Book Description

The survival of Louis XVII from the horrible Temple prison after the murder of his father Louis XVI and his mother Marie Antoinette is a fascinating story left out of all official French history. No wonder they did not want to hand him over to the Spanish king or the Vendee province, both of which demanded his release. I exist because he survived! If he did not survive who am I then? No one can give an answer to that, because no other answer exists. The book tells his life story and it intertwines with mine. I also left the country of my birth after the Second World War to try my luck elsewhere. I left my parents behind as a young man of 18. I did not suffer as he did but there are many parallels. And in the end our stories come together as I try to find a final answer to the quest of getting my name accepted in my country France. Outline •Chapter 1 Early Memories, born in Holland with family to Dutch Indies. War and father against the Germans, underground. War over I leave for Canada to bring mother over. Parents divorced. •Chapter 2 Louis XVI and the revolution, first Dauphin is born, second son is Charles Louis. Fairly long description on what led to the revolution. Family life. •Chapter 3 The revolution intensifies the struggles to maintain order. The opposition helped by the Orleans branch of the family. Attack on the Bastille, paid for by the Orleans group. •Chapter 4 I arrive in Montreal, move to Timmins looking for gold. Find a wife instead. Work in Hotel and goldmine. Move to Toronto. •Chapter 5 The Royal family is jailed in the Temple. Father Louis XVI is sentenced to death and beheaded. Mother Marie-Antoinette accused of sex crimes with son is also beheaded. Charles Louis becomes Louis XVII at 8 years old. Alone in prison with his sister. Escapes and is substituted by a sick older boy. •Chapter 6 Louis XVII escapes from jail, his early travels in and out of the clutches of various groups. He ends up in Germany and works with watches, a trade his father started with him when he was very small. •Chapter 7 I work for the department store Robert Simpson. Get executive training and promotions. Tragedy and then a wonderful family life. •Chapter 8 The substitute Louis XVII dies in the Temple on week before he must be handed to the one province in France that is not in the revolution (Vendee). Spain also wants Louis XVII free. Conveniently this is all too late. The burial at St Marquerite cemetery where the caretaker digs up the body out of a mass grave and buries it near the church wall. •Chapter 9 False Dauphins are popping up all over France and even one in North America. All get found out except one. He does not show up until the uncle is declared king of France (Louis XVIII). He has lived for many years in Germany. •Chapter 10 I go from retailing into real estate. My father dies and I become the senior de Bourbon. I have some success and finally decide to take some time off to sail my sailboat across Lake Ontario down the Hudson River past New York to Florida. I love it and come back to do it again. •Chapter 11 Louis XVII as Karl Wilhelm Naundorff in Germany. His enemies pursue him, false accusations, jail terms. He gets married, has children. •Chapter 12 His Crossen memoirs in his own writing he tells his own story. •Chapter 13 He is again going to be attacked so he decides to return to Paris to reclaim his name. He meets with 50 old members of the court. Almost all recognize him and he gets ready to take hid case to court. The Orleans family is on the throne and not impressed that there are survivors of the real Kings. •Chapter 14 Days before the court c