'tenure' as pretender to the throne Henri dissipated his family's great wealth (their château at Amboise now belongs to a trust), selling off family jewels, paintings, furniture and properties to support himself and his mistress, Monique Friesz , formerly a nurse. Conflict over the diversion of the family wealth (formerly worth over £40 million) led to court conflicts between him and five of his children, some of whom he unilaterally disinherited.

In 1984 Henri stripped of his rights Dauphin Henri , his own son, after the dauphin divorced his first wife then married a second-time outside of the Roman Catholic Church leading the marriage to not be recognised by a number of French royalists. Henri gave his son the lesser-valued title 'Comte de Mortain ' in place of Comte de Clermont and removed him from the line of succession. After a couple of years Henri reinstated his son with his previous titles, including reestablishing him as dauphin and gave his new wife, Micaela Cousiño Quinones de Leon the title "Princesse de Joinville",

Henri "disinherited" his sons Michel and Thibaut from their rights to the throne, because they married commoners. This decision was latter anulled by his successor, Henri, Comte de Paris, Duc de France.

Henri's actions over inheritance were never recognised by a number of French royalists who considered it impossible for a head of the royal house to unilaterally disinherit someone, thus in effect these decisions carried little weight.

He died, of prostate cancer, at Chérisy, near Dreux, France

References

• Franck Hériot, Laurent Chabrun, La fortune engloutie des Orléans, Plon, 2005. [ISBN 2259198430]