kingdom · South America

Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia

1860 CE – 1862 CE · capital Perquenco

A kingdom proclaimed among the Mapuche by a French adventurer in 1860, which never won recognition but survives as a claim of French pretenders.

Origins

Orélie-Antoine de Tounens, a lawyer from the Dordogne in France, travelled to Chile in 1858 and went to Araucanía, the independent Mapuche lands south of the Biobío. In November 1860 he proclaimed himself King Orélie-Antoine I of Araucanía and, days later, added Patagonia, claiming support from Mapuche chiefs.

Rule and society

The kingdom existed largely on paper. Orélie-Antoine issued a constitution, a flag and decrees, and some Mapuche leaders, such as Quilapán, seem to have seen him as a potential ally against Chilean expansion. He had no army, administration or international recognition, and Chile regarded the scheme as a threat to its sovereignty.

Decline and legacy

Chilean authorities arrested him in January 1862, declared him insane and deported him to France. He returned several times without success and died in France in 1878. Chile carried out the Occupation of Araucanía by 1883. French claimants still use his title.

Connections (2)

  • Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia was part of Araucanía1860 CE – 1862 CE
  • Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia was conquered by Republic of Chile1862 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-araucania-and-patagonia
MLA
“Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-araucania-and-patagonia. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-araucania-and-patagonia.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/kingdom-of-araucania-and-patagonia (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻