Étranger Things: Monarchists in 2025 France?! — A cheerful field guide for café conversations that suddenly turn royal

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So there I was, nursing a noisette and refreshing headlines about the government maybe falling… or maybe pirouetting back on its feet like a well-trained ballerina. My French friend leans in and says, “Tu sais, there are monarchists.” Pardon? As in crowns, fleurs-de-lys, and vigorous debates about dynastic spreadsheets? Reader, I went down a very curated rabbit hole—so you don’t have to.

Who are “the monarchists,” exactly?

France’s monarchist world is a family tree with three main branches (no ladder required, though a sense of history helps):

  • Légitimistes (Bourbon line): argue the senior Bourbon branch should inherit—today many look to Louis Alphonse de Bourbon, often styled “Louis XX.” (Wikipedia)

  • Orléanistes (House of Orléans): prefer the cadet Bourbon-Orléans line—now led by Jean d’Orléans, Comte de Paris. (Wikipedia)

  • Bonapartistes (Imperial line): dream of an Empire 3.0—today you’ll see Jean-Christophe, Prince Napoléon most often named. (Wikipedia)

There are also organized circles like Action française, a historic royalist current on the far right of the spectrum. Its ideas have evolved over a century, but it remains a visible monarchist reference point. (Encyclopedia Britannica)

How many are we talking about?

Good news for republicans: no imminent coronations. A reputable 2016 BVA poll found about 17% of French people would favor a king as head of state—roughly stable with 2007. The same period saw 27–31% say they might vote for a royalist candidate in a first round—more curiosity than consensus. (BVA Xsight)

As for organized membership, figures are small: Action française reported around 3,000 adherents in 2018 (that’s adherents, not voters). (Wikipedia)

Bottom line: monarchists are a real but minority current—part culture, part politics, and very, very into lineage charts.

What do “typical” French people think?

If you chat with your neighbors, you’ll meet a spectrum—from affectionate nostalgia for kings and castles to a firm “merci, mais non” for restoring a throne. One telling snapshot: after Queen Elizabeth II’s passing, a 2022 Odoxa poll showed French people liked the British royal family… but not the idea of monarchy for France. Vive la nuance. (odoxa.fr)

How to talk about it (without stepping on a ruffle)

Do:

  • Lead with curiosity. “Historically, which branch is closest to your heart—Bourbon, Orléans, or Bonaparte?” (Polite, neutral, and it lets your friend define terms.)

  • Use history as a bridge. Museums, memorial masses, and heritage sites (hello, Dreux, Saint-Denis, and Versailles) open the door to culture, not just politics.

  • Acknowledge the Republic. Most French people consider the Fifth Republic a hard-won equilibrium—no need to position monarchy vs. democracy as a zero-sum game.

Avoid:

  • Importing today’s UK/Spain debates wholesale. Different histories, different vibes—compare gently. (Polls suggest the French can admire the spectacle without wanting the system.) (odoxa.fr)

  • Treating it as cosplay. For supporters, it’s serious constitutional philosophy; for others, it’s national memory. Both deserve respect.

  • Assuming a single “royal family.” France’s thrones pluralize: Bourbon (with internal branches), Orléans, and Bonaparte. (Wikipedia)

And who’s “next in line,” anyway?

Short version—because dinner’s getting cold:

  • Bourbon/Légitimiste: Louis Alphonse de Bourbon (“Louis XX”).

  • Bonapartiste: Jean-Christophe, Prince Napoléon.
    We’ll save the juicy succession puzzles (and the Orléans corner of the family tree) for a forthcoming deep-dive post on Bourbons and Bonapartes—promise. (Wikipedia)

If the government spins, why do monarchists pop up in chat?

Moments of political turbulence revive big-picture questions: stability, symbolism, and the long memory of French institutions (Restoration, July Monarchy, Second Empire). Monarchists offer one answer—minority and contested, but intellectually alive. For context on the tradition’s roots (and controversies), Action française’s history is instructive. (Encyclopedia Britannica)

Sources to explore

  • Overview of factions & claimants (Legitimist/Orléanist/Bonapartist). (Wikipedia)

  • Legitimists & Louis Alphonse de Bourbon. (Wikipedia)

  • Bonapartists & Jean-Christophe, Prince Napoléon. (Wikipedia)

  • Action française background (historical and present-day). (Encyclopedia Britannica)

  • Public opinion: BVA 2016; TF1 summary; Alliance Royale recap. (BVA Xsight)

  • French views on monarchy abroad (Odoxa 2022). (odoxa.fr)

Your turn—on papote 👇

Were you ever surprised to meet a monarchist in France? Do you lean Bourbon, Bonaparte, Orléans—or “team République forever”? Share a link, a museum tip, or that one dinner-table moment you navigated like a diplomatic ninja.

Mini practice for every level:

  • A1: “Je ne connais pas bien ce sujet. Vous pouvez m’expliquer la différence entre [Bourbons/Bonapartes] ?”

  • A2: “Historiquement, la monarchie vous intéresse pour la culture ou comme système politique ?”

  • B1: “Certains voient dans la monarchie un symbole d’unité; d’autres y voient une nostalgie. Qu’en pensez-vous ?”

  • B2: “Au-delà du folklore, la question soulève des enjeux constitutionnels. Selon vous, monarchie et démocratie sont-elles incompatibles en France ?”

  • C1/C2: “Les sondages oscillent entre curiosité et attachement républicain. Dans un contexte de crise institutionnelle, une monarchie parlementaire aurait-elle une valeur ajoutée ou resterait-elle purement symbolique ?”

(Be kind, be curious—et passez le sucre, Sire.)

Location: France

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