French royal claimant cannot call himself Bourbon, court rules

AFP ^ | Thu, Oct 02, 2003

[presidio9]

Henri d'Orleans, count of Paris and rival pretender to the throne of France, is banned from using the ancient royal name of Bourbon because it was abandoned by his family in the 17th century, France's high court of appeal ruled.

The decision scuppered Orleanist hopes of reclaiming the dynastic title, which will now remain with the senior branch of the royal house -- represented by Louis Alphonse de Bourbon, duke of Anjou and the other contender for the throne.

The Cour de Cassation confirmed a lower court answer to a plea lodged by the 70 year-old count of Paris shortly after he inherited his position in 1999, in which he asked for the right to call himself Henri de Bourbon.

Both courts found that the name had been dropped by Henri's ancestor Philippe d'Orleans, the younger son of King Louis XIII, who was born in 1640. Henri had "no proven legitimate interest in reclaiming possession of the name of Bourbon," the judges said Thursday.

The Orleans and Bourbon families have conducted a bitter and fruitless contest for the right to claim the throne of France ever since the last king -- the Orleanist Louis-Philippe -- lost power in 1848.

While the Orleans line comes through Louis XIII's younger son, the Bourbons pass through the elder -- Louis XIV -- whose descendants ruled till Louis XVI's execution in the revolution. After the restoration Louis XVI's brother Charles X, who reigned from 1824 to 1830, was the last Bourbon king of France.

[RightWhale]

Why can't the king use any name he wants?

[No Truce With Kings]

If Charles X was the last Bourbon king of France who was the lastScotch king of France? And what about the last Irish, Rye, and Canadian Whisky kings?

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[paulklenk]

This is story is true -- I checked with the Duke of au Jus and he confirmed it.

[.cnI redruM]

He should call himself Merovingian, since France is decadent and in utter decline.

[presidio9]

In the 227 years of this country's existence, the only time France has been of any value to us was when they had a monarchy. Left to govern themselves, the French quickly embraced socialism.

[Democratshavenobrains]

Bush's Fault....i mean, Robespierre's Fault.

[CatoRenasci]

France would have become a monarchy again after its defeat in the Franco-Prussian War had the then pretender been willing to accept the tricolor, but no, he held out for the fluer d' lis, and the Third Republic was born.....

gives you an idea of the leadership abilities of the French royal families.....

[January24th]

Actually, John Steinbeck wrote a book about this very thing. "The Short Reign of Pippin IV" It's hilarious and timely, and his disdain of French government is delicious!

[CatoRenasci]

Ay lad, you'd be speaking of the "king over the water" our bonnie Prince Charlie....

[Constitution Day]

Let him drink cheap Scotch!

[presidio9]

Bush's Fault....i mean, Robespierre's Fault.

Moreau is "deeply saddened..."

[CatoRenasci]

Ah, a charmiling little book. I remember finding it in a paperback remainder bin back around 1960.... I think I paid a dime (the cover price was $0.25). Very funny. Far better than The Mouse that Roared.

[headsonpikes]

Students of Philosophy will be asking, "So is the present King of France bald, or not?"

;^)

[sticker]

However, his wife may refer to herself as Southern Comfort

[muawiyah]

Ah, these battles among the cousins. Better off they'd just go to Sotheby's and buy something. Anyway Princess de Beauvau Craon, Deputy Chairman there, has relatives with a better claim than either! (That family is ancestral to the first Bourbon king. They had all the money too!)

[theDentist]

French royal claimant cannot call himself Bourbon, court rules

Hmmmm... how about 'Bonbon'?

[Khurkris]

Everybody knows that real Bourbon is from Kentucky.

[Pilsner]

France would have become a monarchy again after its defeat in the Franco-Prussian War had the then pretender been willing to accept the tricolor

France held a sort of constitutional convention and the vast majority of delegates were monarchists. The monarchists could not however decide whether to have a Bourbon, Orleanist or Bonapartist King. All three groups compromised on having a Republic, each calculating that they would pull a coup in few years and place their candicate on the throne. No group ever quite got around to pulling a coup and the Third Republic tottered on until Hitler put it to bed in 1940.