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{{Short description|Indian pretender to the throne of the Kingdom of France since 1978}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Balthazar Napoléon IV
| title =
| image = Prince Adrian, Princess Elisha, Prince Balthazar IV and Princess Michelle (cropped).JPG
| caption = Balthazar Napoléon IV, by Thubten Namdrol, 2013
| succession = [[Bourbons of India|Bourbon-Bhopal]] pretender to the [[List of French monarchs|French throne]]
| reign-type = Tenure
| reign = 9 October 1978 – present
| predecessor = Salvador III
| suc-type = Heir apparent
| successor = Frederick, Duke of Shergar
| full name = Balthazar Napoléon IV de Bourbon
| house = [[Bourbons of India|Bourbon-Bhopal]]
| father = Salvador III de Bourbon
| mother = Mary Matilde Green
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1958|07|29|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Bhopal]], India
| christening_date =
| christening_place =
| death_date = 
| death_place =
| burial_date =
| burial_place =
| religion = [[Catholic Church|Catholicism]]
| occupation = Lawyer, part-time farmer
| spouse = Elisha Pacheco
| issue = Frederick de Bourbon, Duke of Shergar<br />Michelle de Bourbon<br />Adrian de Bourbon
| website = 
| module =
}}

'''Balthazar Napoléon IV de Bourbon''' (born 29 July 1957) is an [[Indian people|Indian]] lawyer and farmer, who claims to be the senior descendant of the [[House of Bourbon]] and is thus the [[pretender]] to the throne of the defunct [[Kingdom of France]].

==Bourbon claim==
His family, the "[[Bourbons of India]]", claim to be legitimate descendants of the [[House of Bourbon]], descended from Jean Philippe de Bourbon, [[Count of Clermont-en-Beauvaisis]], an exiled French noble who served in [[Mughal Emperor]] [[Akbar]]'s court, and was allegedly the son of [[Charles III, Duke of Bourbon]]. The family is also known as "Bourbon-Bhopal", a name derived from the city of [[Bhopal]] in central India where their last few generations have resided and worked in the royal court of the [[Princely State|princely]] [[Bhopal State]]. Balthazar Napoleon IV, the current head of the family, is a lawyer and a part-time farmer by profession. He is married to Elisha Pacheco and has three children: Frederick, Michelle, and Adrian. His mission is "to preserve for history the political, cultural and religious contribution of the Bourbons of India in the subcontinent and prevent this important contribution from being relegated to a footnote in history books."<ref>[http://www.bourbon-bhopal.org Bourbon-Bhopal, The Royal "House of Bourbon" in India] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104204441/http://www.bourbon-bhopal.org/ |date=4 January 2019 }} official website</ref>

In his historical novel, ''Le Rajah Bourbon'',{{sfn|Michel de Grèce|2007}} the publication of which spurred a renewed interest in this claim to the French throne, [[Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark]] claimed that Balthazar Napoleon IV is the eldest in line to the [[List of heirs to the French throne|French throne]], offering a speculative biography of Jean Philippe, also claiming Jean Philippe was the nephew of [[Henry IV of France|Henry IV]].<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/mar/03/india.france Found in India the last king of France], 2 March 2007, ''[[The Guardian]]''</ref><ref>[http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/local-news/the-next-king-of-france-an-indian-990208.amp The next King of France? An Indian!], 21 August 2007, ''[[Manchester Evening News]]''</ref><ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-jan-10-fg-bourbon10-story.html Bourbon of Indian vintage], 10 January 2008, ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''</ref><ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/The-lost-Bourbon-in-India/article13935645.ece The lost Bourbon, in India], 4 March 2007, ''[[The Hindu]]''</ref> Prince Michael of Greece said he would be willing to organize a [[DNA test]] to verify de Bourbon's claim of kinship, "perhaps from a surviving lock of Bourbon hair".<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-jan-10-fg-bourbon10-story.html Bourbon of Indian vintage], 10 January 2008, ''Los Angeles Times''</ref><ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/The-lost-Bourbon-in-India/article13935645.ece The lost Bourbon, in India] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220081430/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/The-lost-Bourbon-in-India/article13935645.ece |date=20 February 2018 }}, 4 March 2007, [[The Hindu]]</ref> Balthazar Napoleon stated that he was ready to undergo the DNA test, but he said he wanted to know "if the original samples will be available for matching since there were frequent inter-marriages among European royal families."<ref>[http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-heir-to-france-s-bourbon-rulers-loves-india-1083440 Heir to France's Bourbon rulers loves India] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906230521/http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-heir-to-france-s-bourbon-rulers-loves-india-1083440 |date=6 September 2017 }}, 7 March 2007, [[DNA India]]</ref>

On 22 May 2013, the Ambassador of France to India visited Bhopal and met with Balthazar of Bourbon at a function and in a statement declared, "It is extraordinary to have a Bourbon here today!"<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ambafrance-in.org/April-2013-Note-from-the-Consul |title=April 2013 - Note from the Consul General |work=Consulate General of France in Bombay |access-date=6 August 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130615183153/http://www.ambafrance-in.org/April-2013-Note-from-the-Consul |archive-date=15 June 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/France-for-better-ties-with-MP/articleshow/19119705.cms |title='France for better ties with MP' |website=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=26 January 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130615183230/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-03-22/bhopal/37936002_1_balthazar-napoleon-baroque-music-laxmikant-sharma |archive-date=15 June 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> Balthazar Napoleon has reportedly stated he will not move to France, nor seek citizenship there.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/King-of-France-wants-to-live-in-India/articleshow/1724412.cms|title='King' of France wants to live in India|newspaper=The Times of India|date=5 March 2007|accessdate=20 April 2019}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of heirs to the French throne]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

=== Bibliography ===
* {{Cite news|ref=CITEREFAFP2007a|agency=[[Agence France-Presse]]|date=15 April 2007a|title=Indian lays claim to 'Duke of France' title|url=http://www.france24.com/france24Public/en/administration/afp-news.html?id=070415022148.j83uokuv&cat=null|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928040250/http://www.france24.com/france24Public/en/administration/afp-news.html?id=070415022148.j83uokuv&cat=null|archive-date=28 September 2007}}
* {{Cite news|title=Un Indien serait en tête des héritiers au trône de France|first=Marie-France|last=Calle|date=14 October 2007|work=Le Figaro |location=France|url=http://lefigaro.fr./international/2007/08/20/01003-20070820ARTFIG90091-un_indien_serait_en_tete_des_heritiers_au_trone_de_france.php|language=French}}
* {{Cite news|first=Angelique|last=Chrisafis|title=Found in India: the last king of France|work=The Guardian |location=UK|date=3 March 2007|url=http://guardian.co.uk./world/2007/mar/03/india.france}}
* {{Cite news|first=Nicolas|last=Revise|date=12 April 2007|title=Balthazar Napoléon III, le Bourbon 'made in India' se rêve en duc de France|agency=[[Agence France-Presse]]|language=French|work=Aujourd'hui l'Inde|url=http://inde.aujourdhuilemonde.com./balthazar-napoleon-iii-le-bourbon-made-india-se-reve-en-duc-de-france}}
* {{Cite news|ref=CITEREFTelegraph2007a|title=Lost in France, found in India|work=The Telegraph |location=Kolkota, India |url=http://telegraphindia.com./1070305/asp/nation/story_7469891.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070307102122/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070305/asp/nation/story_7469891.asp|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 March 2007|date=5 March 2007a}}
* {{Cite news|ref=CITEREFTimes2006a|title=France's king without a crown in India|agency=[[Agence France-Presse]]|date=10 January 2006a|url=http://taipeitimes.com./News/feat/archives/2006/01/10/2003288377/2|work=[[Taipei Times]]}}

== Further reading ==

=== Fiction ===
* {{Cite book|last=Michel de Grèce|authorlink=Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark|title=Le Rajah Bourbon|publisher=Jean-Claude Lattès|date=March 2007|isbn=978-2-7096-2922-5}}

=== Non-fiction ===
* {{Cite book|title=Les Bourbons de l'Inde: souvenirs de Salvadore de Bourbon|first=Salvadore|last=de Bourbon|editor=Lucien Jailloux|others=Mickaël Le Guen, translator|publisher=Christian|year=2003|isbn=978-2-86496-095-9}}
* {{Cite web|first=Andre|last=Decloitre|work=Généalogies Royales et Princières|title=Généalogie de la Maison Royale de France – Troisième branche: les Bourbons|year=2010|url=http://www.genroy.fr./bourbon.htm|language=French}}
* {{cite news|title=House of the Bourbons: A Branch of the former French royal family lives with its glorious past and obscure present|first=Bharat|last=Desai|work=[[India Today]]|volume=21|issue=1|publisher=Thomson Living Media India Ltd|date=15 March 1996|pages=13 et seq}}
* {{Cite news|work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|url=http://time.com./time/magazine/article/0,9171,1597249,00.html|title=The Bourbon of Bhopal|first=Ishaan|last=Tharoor|date=8 March 2007|access-date=6 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130824150243/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1597249,00.html|archive-date=24 August 2013|url-status=dead}}
* {{Cite book|title=La maison de Bourbon: 1256–2004|volume=4|series=Nouvelle histoire généalogique de l'auguste maison de France|first=Patrick|last=van Kerrebrouck|edition=2nd|year=2004|isbn=978-2-9501509-5-0|language=French}}
* {{Cite book|title=Les prétendants au trône de France|first1=Raoul|last1=de Warren|first2=Aymon|last2=de Lestrange|authorlink1=Raoul de Warren|publisher=L'Herne|year=1990|isbn=978-2-85197-281-1|pages=135–136|language=French}}

==External links==
* [http://www.bourbon-bhopal.org Bourbon-Bhopal, The Royal "House of Bourbon" in India] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104204441/http://www.bourbon-bhopal.org/ |date=4 January 2019 }} official website
* {{cite web |last=Marek |first=Miroslav |url=http://genealogy.euweb.cz/capet/capet37.html |title= Jean Philippe, a courtier of the khan, 1525 |publisher= Genealogy.EU}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bourbon, Balthazar Napoleon IV de}}
[[Category:1958 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:People from Bhopal]]
[[Category:Pretenders to the French throne]]

Balthazar Napoléon IV de Bourbon - Revision history

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