[4][5] He tried three further times to go back to Araucanía to regain his "kingdom", but without success, and he died in poverty on 17 September 1878, in Tourtoirac, France.

He disembarked at the port of Coquimbo in Chile and spent two years in Valparaíso and Santiago, studying Spanish.

"[7] De Tounens sent copies of the constitution of his kingdom to Chilean newspapers and El Mercurio published a portion of it on 29 December 1860.

Colonel Cornelio Saavedra Rodríguez promised a reward for his head but the Mapuche decided to defend their unusual ally.

In 1872, he proclaimed that he was seeking a bride so that he might sire an heir; indeed, the next year, he wrote to tell his brother that he intended to marry a "mademoiselle de Percy", but there is no evidence that he ever did.

On 28 August 1873 the Criminal Court of Paris ruled that Antoine de Tounens, first king of Araucania and Patagonia did not justify his status of sovereign.

De Tounens had no children but since his death in 1878, some French citizens without familial relations declared themselves to be pretenders to the throne of Araucania and Patagonia.

[11] The pretenders to the throne of Araucania and Patagonia are called monarchs and sovereigns of fantasy,[12][13][14][15][16] "having only fanciful claims to a kingdom without legal existence and having no international recognition".