THE HEADS OF THE ORLEANISTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2814, 19 February 1908, Page 80

THE HEADS OF THE ORLEANISTS.

I At the time of the recent marriage at Wood Norton, England, a well-known , writer cast doubt on the right of . tho Duke of Orleans to claim to be a descendant of royalty, much less to Tegard ; himself morally as the head of the French , nation. It is more than likely that j* the Vatican, that storehouse of eecrets-'of \ vast dynastic import, may be found tho solution of 'the mystery -which exists as to the birth of King Louis Philippe, wlio, 1 born at Florence, is asserted on excellent ! authority, vouched for by some of the ! most eminent genealogists, to be the off- ' spring of a local gaoler of the name of Uliiappani, and to have been changed 1 within a few hours after" hie advent into ; the world with the baby girl of the regi- | cide Duke of Orleans, who had been born I a* Florence on the same day. I The little girl grew up into a beautiful I woman, and, marrying Lord Newborougb., | became the great grandmother of the pre- | sent Lord Newborough. Proofs of the story that Louis Philippe was the eon of the Florentine gaoler and a changeling are stated to exist, not only in the archives, of the Vatican, but also in those of the imperial family at St. Petersburg, and ife is well known that throughout the 18 years' reign of Louis Philippe Emperor Nicholas I declined to accredit an ambassador at his Court, and always referred to him contemptuously as "The Gaoler." It is stated that Lady Newborough herself went to France, and after a great deat of trouble succeeded in gaining an audience of Louis Philippe, whom she furnished with abundant proofs of the falsity of his position, although her efforts were unfruitful ; Louis simply laughed her out of his palace.