Prince Antoine V of Araucania and Patagonia
9th Sovereign of the Kingdom
Biography
The ninth Sovereign of the Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia since 12 May 2025, Prince Antoine V (Laurent Lafayne) embodies a sustained commitment to the rights and recognition of Mapuche people. At the same time, he has a career as a banking executive in France and the Principality of Monaco.
Origins
His family has been rooted in the Dordogne for centuries. Archives establish the presence of his ancestors in the village of Plazac as early as the Middle Ages. He also shares a relationship, albeit distant, with the Kingdom's founder, Orélie-Antoine I.
Training and Pathways
Coming from a family involved in education, his mother having been awarded Chevalier des Palmes Académiques and his grandfather Officer of Palmes Académiques, and an engineer father, he studied International Marketing before obtaining a Master's degree in Management and Wealth Management at SKEMA Business School.
Since 2000, he has worked in the banking sector in France and the Principality of Monaco, starting out as a business executive before holding audit positions. A life experience in Australia has enriched his international openness.
Commitments
At the instigation of Prince Frederic I of Araucania and Patagonia, his predecessor, he co-founded the NGO "Order of the South Star" in 2024, a humanitarian organization working for the Mapuche. Since 2004, he has also held trade union responsibilities in the banking sector.
Reign
Invested in the Kingdom's institutions since 2018, he was appointed Chancellor in 2024. In 2025, he was elected Prince in accordance with the 2016 Additional Act to the Constitution of the Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia. His reign is part of the continuation of the defence of the cultural and human rights of the Mapuche.
Interests
A passionate traveller and lover of vintage cars, he has a keen interest in world cultures and the great figures of history. He also maintains special relations with the United Arab Emirates, a country he admires for its harmony between tradition and modernity. His close friendship with a member of an Emirati royal family gave him the opportunity to discover, from within, the cultural richness of this Gulf nation, in a deeply positive and respectful perspective.
