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The Comte de Paris: Doctrines and Politics to 1939

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French Royalism Since 1870

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Abstract

“I have no illusions as to the magnitude of the task. That is but another reason why I should devote myself to it. And I am deeply convinced that I shall succeed.” 1 With these words, the Comte de Paris launched what must rank as the most sustained effort by a pretender to regain his throne in modern times. He was young, ambitious, and believed that his “sole raison d’être was the welfare of the nation.” He felt further that, in a year of crisis (1934), “while some envisage the extreme solutions of dictatorship or anarchy, many good Frenchmen, hitherto indifferent, are asking themselves whether a return to the monarchical principle ... might not be the only way to assure the fatherland the stability and the political continuity for which it is longing.” 2 The times seemed ripe for a redefinition of the French monarchy.

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References

  1. Comte de Paris, Faillite d’un régime: Essai sur le gouvernement de demain (Paris, 1936), p. 245. Unless otherwise indicated all the works cited in the following synopsis of the Monarchy of Tomorrow are those of the Comte de Paris.

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  2. Courrier Royal, December 10, 1934.

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  3. Ibid., July 11, 1936.

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  4. Gouvernement de demain, pp. 31–33.

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  5. Ibid., p. 33.

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  6. Le Prolétariat (Paris, 1937), PP- 42–43.

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  7. Ibid., p. 58.

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  8. Courrier Royal, November 23, 1935.

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  9. Gouvernement de demain, pp. 44–43.

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  10. Courrier Royal, May 7,1938.

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  11. Programme (Paris, 1938), pp. 21–22.

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  12. Ibid., p. 23.

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  13. Gouvernement de demain, pp. 68–69.

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  14. Programme, pp. 31–32.

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  15. Ibid., pp. 32–34.

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  16. Ibid., pp. 44–45.

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  17. Courrier Royal, November g, 1935.

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  18. Programme, pp. 12–13. These were the considerations which prompted the Comte de Paris to advocate a “hands off” policy for France during the Ethiopian conflict and the Spanish civil war. See, for instance, Courrier Royal, October 12,1935.

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  19. Charlotte Muret, French Royalist Doctrines Since the Revolution (New York, 1933), p. 289.

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  20. Roger Sémichon, Les Idées sociales et politiques de La Tour du Pin (Paris, 1936), p. 9. For an evaluation of La Tour du Pin’s influence on twentieth century French corporatism, see Matthew H. Elbow, French Corporative Theory, 1789–1948 (New York, 1953), pp. 79–80

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  21. Muret, French Royalist Doctrines, p. 296.

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  22. In his exposition of the program of the Jeunesses Patriotes, René Rémond wrote: “Le programme social, teinté de néo-corporatisme comme tous les programmes de la droite autoritaire, prévoit la limitation du travail, une charte sociale, l’association des travailleurs.” La Droite en France de 1815 à nos jours (Paris, 1954), p. 202. Italics mine.

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  23. Elbow, French Corporative Theory, p. 79.

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  24. Secrétariat de Mgr Le Comte de Paris, Textes: Le Comte de Paris, Sa vie, Son action. Ses idées politiques (1934–1951) (Paris, n.d.), pp. 8–9.

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  25. Courrier Royal, May 7, 1938.

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  26. Le Temps, February 5, 1939.

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  27. Le Figaro, December 30, 1938.

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  28. Petit Journal, November 28, 1934.

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  29. Courrier Royal, January ist, 1938.

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  30. Questions du Jour, I (January, 1934), vi. There were nine issues of the review in all.

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  31. Courrier Royal, August 13, 1938.

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  32. Ibid., November 21,1936.

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  33. Ibid., October 16, 1937.

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  34. Ibid., June 26, 1937.

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  35. The peak total circulation of Courrier Royal, 100,000, was reached in 1935. Secretariat of the Comte de Paris, Letter to the author. May 4, 1953.

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  36. Courrier Royal, November 11, 1936.

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  37. Quoted from Vu, March 27, 1935, in Essai sur le gouvernement de demain, pp. 281–283.

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  38. The following is a sample of the monarchist A.B.C, published in Courrier Royal from December, 1937, to April, 1938: D. Et si le Roi est fou? R. Le cas s’est produit une fois en 800 ans (Charles VI) et la France a continué d’être et d’accroitre. En ce cas il y a la régence. Le pouvoir est exercé par le plus proche héritier du Roi. C’est un moindre mal qu’une compétition ouverte pour le pouvoir. D. Et si le Roi est médiocre? R. Son intérêt est de s’entourer de serviteurs qui ne le soient pas. D. Comment les distinguera-t-il? R. Parce qu’il a été initié de bonne heure par son entourage, son éducation aux charges de l’Etat. Parce qu’il a le flair du Métier de Roi.

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  39. These figures are based on a count of the royalist centers listed in Courrier Royal, January 7, 1939-

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  40. Ibid.

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  41. Ibid., April 10, 1935.

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  42. Ibid., March 16, 1936.

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  43. Ibid., March 19, 1938.

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  44. Ibid., November 5, 1938.

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  45. The spectacular aspects of the episode were played up by the press in France and abroad. The prince’s deed also brought him a warning from the Belgian state police that he would be “deprived of Belgian hospitality” if he repeated such antics. Incidentally, the Action Française had been invited to send a reporter to the meeting but had failed to do so. Maurras nevertheless praised the prince for his action. See Action Française, October 22, 1938.

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Authors
  1. Samuel M. Osgood
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© 1970 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Osgood, S.M. (1970). The Comte de Paris: Doctrines and Politics to 1939. In: French Royalism Since 1870. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-5071-4_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-5071-4_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-017-5073-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-5071-4

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