Banned from France, the young couple began their married life at the Château d'Agimont, in Belgium, near the French border, where the Count owned and edited two newspapers circulated in France, Courier Royal and Ici France.
At first the Countess found it hard to adapt to the royal life of her in-laws after her relatively normal family childhood. One difference was the wearing of a fabulous sapphire and diamond tiara that had belonged to Marie Antoinette.
She gave birth to five sons and six daughters between 1932 and 1948. Of these, François was killed in the Algerian War in 1960, and Thibaut was killed hunting in Africa in 1983. Nine of them married into royal or noble houses.
The Count of Paris served in the Foreign Legion for a year at the beginning of the Second World War, and later took his family to live, at different times, in Brazil, Morocco, Pamplona, in Spain, and Cintra, Portugal.
In 1950 the French Government revoked the Law of Exile, after which the family lived at the Manor of Coeur-Volant at Louveciennes, just outside Paris - where Princess Alexandra stayed with the Countess for a time after leaving Heathfield. The Count now took a more active role in French politics, issuing a monthly bulletin and setting up two foundations.
In recent years, the Countess was to be seen attending many social engagements in Paris. She wrote her memoirs in two volumes, Tout m'est Bonheur (1978), followed by Les Chemins Creux. She later added a third volume. She also produced several historical works based on her family, including biographies of Blanche de Castille, and Marie-Amélie.
In 1993 she published Moi, Marie Antoinette, writing in the first person since she descended from Marie Antoinette's sister, Marie Caroline, Queen of Naples (mother of Marie-Amélie, wife of King Louis Philippe). "We are of the same blood," the Countess explained, "and a million little details make me feel close to her." Last year, she published a photographic study of her life.
The Count of Paris died in 1999. The Countess celebrated her 90th birthday with a mass at Eu in 2001. She died on Saturday, and is survived by nine of her 11 children and more than 100 descendants.
This is from a Newspaper Account of the Death of the Countess of Paris. I notice that when they went back into France the article states that he started two Foundations. Was this a paid position for him as head of these or a charity of a sort? I wonder if anyone knows anything more about this?
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