Louis-Philippe of France: Encyclopedia II - Louis-Philippe of France - Abdication

Louis-Philippe of France - Abdication

On 24 February 1848, to general surprise, King Louis-Philippe abdicated in favour of his young grandson (his son and heir, Prince Ferdinand, having been killed in an accident some years earlier). Fearful of what had happened to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, he quickly disguised himself and fled Paris. Riding in an ordinary cab under the name of "Mr Smith", he escaped to England. The Times of 6 March 1848 reported that he was received at Newhaven, East Sussex by the rector (Rev. Theyre Smith), the curate (Rev. Frederick Spurrell) and the principal landowner (William Elphick), while his wife was attended by Lydia Elphick and Frances Gray (both daughters of John Gray of the Gray and Dacre Brewery, West Ham, Essex), before travelling by train to London.

The National Assembly initially planned to accept his grandson as king. However, pulled along by the tide of public opinion, they accepted the Second Republic proclaimed in controversial circumstances at Paris City Hall. Prince Louis Napoleon Bonaparte executed a coup d'état on December 2, 1851. In 1851 he declared himself president for life. Within a year, he named himself Emperor Napoleon III.

Louis-Philippe and his family lived in England until his death on 26 August 1850, in Claremont, Surrey. He is buried with his wife Amelia (26 April 1782–24 March 1866) at the Chapelle Royale, the family necropolis he had built in 1816, in Dreux, France.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Abdication", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki