Frédéric Alfred Pierre, comte de Falloux

Frédéric-Alfred-Pierre, comte de Falloux (7 May 1811 – 6 January 1886) was a French politician and author, famous for having given his name to two laws on education, favoring private Catholic teaching.

His father had been ennobled by King Charles X of France, and Falloux began his career as a Legitimist and clerical journalist under the influence of Madame Swetchine.

[1] His failure to secure re-election to the legislature in 1866, 1869, 1870 and 1871 was due to the opposition of the stricter Legitimists, who viewed with suspicion his attempts to reconcile the Orléans princes with Henri, comte de Chambord.

Nevertheless, in 1872 he offended both sections of the monarchical party at a conference arranged in the hope of effecting a fusion between the partisans of the comte de Chambord and of the Orléans princes, divided on the vexed question of the flag.

He suggested that the comte de Chambord might recede from his position with dignity at the desire of the National Assembly, and not content with this encroachment on royalist principles, he insinuated the possibility of a transitional stage with the duc d'Aumale as president of the republic.