Henri_Orleans

Henri Orleans, PRINCE OF (1867-1901), eldest son of Robert, duke of Chartres, was born at Ham, near Richmond, Surrey, on the 16th of October 1867. In 1889, at the instance of his father, who paid the expenses of the tour, he undertook, in company with MM. Bonvalot and Dedecken, 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 sources of the river Irrawaddy, a brilliant geographical achievement which secured the medal of the Geographical Society of Paris and the cross of the Legion of Honour. In 18 9 7 he revisited Abyssinia, and political differences arising from this trip led to a duel with the comte de 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.