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History
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The French Lawyer Who Crowned Himself King: The Bizarre, True Story of the Kingdom of Patagonia
In 1860, a French lawyer named Antoine de Tounens declared himself king of the indigenous Mapuche people in South America. His bizarre Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia, complete with a constitution, lasted just two years before he was arrested and declared insane by Chilean authorities.
History is filled with ambitious figures, but few are as peculiar as Antoine de Tounens, a French lawyer who, in 1860, sailed to South America with a singular goal: to become a king. In one of history's most audacious and bizarre episodes, he didn't just try—for a brief period, he succeeded, establishing himself as Orélie-Antoine I, the first and only monarch of the Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia.
The Man with a Royal Dream
Born in 1825 in provincial France, Antoine de Tounens was an ordinary lawyer with an extraordinary imagination. Inspired by the romanticism of the era and perhaps the rise of Napoleon III, he grew convinced of his own grand destiny. He became fascinated by the unconquered lands of Araucanía and Patagonia, a vast territory in modern-day Chile and Argentina inhabited by the fiercely independent Mapuche people. He read adventurers' accounts and saw an opportunity not for conquest, but for the creation of a new, progressive monarchy with himself at its head.
A Land of Resistance
De Tounens' arrival in 1858 came at a critical moment. For centuries, the Mapuche had successfully resisted colonization by the Spanish Empire and, later, the independent states of Chile and Argentina. However, by the mid-19th century, both nations were determined to annex these resource-rich territories. Chile had begun its brutal military campaign known as the "Occupation of Araucanía." The Mapuche tribes, facing overwhelming military pressure, were fractured. It was into this volatile situation that a charismatic Frenchman arrived, promising to unite them under a single flag and secure international recognition for their sovereignty.
Forging a Kingdom
De Tounens spent two years learning Spanish and studying Mapuche culture. He then ventured into their territory, meeting with various loncos, or chiefs. He argued that a European-style constitutional monarchy would be their best defense against Chilean and Argentine expansion. Remarkably, he won the support of several influential leaders who saw a potential strategic advantage in his plan. On November 17, 1860, a grand assembly of loncos declared their allegiance, and de Tounens proclaimed the formation of his new kingdom. Three days later, he annexed Patagonia. In his founding decree, he laid out his vision:
We, Prince Orélie-Antoine de Tounens, considering that Araucanía does not depend on any other state, that it is divided by tribes, and that a central government is required by both the public interest and the particular interest... do decree as follows: Article 1. A constitutional and hereditary monarchy is founded in Araucanía; Prince Orélie-Antoine de Tounens is named King.
The King on Paper
King Orélie-Antoine I immediately set to work. He designed a blue, white, and green tricolor flag, wrote a national anthem, and drafted a constitution. This document was surprisingly liberal, establishing a constitutional monarchy, guaranteeing individual freedoms, and abolishing slavery. He sent letters to the world's powers, including France and the United States, seeking recognition for his fledgling nation. He also attempted to secure a loan from European bankers. However, his letters were largely ignored, and his kingdom remained a nation that existed almost entirely on paper and in the ambitions of its founder.
The Abrupt End of a Reign
While the world was indifferent, the government of Chile was not. Viewing de Tounens as a dangerous insurrectionist threatening their national interests, they acted swiftly. In January 1862, after just over a year as king, de Tounens was betrayed by a servant, arrested by Chilean authorities, and put on trial. To avoid creating a diplomatic incident by executing a French citizen, the court declared him insane. He was confined to an asylum before the French consul arranged for his deportation back to France.
The Monarch in Exile and a Lasting Legacy
Though his kingdom had collapsed, de Tounens never abandoned his royal claim. He spent the rest of his life in France, publishing memoirs and making three more unsuccessful attempts to return to his "throne." After his death in 1878, his claim was passed down to a succession of French citizens, creating a line of pretenders to a non-existent throne that continues to this day. The story of the Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia is a strange footnote in history—a tale of one man's incredible ambition colliding with the harsh realities of geopolitics. Yet, it also remains intertwined with the ongoing struggle of the Mapuche people for recognition and self-determination, a brief, bizarre chapter in a long and complex history.