Balthazar Napoleon IV of Bhopal: The Last Bourbon in India, Potential Heir to France's Defunct Throne?

Throughout European history, rulers placed great importance on pure lineage. Bloodline was seen as a symbol of legitimacy and divine favour. As a result, dynastic marriages and strict inheritance rules

defined royal politics. Hence, to have an Asian descendant seemed impossible. However, Balthazar Napoleon IV of Bourbon-Bhopal, 67, claims to be a descendant of the Bourbon kings. The dynasty of Bourbon kings originated in the Kingdom of France as a branch of the Capetian dynasty. They ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century.In an article published in The Guardian by Angelique Chrisafis in 2007, it was written, "This Indian father of three is being feted as the long-lost descendant of the Bourbon kings who ruled France from the 16th century to the French Revolution. A distant cousin of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, he is alleged to be not only related to the current Bourbon king of Spain and the Bourbon descendants still in France, but to have more claim than any of them to the French crown."A lawyer and part-time farmer, Balthazar is married to Elisha Pacheco, an Indian woman, and they have three children: Frederick, Michelle, and Adrian. In 2008, he told the Los Angeles Times, "I am born an Indian... but the fact of life is that I belong to the royal family of France."

The historical novel Le Rajah de Bourbon by Prince Michael of Greece traces the story of the royal ancestors of the House of Bourbon in India. Prince Michael, himself a member of the Greek royal family, wrote that "Jean de Bourbon was a nephew of the first Bourbon French king, Henry IV. In the mid-16th century Jean embarked on an action-packed adventure across the world which saw him survive assassination attempts and kidnap by pirates, to be sold at an Egyptian slave market and serve in the Ethiopian army." Although the book is a historical novel rather than an academic work, it helped revive interest in the lost Bourbon branch in India.Some time in 1560, during the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar, Jean de Bourbon arrived at his court. He served in the Mughal courts, and by the 18th century his descendants, through marriages with locals in India, had settled in the city of Bhopal in present-day Madhya Pradesh. Historical references also suggest that descendants of Jean de Bourbon continued to serve Indian princely states, through there is little written documentation to prove this. The claim has drawn both curiosity and scepticism from historians and royal enthusiasts in France, with some viewing it as a fascinating blend of legend and lost lineage. While there has been no formal recognition by European royal houses, the story continues to intrigue those interested in the unexpected links between East and West.Today, the Bourbon family of Bhopal lives modestly, far removed from royal luxury, yet they remain a respected local family with a unique legacy. His wife, Elisha, runs the Bourbon Higher Secondary School in Jahangirabad, Bhopal.