King Louis XVI ascended the throne in 1774 and inherited a France in turmoil. In 1789, food shortages and economic crises led to the outbreak of the French Revolution. King Louis and his queen, Mary-Antoinette, were imprisoned in August 1792, and in September the monarchy was abolished. King Louis was later put on trial for treason. He was found guilty and sentenced to death.
Now, one of King Louis’ descendants wants to restore the monarchy over 200 years after his great-great-great-great grandfather.
Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou, is a Spanish aristocrat who claims he should be the next king of France.
Mr Alphonse is the eldest male descendant of King Louis XVI, and is also second cousin to Spain’s current king Felipe VI.
He visited France in 2018, and one of his supporters told Vice at the time: “Today is a huge day — the heir to the throne is here on French soil.”
However, Mr Alphonse isn’t the only person to claim he is the rightful heir to the throne in France.
Jean d’Orleans, the Count of Paris, is another claimant who made headlines in February when he sued a foundation that manages his family’s former estate.
He demanded €1million (£738,000) in damages from the Saint-Louis Foundation and the return of properties, including the Chateau d’Amboise in the Loire Valley and the Royal Chapel of Dreux, west of Paris.
French President Emmanuel Macron made a surprising analysis in 2015 – claiming that French people are “nostalgic” for a monarchy.
He said: “What we’re…
