Indian lays claim to ‘Duke of France’ title

[MirBadshah]

Indian lays claim to ‘Duke of France’ title


BHOPAL: Balthazar Napoleon de Bourbon III, a lawyer who lives in the heart of India, is so convinced he is the true heir to France’s King Henri IV that he wants the title “Duke of France”.

The family of the rotund 48-year-old landowner settled in Bhopal in 1775 and he has long promoted his lineage dating back to the rulers of France and Spain. His house is even emblazoned with a brass sign that reads “House of Bourbon”, set above a fleur-de-lis.

The heraldic crest of the French monarchy also decorates his furniture, business cards and cuff-links. “I have always been instilled with the idea that I belong to a noble and royal family,” he told AFP in an interview.

But Balthazar has been galvanized in his search for recognition and a real title by the research of Prince Michael of Greece into a cousin of Henri IV. Prince Michael’s French book “Le Rajah Bourbon”, published this year, confirmed for Balthazar what he says he knew all along - he is the most likely surviving heir to the throne.

He admits to not speaking a word of French, to never even setting foot in the country. Balthazar is however a Catholic, his ancestors built a fine church here and his children are called Frederic, Michelle and Adrien. He also harbours a strong desire “to go to Versailles castle”. afp

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?p...6-4-2007_pg4_21
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[Adux]

Mir,

Not in Military section.

 

[MirBadshah]

MODS please move it to appropriate section.

 

[Skull-Buster]

what can i say??? lol...

 

[MirBadshah]

Yes, they do moderation job on forum but have never any words for "delusion".

It wont be a surprise if some of them tommorow start claiming to be from British Royale Family, after all Britan was ruling India, it makes more sense.

 

[Adux]

Mir,

That dude lucky SOB, is going to France, it has been proved that he is a decendent of the French Kings after DNA testing in France.

I am not doing an MOD's job, Do you think this deserves a place in International Military section or Social Section

 

[MirBadshah]

Would you like to provide a link about this DAN stuff?

 

[Adux]

DAN Stuff? I will google it, It was already in this forum somewhere

 

[Bushroda]

Here is the actual story. Its not that he claimed in thin air. He actually is the heir.

Indian heir to the French crown
SUSAN BELL
IN PARIS

AN INDIAN lawyer called Balthazar Napoleon de Bourbon is first in line to the lost French throne, according to a new book by Prince Michael of Greece.

Mr de Bourbon's royal lineage is explained in Le Rajah de Bourbon, meaning The Bourbon Raj, which recounts the swashbuckling adventures of his ancestor Jean-Philippe de Bourbon, a nephew of King Henri IV, who arrived in India in 1560.

He was forced to leave France after a duel and following a series of adventures - involving pirates, slave-traders and Oriental princesses - he arrived in Goa in India, where he became a powerful figure at the Mogul court.

Mr de Bourbon, 48, a jovial father of three, does not live in a chateau befitting a dauphin, but in a simple house in a suburb of Bhopal, the Indian city where his family have lived since 1775.

However, his home is set apart from his neighbours by the brass plaque on the facade bearing an imposing fleur de lys, emblem of French royalty, and the inscription "Maison Bourbon".

The part-time farmer has never been to France and does not speak the language, but his walls are decorated with framed pictures of the Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles, and his children have French names.

According to Prince Michael, who is a member of the Bourbon line, the lawyer is not only the executed Louis XVI's closest living relative, but also a cousin of Prince Philip. He also has the best claim to the lapsed French throne.

"If I am right then Balthazar Bourbon would be the eldest in the line," Prince Michael said.

"This is the cherry on the cake. Mr Bourbon is head of a decent, dignified, middle-class Indian family."

Prince Michael hopes that a DNA test can be carried out, possibly using a lock of Bourbon hair, to prove the claim.

Mr de Bourbon remains modest about the "hypothetical question" of whether he is heir to the throne. "I have always been inculcated with the idea that I belong to a noble and royal family, [but] I am fully aware that France is a democracy," he said, stressing he is not seeking the crown.

"People might believe that I am going to rock the boat because I am Indian. But I am not claiming any riches in France. What counts for me, are the family ties. People must know that a descendent of Jean-Philippe is still alive."

He joked about his family's lost fortune. "Economically, I am the weak link in the family... Bourbons on the rocks."

After a visit from Prince Michael, he is considering making his first trip to Paris. "Daddy was just delighted," said daughter Michelle, 16. "It was the first time he met another Bourbon."

Illustrious ancestry and life on the run

BALTHAZAR Napoleon de Bourbon III can trace his ancestry back to Jean-Philippe de Bourbon, the hot-blooded son of Connetable de Bourbon.

He was the cousin of Henri IV, the first Bourbon king, who came to power in 1589 and was reputed to have more than 60 mistresses and 11 illegitimate children.

According to Prince Michael's historical novel The Bourbon Raj, Jean-Philippe embarked on his swashbuckling adventures after being forced to leave France in the mid-16th century after killing a nobleman during a duel.

He fled to Spain, but found no safe refuge and was kidnapped by pirates.

He then escaped to Egypt, where he was captured once again and sold at the Cairo slave market to the army.

However, he became the protégé of the Pacha of Egypt and served in the Ottoman and Ethiopian armies, seducing several Oriental princesses along the way.

He was once again forced to flee, escaping his rivals by travelling to Goa, in India.

There he turned up at the court of the Mogul Emperor Akbar in 1560, marrying his sister-in-law.

He become an Indian raja and founded a long line of Indian Bourbons.

The family settled in Agra and then in Delhi, where Jean-Philippe learned he was the eldest of the Maison de France and next in line to the throne.

However, Jean-Philippe renounced his rights and his descendants moved to Bhopal in 1775, later becoming the region's administrators.

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=572722007

 

[MirBadshah]

DAN Stuff? I will google it, It was already in this forum somewhere

Stop spelling check and moderation, you are not a "software"............lol

I was asking where you got that DNA story and any link about that?

 

[Skull-Buster]

the next president of the united states will also be an indian.

 

[Contrarian]

Or atleast an Indian American

 

[Bushroda]

Or atleast an Indian American

I wouldn't mind that.. there are already many ethnic Indians as heads of states. Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago.. Singapore had an ethnic Indian president. Some day may be even US.

 

[Contrarian]

Not to mention that NRI's have started to become involved in American politics. All in all, i think having every third Indian relative in the US would pay off well. The Indian population in the US is also growing at a very fast rate. A very attractive votebank in some areas.

It would pay dividents too, brain drain should have some positive results too.

 

[A.Rahman]

Or atleast an Indian American

Before that they will need to elect African American as president.