author
duc de Ferdinand François Philippe Marie d'Orléans Montpensier
1884–1924
Born into the House of Orléans, he mixed royal lineage with a restless taste for travel and adventure. Best remembered as the Duke of Montpensier, he was also an explorer whose life carried him far beyond court circles.
1 Audiobook
La Ville au Bois dormant : De Saïgon à Ang-Kor en automobile
by duc de Ferdinand François Philippe Marie d'Orléans Montpensier
About the author
A great-grandson of Louis-Philippe I, the last king of the French, he was born at the Château d'Eu in Normandy on September 9, 1884. He was known by the courtesy title Duke of Montpensier and belonged to the Orléans family, one of the best-known royal houses in modern French history.
Rather than living only a ceremonial life, he developed a reputation as an explorer. Sources describe him as a French explorer as well as a prince, which gives his story a more adventurous shape than many royal biographies.
He died at Randan on January 30, 1924, at just 39 years old. Though his life was short, he stands out as a figure who joined aristocratic background with genuine curiosity about the wider world.