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| Pretenders to the throne |
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Reading through the article in this month's STAMP MAGAZINE, we were fascinated as always with Otto Hornung analysis of the stamps issued throughout the world in 1998. In particular we were taken with his statement that many stamps sold are illegal new issues that come from existing countries or from non-existent countries. These stamps could be called 'bogus' - a term Cinderella collectors view with affection.
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| 10c orange and 15c green and violet (perf) propaganda labels |
Bogus stamps, or stamps that have no postal validity, are a serious collecting area within the field of Cinderellas. The classic works on these stamps are Les Timbres de Fantaisie et Non Officiels by Georges Chapier (second edition 1963), and the extensively revised edition in four volumes of the same title by A Bourdi published up to 1975. These books list thousands of bogus stamps but we thought you might be interested in those issued in France as propaganda for changing the republic back to a monarchy.
The first stamps we refer to are those of 1871 (or 1873) for the Comte de Chambord. Briefly, the historical background to the French Royal Hopefuls is that Henri Charles Ferdinand Marie Dieudonne (1820-1883) was the posthumous son of the Duc de Berri, and grandson of Charles X of France. Charles X abdicated in July 1830 in favour of 'Henri' (a Bourbon), but he fled to England with his grandfather as the people preferred Louis Philippe (the house of Bourbon-Orleans). |
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| Stubborn Adherence |
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In 1844 he gave up the name Duc de Bordeaux for that of Chambord, and in 1848 he lost his chance of becoming 'Henry V through vacillation. In 1871 he had another opportunity of claiming the 'throne', but refused to give up his stubborn adherence to the Bourbon flag in preference to the national flag. In 1873, Louise Philippe Albert d'Orleans, Comte de Paris (1838-94), relinquished his rights to the legitimate pretender Comte de Chambord, but again through his extreme royalist views he was not acceptable to France. Finally he died in Austria in 1883 without
issue, as it is politely said.
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| 15c blue, black and pale green (imperf) propaganda labels |
'Stamps' were issued as royalist propaganda labels in 1871 (or perhaps 1873 when appointed sole pretender to the throne). The stamps are either 10c or 15c values, the 10c being lithographed and the 15c value being engraved. Stamps are found both as imperf or perf, 13f or 12%; imperf stamps are on either wove or laid paper (1 Oc) and on thin card (15c) and perf stamps on wove or laid paper. Here we illustrate 10c orange and 15c green and violet (perf), and 15c blue, black and pale green (imperf). The 15c, according to Bourdi, can also be found in brown and red, and on coloured paper (yellow, rose, green, salmon and grey).
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| Crude 5c value in blue |
We also show a crude Sc value in blue, but this is a rather poor reproduction or forgery. Note that all stamps carry the words 'POSTES' and 'FRANCE'; it is these words that make the stamps 'bogus' rather than 'vignettes'.
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Proof impression of
anti-republic 'Death's
head' stamp with
'value' of 1c |
The next 'Royalist' item was issued in 1874 and is, in fact, antirepublic. The engraver M. Rops produced the unusual 'Death's head' stamp with 'value' of 1 c. The example illustrated is a proof impression. The skull represents 'death of the Republic' and is positioned over a bat, the wings giving the impression of the skull's collar bones. In the four corners are the numbers making up the date of 1874. The issued stamps can be found in blue, red, green or black, and appear on yellow, rose, green, salmon or grey paper.
The final series of stamps are not strictly bogus stamps as they do not indicate a value, and as such are not listed in Bourdi. However, they are propaganda stamps and fall into the same category as those already discussed. Each of them publicise the claim of 'King' Philippe VIII, Duc d'Orléans, to the 'vacant' throne; they were produced about 1908.
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Above left to right: 'King' Philippe VIII, propaganda stamps carrying the legends 'Tout ce Qui,
est National, est NÔtre', 'Tous pour, un pour Tous' and 'The Duke of Orléans' |
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| Royal Connection |
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As historical background, the modern house of Bourbon-Orleans was established by Philippe I (1640-1701), a brother of Louis XIV. He married Henrietta, daughter of Charles I of England. It was Philippe VII, Louis Philippe Albert d'Orléans, Comte de Paris (1838-94), who relinquished his rights to the pretender Comte de Chambord in 1873. When Henri de Chambord died in 1883, Philippe became the head of the entire house of Bourbon. In 1886 he was exiled by the French law against pretenders. His son was Louis Philippe Robert, Duc d'Orléans (1869-1926) who was
born at Twickenham in England. He lived in France from 1871 until 1886 but was then exiled. He returned to England and entered Sandhurst and served with the British Army in India during 18889. In 1900 he roused much public feeling when he lent countenance to some insolent caricature directed against Queen Victoria. In 1908 we have the propaganda stamps illustrated which did not do him much good. A very keen explorer, he died childless in 1926 and his claim to the French throne passed to his cousin Jean d'Orléans, Duc de Guise, son of the Duke of Chartres.
The three propaganda stamps shown were widely used on letters, usually attached next to current postage stamps. Each has significant differences in style and we would suggest that they probably came from three different printers.
The first carries the legend 'Tout ce Qui, est National, est Nôtre' or 'All that is the State is ours'. The second 'Tous pour un, un pour Tous' or'All for one, one for All'. This second stamp carries the legend 'King of France' and apparently a currency cost of '44S' (?).-The third stamp is more accurate in stating 'The Duke of Orleans, who will be Philippe Vlll, King of France'. |
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