The special royal story of Prince Philippe, Count of Paris
On 24 August 1838, Prince Philippe, Count of Paris, was born at the Tuileries Palace in Paris. As the eldest son of Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans, and Duchess Hélène of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, he was born into the heart of the French royal family. His grandfather was King Louis Philippe I of the French, who had been on the throne since 1830. A French prince with Belgian family ties Philippe's father, Ferdinand Philippe, was the eldest son of King Louis Philippe and Queen Marie Amélie. His younger sister Louise Marie of Orléans had married Leopold I, the first King of the Belgians, in 1832. Belgium's first queen was therefore Philippe's aunt. This also made Philippe a first cousin of Louise's children, including the future King Leopold II, Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders, and Princess Charlotte, who would later become Empress of Mexico. The French and Belgian royal families were not simply neighbouring dynasties. They were close family. Philippe's future chang...