"The dispute among Parisian aristocrats over the return of the ancestral inheritance: a battle for a historic estate."

A French aristocrat, a descendant of one of the last monarchs of France, has demanded the return of a historic castle that once belonged to his family amid a dispute over the conversion of part of it into a hotel and allegations of missing artworks. Jean d'Orléans, a descendant of Louis-Philippe I, who ruled during the July Monarchy, wrote a letter to prosecutors demanding the return of the Château de Chantilly, located 30 miles north of Paris. Jean, a 56-year-old nobleman, claims that the current owner of the castle - the Institut de France - is mismanaging the property, thereby violating the terms of its transfer to them in 1886 by his ancestor Henri d'Orléans.

The Château de Chantilly, with its vast art collection, is one of the most famous in France, but in recent years it has faced financial difficulties despite a £70 million restoration funded by the Aga Khan and £4 million in recovery grants from Covid. The Château de Chantilly was featured in the James Bond film "A View to a Kill" in 1985, where it served as the hideout of the villain Max Zorin.

The Institute of France has been promoting plans to convert the Château d'Anien, a large building on the grounds of the Château de Chantilly, into a hotel for several years before ultimately accepting proposals in April of this year. Three applications were submitted, and one of them was accepted.

This involved leasing the building to a French entrepreneur for 50 years, who would establish a high-end restaurant and spa there, offering rooms for £650 per night.

However, the process was overshadowed by a scandal when the property administrator of Chantilly, Christophe Tardieu, resigned in May and was replaced by Didier Selles. Mr. Selles resigned 15 days after his appointment, raising questions about the tender procedure due to allegations of personal interests and unfairness, Le Parisien reports. As a result, the French national financial prosecutor's office began an investigation into the tender procedure in August, aiming to cancel plans for the hotel. News of the investigation gained widespread attention in October, and the following month, Jean and his brother Ed wrote letters to the prosecutor's office demanding the return of the property to the family ownership.