Louis XVII: The Pretenders

The Dauphin Louis-Charles (Louis XVII) and his sister Madame Royale.

 
Marie-Antoinette's younger son, her chou d'amour. 

The prince is probably three or four in this picture.

                                                     Dauphin Louis-Charles a couple of years later, at six or seven. 

                                                     Small boys wore pink in those days.

Louis XVII, the eight-year-old imprisoned monarch, was removed from his mother Marie-Antoinette in August 1792. He was abused and forced to testify against her. After his mother and aunt were killed, he was was ill and locked up. His sister Marie-Thérèse, who was upstairs, was never allowed to see him, even when he was dying. He died on June 8, 1795. Marie-Thérèse was not allowed to see his body, either, but was kept locked in her room in the Temple Prison until his body was removed.  From Ancient Origins:

By the time Marie-Thérèse was released in December 1795, rumors had already begun about the fate of Louis XVII. In what has been dubbed “the fauxdauphinomanie of the early nineteenth century,” dozens of fraudsters attempted to adopt the identity of the lost dauphin over the coming decades. While some of their stories were ludicrous, the hounding she suffered must have been unbearable.

The most successful amongst them was Jean-Marie Hervagault, who, inspired by a book published in 1800 entitled Le Cimetière de la Madeleine , copied the plot and claimed to be the lost boy-king rescued from the Temple. Meanwhile, Karl Wilhelm Naundorff claimed to have been smuggled out in a basket. His tomb in Delft was inscribed Louis XVII, roi de France et de Navarre . There were even allegations that the young king had been rescued during a royalist plot and was living in the New World. To that end Reverend Eleazer Williams, a missionary of Native American descent in Wisconsin, somehow convinced several people that he was in fact the lost king. (Read more.)

When Louis XVII died in the Temple Prison, there was no public funeral and his body was not publicly displayed. Not even his sister, who was kept in the same prison, was allowed to see him. From History:

“There is no real and legal certainty that the son of Louis XVI is dead,” wrote the Austrian diplomat, Baron von Thugut. “His death, up to now, has no other proof than the announcement in the Moniteur, along with a report drawn up on the orders of the brigands of the Convention and by people whose deposition is based on the fact that they were presented with the body of a dead child who they were told was the son of Louis Capet.”

According to Cadbury, the mystery surrounding the “orphan of the tower” led to 500 books on the subject and an Edwardian-era monthly journal. The first book, a fictional account called The Cemetery of Madeline, about Louis-Charles’s supposed escape from the tower, came out only a few years after his death. Memoirs were also written by claimants themselves, including the Historical Account of the Life of Louis XVII, dictated by an illiterate, drunken vagabond named Charles de Navarre. Even Mark Twain got into the act, writing of a transient pretending to be “the little boy dolphin” in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

The first claimant appeared in Châlons-sur-Marne only three years after the Dauphin’s death. The charming, handsome teenager had been found wandering the countryside and put in the local prison. For months he refused to say who he was, and then said he was a member of a non-existent ducal house. Enamored villagers became convinced the seemingly aristocratic young man was Louis-Charles, and the teen did not disabuse them of this notion. (Read more.)

 

Portrait of Louis-Charles, Dauphin of France, later known as Louis XVII.  Several years ago, some scientists have found a DNA link between the little king and the descendants of the claimant Naundorff. We discussed it on the Tea at Trianon Forum, HERE. The historical background of the mystery is explored in the novel Madame Royale.

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Migration Jihad

 From Tierney's Real News:

By now, you’ve all seen the riots going on in France, Italy and Spain. I hope you realize that this is the end result of “socialism” and open borders. What Europe is now experiencing is an Islamo-Communist invasion (migration Jihad) after letting in 49 million Jihadis from countries that hate them. These are not just some disgruntled students as the fake news wants you to believe. This is not hyperbole. A former Muslim who grew up in an Islamic country said on British TV that they are all taught in school from a very young age about “migration Jihad” which they learned from Muhammad when he “migrated” from Mecca to Medina to overthrow it.

He says that’s the plan being implemented right now in the UK and all over the West. The goal is to send Muslims into our countries as “migration Jihad” to take us over, just as Muhammad did, and this is a plan that’s been in motion since they were all little kids.

“Migration Jihad is the essential doctrine of Islam. It’s what Islam was built on.” (Read more.)

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'Pétros Ení'

 From Vatican News:

The film Pétros ení: Alla scoperta delle origini (Pétros ení: Discovering the Origins) premiered this morning, 16 October, at the Rome Film Festival, where the audience gave a warm round of applause to Pope Leo XIV, who is currently receiving treatment at Rome's Gemelli Hospital.

The spontaneous and heartfelt tribute came as Dr. Paolo Ruffini, Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, expressed his hope that the Pope’s recovery “continues to progress well” following surgery.

Produced by AF Films in collaboration with Vatican Media and the Fabric of St Peter, to mark the 400th anniversary of the consecration of St Peter's Basilica on 18 November 1626, the documentary is directed by Paula Ortiz, written by Andrea Tornielli, narrated by American actor Chris Pratt and features an appearance by Pope Leo. (Read more.)

 

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Death of Marie-Thérèse de France

The daughter of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette died just three days after the anniversary of her mother's execution.

Here is a rare drawing of Marie-Thérèse as she would have dressed around the time of her death in 1851.

Here is a card commemorating her death on October 19, 1751, with an abridged version of her Will. It says:

+WILL+ OF MARIE THÉRÈSE OF FRANCE, DAUGHTER OF KING LOUIS XVI AND OF QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE, WHO DIED AT FROHSDORFF, +OCTOBER 19, 1851+ Following the example of my parents, I forgive, with all my soul, and without exceptions, all those who may have harmed or offended me; sincerely asking God to extend to them His mercy, as well as to me, and supplicating Him to accord me pardon for my faults. I thank all the FRENCHMEN who have remained attached to my family and to me for the proofs of devotion that they have given us, for the sufferings and pains they endured because of us. I pray God to pour out His blessings on FRANCE, which I have always loved, even in the midst of my bitterest afflictions. Having always considered my nephew HENRI and my niece LOUISE as my children, I give them my maternal blessing. They have had the happiness to have been raised in our holy religion, may they always remain faithful to it, may they always be worthy descendants of SAINT LOUIS! May my nephew consecrate his happy faculties to the accomplishment of the great duties which his position imposes upon him! May he never depart from the ways of moderation, justice and truth!

Here is a more complete reading of her Will:

In the name of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost … I submit in all things to the will of Providence. I do not fear death; and, lacking merit of my own, I place all my trust in the mercy of God, praying of him for time and grace to receive the sacraments of the Church with fervent piety …

I die in the Roman Catholic and Apostolic religion, in which I have lived as faithfully as I had power, and to which I owe all the consolations of my life.

… After the example of my parents, I pardon, with my entire soul, and without exception, all those who have injured or offended me; sincerely praying God to extend to them His mercy, and to me also, for the pardon of my sins. To all the faithful French who have remained attached to my family and to myself, I leave thanks for the devotedness, the sufferings, and the penalties they have endured in our cause.

I pray God to shower down his blessings upon France–France, that I have never ceased to love even under my bitterest afflictions.

I thank the Emperor of Austria for the asylum which he accorded in his dominions to me and my family. I am grateful for the proofs of interest and friendship which I have received from the imperial family, especially under circumstances of deep sorrow; and not less so for the sentiments manifested by a great number of his subjects, more especially the inhabitants of Goritz …

Having always considered my nephew Henri and my niece Louisa as my children, I give them my maternal benediction. They have had the happiness of being educated in our holy religion: may they continue in fidelity to it, worthy decedents of St. Louis.

May my nephew consecrate his happy faculties to the accomplishment of the great duties imposed on him by his position! May he never wander from the paths of moderation, of justice, and of truth!

I institute my nephew Henri my universal legatee. It is my wish that my remains be deposited at Goritz, in the vault of the Franciscans, between those of my husband and his father.

Let no solemn service be celebrated on my account. All that I desire are masses for the salvation of my soul. Share

A Never Trump Influencer Who Spent Years Sabotaging Him Just Flipped

 From Tierney's Real News:

Karol Markowicz is a New York Post and Fox News columnist, the host of The Karol Markowicz Show and co-host of the Normally podcast, and co-author of the bestselling book Stolen Youth. She just published a full-throated defense of President Trump’s second term in the New York Post. The headline says it all: “I was a Trump skeptic — but his second-term wins made me a believer.”

She admits she voted third-party in 2016, sat out 2020 entirely, and never owned a MAGA hat. Now she’s listing all the reasons that America MUST stick with President Trump, and vote for his endorsed Republican candidates, instead of handing power back to the Communists and Islamists on the left who want to close prisons, install woke DEI, end capitalism, and open the borders wide again.

I’m glad she’s finally awake. I’m also sad it took this long. Here’s the opinion piece, which is well written and 100% correct, followed by my commentary: (Read more.)

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A True Arthurian Legend

 From The Habsburg Way:

You notice that so far I haven’t even spoken of the plot of GALAHAD AND THE HOLY GRAIL. It’s because it is barely necessary as the title tells it all - you get to know Galahad and his background, then Camelot calls, and the the quest for the Grail begins. You follow him and several of the knights of the Round Table as they face challenges and move closer to the longed-for goal.

So far, so Arthurian.

But what Guite does unashamedly is to imbue his book with deep, earnest, traditional Christian Faith. Before I found out that he is an Anglican pastor I was convinced he was a Traditional Catholic - you’ll get there, Malcolm ;) He explores the whole depths of Christian connotations of the Grail legend, Christian Chivalry, prayer and the Sacrifice of the Mass. It actually (gasp) encourages you to pray in temptations and set your hope in Christ! Figure that! (Read more.)

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How to Make French Quince Paste

 

 From Léonce:

I recently came across some beautiful quinces at the market and brought a few home, thinking it was finally time I tried making pâte de coing, the traditional French quince paste. I’ve always had a fondness for pâtes de fruits, those little fruit confections you find in traditional French chocolate shops. They remind me especially of Christmas when I was little, and the papillotes we would unwrap during the holidays: chocolates and sweets wrapped in colorful, fringed paper, often with a little message tucked inside.

Lately, I’ve also become rather curious about old French pastry books. There is something fascinating about discovering recipes that were once familiar, sometimes even everyday, but that we rarely think to make anymore. Some require an astonishing amount of work; others are surprisingly simple. And every so often, I come across one that makes me wonder why we ever stopped making it. (Read more.)

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Greta Gerwig’s Sincere Subversion of Narnia

 From Further Up:

Even putting aside the Streep-casting, there’s something odd in the way Aslan appears in the trailer to be made of stars. It’s visually striking, yet it suggests the blurring of a boundary between the stars and their Maker. The posters giving a first look at Aslan’s more solidly incarnated appearance aren’t very reassuring, as his face looks like a patchwork quilt of fur, feathers and even scales. His eyes are also differently colored, an apparent nod to David Bowie’s illusion of heterochromia. What this is all meant to add up to is confusing, to say the least. Perhaps there’s some reassurance in the fact that Gerwig used male pronouns for Aslan throughout her interview, and in the fact that it appears he will at least have a mane and a terrifying roar. But there remains the impression that Aslan’s image is an admixture of elements, an entity bound up and fused with nature in ways that are decidedly not aligned with Lewis’s vision.

This brings me to Led Zeppelin, who made the historic choice to give Gerwig their blessing for “Stairway to Heaven” to be used in the trailer. Most takes have focused on the rock anthem’s bizarre tonal clash with a Narnian oeuvre. It is indeed bizarre, but if you look at the lyrics, you can begin to see Gerwig’s creative logic, which is not entirely crazy. (Read more.)

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The Execution of the Queen of France October 16, 2026

 From Chronicles:

At her trial, she was charged with orchestrating orgies at Versailles and planning the 1792 massacre of National Guardsmen. Both charges were entirely invented. Most outrageously, she was accused of incestuous relations with her 8-year-old son, who “confessed” to it after the revolutionary tribunal got the child drunk and abused him into repeating what they demanded.

The Queen wrote a final letter to her sister-in-law before being led to the scaffold. It was never delivered. The text is absolutely stunning, and I encourage all to read it in its entirety.

She expresses her love for the recipient of the letter, for her children, and for the Church. And she proves, as though it needed proving, her moral superiority over her murderers in adhering to her faith’s exhortation to forgive those who wrong us:

I have just been condemned, not to a shameful death, for such is only for criminals, but to go and rejoin your brother. Innocent like him, I hope to show the same firmness in my last moments. I am calm, as one is when one’s conscience reproaches one with nothing . . . Let my son never forget the last words of his father, which I repeat emphatically; let him never seek to avenge our deaths…I pardon all my enemies the evils that they have done me…Farewell, my good and tender sister. May this letter reach you. Think always of me; I embrace you with all my heart, as I do my poor dear children. My God, how heart-rending it is to leave them forever! Farewell! farewell!

A constitutional priest, that is, one of those who had pledged full allegiance to the anti-Christian Revolution, was assigned to hear her confession, but she courageously refused this diabolical traitor to the Church. (Read more.)

 

Here is a French article about the possibility that the Queen was suffering from uterine cancer during her imprisonment, which was the reason for her heavy bleeding. Robespierre was afraid she would die in prison, which is why he rushed her trial. He wanted her to die on the guillotine.

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