The House of Bourbon-Montpensier or Maison de Bourbon-Montpensier was a semi royal family. The name of Bourbon comes from a marriage between Marie de Valois, comtesse de Montpensier who married Jean de Bourbon - the duc de Bourbon. The second name of Montpensier, comes from the title of the family. The Bourbon-Montpensier family were the founders of the vast wealth that would later be enjoyed by the House of Orléans and their cousins the Bourbon-Penthièvres.
History
The main line was founded by a marriage between John I, Duke of Bourbon and Marie de Valois, comtesse de Montpensier. The title was transferred down the line, mainly by females. The most famous examples of holders of the title of duc de Montpensier were:
On the death of Anne, Duchess of Montpensier, many of her titles, lands and wealth went to the House of Orléans. Her cousin Philippe de France, duc d'Orléans was the founder of the modern House of Orléans and was her sole heir. As a result of this vast inheritance, the Orléans family became very wealthy. Their wealth only increased when the Bourbon-Penthièvre married into the family in 1769.
Note:Most of the titles were used in their feminine forms because most of the holders of the titles were women.
After Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans
On the death of Marie de Bourbon, duchesse de Montpensier in 1627, less than a month after the birth of her daughter Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, duchesse de Montpensier the family wealth had grown astonishingly. After her mother's death, Anne became the heiress to one of the largest fortunes in, probably, Europe. Unfortunately she died with no heirs. Even though she could have been Queen of various countries, she was happy being a Princesse du Sang in France and having her various residences at her disposal. She died in 1693 and most of her fortune went to her other royal cousin Philippe de France, duc d'Orléans. Even though some of her titles had gone to Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, the founder of the illegitimate line of Bourbon du Maine, as a result of a scam by his mother Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan. Her vast wealth helped to found the House of Orléans and then the Bourbon-Penthièvre family financially. The latter getting most of it through the death and inheritances from their cousins the du Maines. They went on to be absorbed by the House of Orléans via a marriage and no male heirs.
House of Orléans
On the death of Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, the title was used exclusively by the main members on the house. The first person to hold the title of duc de Montpensier was Philippe de France and the title is often said to have been inherited by his wife Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine, duchesse d'Orléans. Even so, she did not hold the title in her own right but as the wife of the duke of Montpensier. The title passed down the line of the Orléans family and is now used as a courtesy title by the pretender to the Throne of the Orléans family.
