He was the youngest son of King Louis Philippe of France and his wife Maria Amelia Teresa of the Two Sicilies.

They had ten children: Antoine de Montpensier lived in Spain from 1848 when he and his family had to leave France after the Revolution of 1848.

His ambitions were fulfilled by his daughter Mercedes, who became Queen of Spain after her marriage to Alfonso XII, son of Isabella II.

His great granddaughter Mercedes, Countess of Barcelona, was the mother of Juan Carlos, who assumed the throne in 1975 and later abdicated in favor of his son, Felipe VI in 2014.

He used the traditional arms of the House of Orléans, consisting of: Azure, three fleur-de-lis Or and a label Argent[In heraldic blazon, Azure is blue, Or is gold, and Argent is silver] This coat of arms was first used by Philippe d'Orléans, nephew and son in law of King Louis XIV of France.