Does France have a royal family?

Question

I understand and take into account that France is a republic and democratic nation. even with that does a royal (unofficial) family or blood line still exist in France? If so what is their surname?

Answer 1

the oldest royal french bloodline name was Bourbon. The Tutor name is also a royal family name. One of the most famous Tutors was Mary Tutor who also held the name Mary Queen of Scotts.

Answer 2

Yes, but it is not recognized. France, Germany, and Russia each have several branches of a royal family. France and Russia in particular have several branches who have been feuding for years over who is the true heir. Germany has some royals, but I believe most of them are heirs to the British throne (Queen Victoria was of the house of Hanover).

Answer 3

technically, no. There are people in France who are trying to bring back the monarchy, and they have a titular royal family, but cannot use the title King of France because (if my sources are correct), it is illegal, like in germany, to use the titles Kings and Queens of an area. They also have a titular Imperial family, who dates back to Neoplean (sp.), and they use the title Prince or Princess Imperial of France.

Answer 4

i don't know their surname, but i know that there is not a royal family anymore. Of course there are descendants, but they're not in the monarchy anymore.

Answer 5

Vive la Roi Louis XVI

Marie Antoinette was framed and Louis XX is the rightful leader and king of the French now.

Answer 6

Grimaldi-Saxon

Answer 7

The House of Orléans is the family name of two branches of the French royal line. The current "pretender" to the French throne is Prince Henri Philippe Pierre Marie d'Orléans from the House of Orléans. If he were king, he would be Henry VII. For the Orléanists, he is the heir of Louis-Philippe, King of the French; for unionists, the heir of Henri, comte de Chambord, and so of Charles X, King of France. He is also the 77th in the Legitimist line of succession to the French throne.

On August 25, 1940, Henri's grandfather, Jean, Duke of Guise died. His father was recognised by most French royalists as head of the French royal house, and Henri became their dauphin. He took the titles Count of Paris and Duke of France.

Answer 8

I actually forget their names...(I'm really bad with names), but my grandfather, commander in the US Navy, was friends with the "would be" king of France, and played golf with him back in 1960's or so. so they do exist, and there are even people who want to re-institute the monarchy in France (Vincent Bru, the brother of whom I know very well, is among them).

So, yes, they are there, but they're pretty much normal citizens with probably lots of land (chateau's). Otherwise they are normal citizens.

Answer 9

John Steinbeck wrote a story about this very thing ...amusing.  

"The Short Reign of Pippen IV"  I think.

Answer 10

Not anymore. The last remnants of the straight Bourbon line of French kings stemming from Henri IV through Louis XVI, XVIII and Charles X became extinct around 1850.

The line of Bourbon Orléans, bearing the title of counts of Paris currently lays spurious claims to the title, from the fact that they descend from the last king of the French, Louis Philippe I who was monarch from 1830 to 1848. Those claims, however, are without merit, since Louis Philippe was son to Philippe Egalité who voted for the execution of Louis XVI, and forfeited any rights to the throne for his line by this act of regicide. That and the fact the Orléans were a very junior line of the House of Bourbon, and ascended only by being called upon, not through any legitimate claims. The orléans bear the family name d'Orléans

Answer 11

Yes, a branch of the French royal family who are descendants of the last King of France, Louise Philippe, currently live in Paris.  Since they are of the House of Orleans, their surname would be d' Orleans.  

The current heir to the House of Orleans and great-great-great grandson of Louis Philippe (r. 1830-48), Henri Phillipe Pierre Marie d' Orleans (b. 1933), continues to lay claim to the title "King of France".  Henri also goes by the titles "Comte de Paris" and "Duc de France".  If the French throne is restored, which seems most unlikely, he would become Henri VII.

The Comte de Paris studied at the Instit d' Estudes Politiques de Paris and served in the French military during the Algerian War.  He has been married twice and fathered nine children, although French Royalists and the Roman Catholic Church only recognize children from his first marriage as legitimate.  After Henri and his first wife divorced, his father disinherited him, but after a long legal battle, Henri won the right to lay claim to his place in the succession to the French throne.  Henri's heir apparent is one of two children from his first marriage who are severely disabled.

Henri has written six books, paints professionally, and has even launched his own brand of perfume.  He also unsuccessfully ran for European elections in 2004.

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Note to Bunnie:  Mary Queen of Scots (spelled with only one t) was a Stuart who married the Dauphin of France, but who was widowed at a young age, whereupon she went back to Scotland.  She was not a Tudor, but her cousin Elizabeth was.  Mary I, the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon and Elizabeth's much older half sister, was a Tudor (spelled with a "d"), which is an English royal house rather than a French or Scottish one.

http://www.elizabethi.org/us/queenofscot...

Answer 12

One of my Scottish Queens, Queen Mary I of Scotland was once also Queen of France.

Answer 13

Yes: d'Orleans,Orleans-Braganza,and Bourbon are the front-runners in the line of pretendres(French for claimants).

You can visit http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/f76

for more.

I read Point de Vue, a French magazine that focuses on society;you'd be surprised that many Madames and Messieurs are Princesses and Counts!

Answer 14

There are  3 rival branches of monarchistes in France. It is rather silly I think since they are arguing over who has the right to something in my opinion there is absolutely no chance any of them will get!

If I thought any counted, the only ones I would count would be the branches of the House of Bourbon.

The Orléanists are most widely recongized  - -they take the name from the Orléans branch of the Bourbon family.   The claimant is Henri (VII), Duc de France & Comte de Paris, descended from Louis Philippe who reigned 1830-48.

The "Legitimists" argue for the elder branch of the Bourbon dynasty. They say the rightful king is really the Duke of Anjou  Louis Alphonse de Bourbon (would be Louis XX).    The Duke of Anjou is not French --he is mainly Spanish, he is a great-grandson of King Alfonso XIII of Spain and actually his name is Luis Alfonso. The Duke of Anjou's most recent French ancestor who was the sovereign was Louis XIV.

There are also the Bonapartes who have a claimant. but they ruled France for such a short period of history that they don't have much support I dont think. (at least the royalist nuts of my own relatives see them as low class upstarts LOL)