*oil on canvas
*218 x 142 cm
*original is lost
The Duke d’Aumale was the second youngest son of King Louis-Philippe. At the age of eight he inherited a fortune from his godfather, the last Prince of Condé. After attending the Henri IV college in Paris (where he was always top of the class), he followed the tradition of the younger sons of the aristocracy and became a military officer at 17.
He distinguished himself with his bravery during the war in Algeria, becoming a Chevalier in the Legion of Honour.
The Duke d’Aumale inherited a number of famous properties from Condé including the Chateau of Chantilly.
At 22 he married his first cousin, Princess Marie-Caroline of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.
He had a new private apartment prepared for them on the ground floor of the Chateau of Chantilly overlooking the lake.
Two years after they moved into Chantilly, they left for Algeria where the Duke d’Aumale had been appointed Governor-General. They were there less than a year when the 1848 Revolution ousted the Duke’s father Louis-Philippe. They moved with the family to London, where Queen Victoria gave the family a large mansion in Twickenham. (Queen Victoria had stayed with them at Chantilly and formed a friendship with the Duchess which lasted until the Duchess’ death in London.)
The furniture from Chantilly went with them and the chateau of Chantilly was “purchased” by the Duke’s bankers in London. The bankers held functions there and “sold” it back to the Duke when he was able to return to France over twenty years later.
During the exile in London the Duchess gave birth to the couple’s second surviving son, the Duke de Guise;
The Duke’s friends Monsieur and Madame Vatry had bought the Abbaye de Chaalis not far from the Chateau at Chantilly and they kept in touch during the exile. It was Madame Vatry who gave them this cradle as a gift.
The cradle came back to Chantilly with the rest of the furniture. It now takes pride of place in his mother’s bedroom.
When the Duke d’Aumale finally returned to France, he was a widower. His wife had given birth to eight children, all but two of whom were stillborn or died in infancy.* Their eldest son was on a round the world trip when he died in Australia at the age of 20. The only remaining son returned to France with his father but died a year later at the age of 18.
The Duke decided to rebuild the former grand chateau of Chantilly (his residence was in the adjacent Petit Chateau), turning it into a museum to house his fabulous collection of artworks. He bequeathed the chateau to the Institute of France, on the condition it was open to the public.
*The issue of inbreeding was not recognised at the time. The Duchess’ mother was her father’s niece and they were also cousins multiple ways The Duchess was the only one of their frour children to survive. She was also her husband’s first cousin.
