Opal Whiteley

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Opal Whiteley (December 11, 1897—February 16, 1992) was a nature writer and diarist whose childhood journal was first published in 1920 as The Story of Opal. The diary was reprinted with a biography and forward by Benjamin Hoff in 1994.

In her diary and later in life, Opal claimed to have been adopted by the Whiteleys, and was later buried under the name Francoise de Bourbon-Orléans. Opal's true origin and the veracity of her diary were disputed during her lifetime and continue to be questioned today. While she has many fans who believe her claim to French royalty and that her book was an authentic childhood diary, others claim that she fabricated the diary to gain publicity and suffered from a psychological disease that led her to engage in fantasies about her "true" parents.¹ In either case, her diary remains a beloved part of American literature.

Opal (who preferred to be called Françoise D'Orleans) claimed through her entire life to be the daughter of Duke Henri d'Orleans of the French royal family. Henri died unmarried in 1901. Opal stated she was taken to Oregon in 1904 where she was given to a lumber camp family. Everett Baker, an attorney and head of the Christian Endeavor organization in Oregon, wrote a letter to the publisher of Opal's diary testifying that on two occasions, Mrs. Whitely, Opal's adoptive mother, admitted to him and his wife that Opal was "adopted."

Those who disbelieve her story, claim Opal Irene Whiteley was born in Colton, Washington, the first of Charles and Lizzie Whiteley’s five children. However, there is no birth certificate for Opal Whiteley. Her step father worked as a logger, and his job would cause the family to relocate twice before Opal’s sixth birthday. In 1903, after having spent almost a year in Wendling, Oregon, they moved to Walden, Oregon.

Though the American copyright of the diary of Opal Whiteley has lapsed, the international copyright is still extant and is held by the Library of the University of London. The full dramatic rights to the diary are held by Robert Lindsey-Nassif, author of the Off-Broadway musical, OPAL, which won the Richard Rodgers and AT&T Awards.