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FRENCH HISTORY

Who are France’s modern royalists?

You don't need to be a history expert to know that the French chopped off the head of their king - but 230 years later there are still several groups in France dedicated to the restoration of the monarchy.

Published: 9 August 2023 16:52 CEST
Who are France's modern royalists?
Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP

The French Revolution may be an extremely well-known part of history, but it’s also a lot more complicated than many people appreciate – it’s not like Louis XVI was guillotined and then France immediately became a modern democracy.

The Revolution itself was complex, ever-shifting and frequently blood-drenched and France saw several further periods of royal rule after 1793. These include a royal restoration and two self-crowned Bonapartes (remember them, they will be important later when we come on to the various modern claimants to the throne). 

The Revolution was also a very long way from being universally popular and across France people often fought for the restoration of their monarchy, with uprisings including the extremely brutal (on both sides) Vendée war that lasted from 1793 to 1796. 

Who are the modern monarchists?

Royalism no longer involves armed campaigns, but there are at least 16 active royalist or monarchist groups in France.

The best known and best supported three are Action Française, Alliance Royale and Nouvelle Action Royaliste.

They encompass people from across the political spectrum, but several of the current active groups are deemed to be far-right and monarchism is often linked with views that are far-right, anti-Semitic or both.

Action Française has been the subject of several attempts to ban their marches or rallies on the grounds of their far-right links, although a May 2023 event to honour Joan of Arc (another historical figure often claimed by the far-right) was allowed after a court overturned the ban.

What do they do? 

For most it’s a historic thing – there is a yearly gathering at the Basilica of Saint-Denis, the traditional burial place of French kings, by dedicated monarchists. Every year since 1815 royal fans gather at the Saint-Denis cathedral on January 21st to mark the anniversary of the execution of Louis XVI.

Some also take part in historical events and royal-themed costume balls.

Do most French people want a monarchy?

It’s hard to get complete figures, but it’s fair to say that monarchism is a niche pursuit in France – that anniversary service in Saint-Denis usually attracts around 400 people. 

Nevertheless, polling in 2019 suggested that around 17 percent of French people would be open to the idea of a restoration of the monarchy.

Those who vote right or far-right are most likely to want to restore the monarchy, with 2016 polling finding 37 percent of Le Pen supporters in favour and 27 percent of supporters of the centre right party.

At present the closest France has to a king is the president – a role that under the current constitution gives wide-ranging powers to the man (and it has always been a man so far) in the top job.

The current incumbent, Emmanuel Macron, once referred to the French as “a nation of regicidal monarchists” – referring to the constant desire to have a strong leader but generally hating whichever leader they do have. 

What do they want? 

Even the most die-hard monarchists are not arguing for a return to the ancien regime, in which the king had virtually unlimited power.

Most monarchist groups suggest a constitutional monarchy, with the systems in Spain, Belgium or the UK used as the model. In those countries the monarch has very little involvement in politics or government and mostly serves as a figurehead who performs ceremonial duties and welcomes visiting heads of state.

British royals, in particular, are very popular in France and you can expect extensive media coverage every time one of them gets married, dies or resigns and goes to live in California. 

‘The French have a taste for princes’ – Why are British royals so popular in France?

Who do they want?

There’s also the question of who, exactly, would become the new monarch, since royal succession is a disputed field, largely based on who you count as the ‘last’ king of France. 

There are currently three people who are considered to have credible claims – the Duke of Vendôme, known as Jean IV by his followers, is descended from Louis-Philippe, who reigned from 1830 to 1848 as the ‘restored’ king before being overthrown. Jean IV generally commands the most support from the various royalist groups.

Louis de Bourbon, Duke of Anjou (Louis XX to his followers) is a direct descendant of Louis XIV. Several members of his family came out in support of the extreme right candidate Eric Zemmour in the 2022 elections. 

And finally Jean-Christophe Napoléon, aka Prince Napoléon, descends from Napoléon Bonaparte’s brother Jerôme as well as the Emperor Napoléon III, the final sovereign before the Third Republic put an end to monarchy in France for good.

READ ALSO The 3 rivals who all claim the French throne

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CULTURE

Why is the Mona Lisa so famous (and why is it even in France)?

Being lauded as either the greatest artwork in the world or the most overrated tourist attraction in France, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa does not struggle to get attention. But why is this small portrait so famous?

Published: 17 May 2024 17:47 CEST
Why is the Mona Lisa so famous (and why is it even in France)?

Paris’ Louvre museum has recently announced that the Mona Lisa painting is to get its own room, a move that is at least partly in reaction to increasing complaints about the artwork being overrated, while tourists struggle to see it in the small, crowded space.

There aren’t many paintings that get a room of their own, so just what is it about Mona Lisa (or La Joconde as she is known in France) that attracts so many millions of tourists each year – and should you bother going to see her?

Why is it in France?

Let’s start with why the painting is in France in the first place, since both painter and subject are Italian (although Italy at that time was still a collection of city states which would not be unified into the modern country until 1861). 

In short, Mona Lisa is in France because her creator Leonardo da Vinci travelled with her, and he was in France when he died in 1519. The reason that he was in France is that he spent the last years of his life working on special commissions for king François I. He died at the Château du Clos Lucé in Amboise, in France’s Loire Valley. 

Upon his death Mona Lisa was taken into the French royal collection and various descendants of François I hung her in their palaces until the French Revolution happened in 1793.

After the Revolution, with the exception of a brief stint in Napoleon’s palace, the painting entered the collection of the newly-created Louvre gallery which – in the spirit of revolutionary equality – was opened up to the people so that they too could enjoy great art.

Various requests over the years – some polite, others less so – from Italy to return the painting have been firmly declined by the French state. 

When did it get famous?

In the 18th and 19th centuries Leonardo’s painting was a popular exhibit among museum visitors, but didn’t have any particular fame and wasn’t regarded as any more special than the numerous other artworks exhibited there.

Although some academic interest in the painting’s subject – most commonly thought to be Lisa Gherardini, wife of the Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo – stirred in the 19th century, her real fame didn’t arrive until 1911.

This is when the painting was stolen from the Louvre, a crime that became a sensation and a cause celèbre in France, even more so when the painting was finally found in 1913 after the thief had attempted to sell it in Italy.

The fame of the painting and the crime inspired contemporary artists such as Marcel Duchamp who created a playful reproduction of Mona Lisa (complete with beard and moustache) which in turn enhanced the painting’s recognition. The artistic trend continued with everyone from Andy Warhol to the ubiquitous student posters of Mona Lisa smoking a joint.

Former chairman of the French Communist Party Robert Hue views moustachioed Mona Lisa by dadaist painter Marcel Duchamp, lent out by his party for the first time for an exhibition in January 2002. Photo by NICOLAS ASFOURI / AFP

A tour of the painting to the US in 1963 and to Japan in 1974 further enhanced the celebrity status.

21st century

These days it’s perhaps accurate to say that the painting is simply famous because it’s famous. As the best-known piece of art in the world it’s automatically on many tourists’ ‘must see’ list when they come to Paris – and a lot of tourists come to Paris (roughly 44 million per year).

Meanwhile the Louvre is the most-visited museum in the world, attracting roughly 9 million visitors a year.

Although some visitors find the painting itself disappointing (it’s very small, just 77cm by 53cm) the most common complaint is that the room is too crowded – many people report that it’s so jammed with visitors that it’s hard to even see the picture never mind spend time contemplating the artwork.

Should I go and see it?

It really depends on what you like – if your taste in art is firmly in the more modern camp then you probably won’t find that this painting particularly speaks to you. You will, however, find a lot in Paris that is much more to your taste, running from the Musée d’Orsay (mostly art created between 1848 and 1914) to the Pompidou Centre (featuring contemporary and experimental art) and much, much more.

If, however, Renaissance art is your bag then you’ll struggle to find a finer example of it than Mona Lisa, with her beautiful brushwork, detailed and intriguing background and realistic presentation.

If you do decide to visit, then be prepared for the gallery to be crowded – the Louvre now operates on a pre-booking basis but even having a pre-booked ticket won’t save you from the crowds.

If possible try to avoid the summer and school holidays and prioritise weekdays over weekends – the early morning or late evening slots tend to be a little quieter than others, but you’re going to have to be prepared to share her with many other art-lovers.

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