Prince Henri of Orléans

Henri, Prince of Orléans (16 October 1867 - 9 August 1901) was the eldest son of Robert, duc de Chartres and Françoise d'Orléans, he was born at Ham, London.

In 1889, at the instance of his father, who paid the expenses of the tour, he undertook, in company with Gabriel Bonvalot and Constant de Deken, a journey through Siberia to Siam. In the course of their travels they crossed the mountain range of Tibet and the fruits of their observations, submitted to the Geographical Society of Paris (and later incorporated in "De Paris au Tonkin a travers le Tibet inconnu", published in 1892), brought them conjointly the gold medal of that society.

In 1892 the prince made a short journey of exploration in East Africa, and shortly afterwards visited Madagascar, proceeding thence to Tongking. From this point he set out for Assam, and was successful in discovering the Irrawaddy River, a brilliant geographical achievement which secured the medal of the Geographical Society of Paris and the Cross of the Legion of Honour. In 1897 he revisited Abyssinia, and political differences arising from this trip led to a duel with the Vittorio Emanuele, Count of Turin, in which both combatants were wounded.

While on a trip to Assam in 1901, he died at Saigon on the 9th of August. Prince Henri was a somewhat violent Anglophobe, and his diatribes against Great Britain contrasted rather curiously with the cordial reception which his position as a traveller obtained for him in London, where he was given the gold medal of the Royal Geographical Society.

References

*1911