Chantilly in History and Art

once more left desolate and abandoned, since Pr

took to breed English racehorses in France; and Chantilly thus became a racing centre to which the élite of French society thronged every year to attend a "Meeting" which speedily became one of the most famous in the annals of Sport. Residential accommodation was then very restricted, for only the Petit

shed himself greatly, and became so beloved that the tiny little Arab house which was his temporary residence there is still preserved by a grateful nation. Engaging in a variety of operations in Algeria, he brought this campaign to a brilliant ending in 1844 by a victory over Abdul Kader; by which he succeeded in capturing the concealed camp

hess Marie Clementine, sister to Napoleon I's second wife, Marie Louise of Austria. The nuptials were celebrated at Naples, and a few days later the you

he same artist who painted the portrait of the young Duchess which now hangs over one of the doors of the Salle Caroline-was entrusted the decoration of the various apartments. The ground-floor a

pular on that occasion by telling his coachman to drive slowly across the Pelouse, be

the Comte de Paris, then a mere child; and to avoid further difficulties the ex-King left immediately for England, and took up his residence at Claremont under the style of Comte de Neuilly. This unfortunate event obliged the Duc d'Aumale to resign his commission in the French army, to which he had rendered such signal service. He thenceforward resided with his family in England, chiefly at Twickenham, whither the larger part of the artistic furniture and works of art from Chantilly were transported. This was done at the special request of the Duchess, whose desire it was to reconstitute as far as possible her l

h grief at the death of her eldest son, the Prince de Condé, had died in exile. That young Prince was the last to bear this illustrious name. He is said to have been highly gifted, and to have possessed great qualities. He had been

his religion and his nationality, although he had decided not to accept the honour, he thought it his duty to communicate the proposal to his son. Whereupon the lad wrote from Switzerland

ed for a voyage round the world, but before its com

even then for him to obtain possession of it. The Chateau and the Pavillon d'Enghien were still occupied by Prussian officers

fore. On attempting to enter the Park unobserved by a side gate his distinguished appearance awoke recognition in one of his old kee

at being once more on French soil, and able to educate his only surviving son in his native land. The young Duc de Guise was sent to a college in Paris, but spent his holidays at Chantilly; and father and son, a

of Princesse Marguerite, daughter of the Duc de Nemours with Prince Ladislas Czartoysky; and on this occasi

Prince and Princess of Wales-paid a visit to the Duc d'Aumale; with who

wn by typhoid fever and died after a few days' illness. With his sudden death all plans for the improvement of the Chateau and estate came to an abr

vaults of this famous fortress the present building, destined to become the Musée Condé, a veritable palace of Literature and Art. Its architecture, in order to harmonise with that of Montmorency's Petit Chateau, is directly copied from sixteenth-century designs. But to erect the stately marble staircase with its splendid gilt iron railings, an undertaking which offered the greatest difficulties, it was necessary to pierce the solid rock. The Chapel, adorned by an elegant spire and full of valuable relics of the Montmorency and the Condé families, was also restored at this time. It contains an altar of S

ther sentence of banishment upon all claimants to the French Throne-Royalist and Imperialist; in which order the Duc d'Aumale was included. In his quality of a General in the French Army, he protested against this, but without avail; and once more Chantilly was deserted. But this time it was not for long; for on returning with a heavy heart to his English home at Woodnorton and feeling his end drawing near the Duke resolved to make known immediately the act of munificence upon which he had so long decided

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tilly; and on his arrival at the station he was accompanied by a vast crowd to the door of the Chateau. A medal was cast in commemoration of this return, upon the obverse of which was a figure contemplating France from afar and

hateau by the people of Chantilly, who regarded him and his ancestors as their benefactors.

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