List of heirs to the French throne
The following is a list of the heirs to the throne of the Kingdom of France, that is, those who were legally next in line to assume the throne upon the death of the King.
From 987 to 1792, all heirs to the French throne were male-line descendants of Hugh Capet.
Capetian associate kings
The crown of France under the earliest Capetian monarchs was elective, not hereditary. There was no mechanism for automatic succession unless an heir was crowned as associate king, ready to step up as primary king when the previous king died. This procedure was very similar to the method by which the Germans elected a King of the Romans during the lifetime of the German monarch. The early Capetians generally made sure their sons were crowned as associate kings with them, with such success that the inheritance of the eldest son and heir to the kingship came to be accepted as a matter of right. Louis VI of France was the first king to take the throne without having been crowned in his father's time; however, his right to take the throne was initially contested.| Co-king | Relationship to Monarch | Crowned | Co-kingship ceased | Reason | Monarch |
| Robert | son | 30 December 987 | 24 October 996 | became sole king | Hugh Capet |
| Hugh Magnus | son | 19 June 1017 | 17 September 1025 | died | Robert II of France |
| Henry | son | 14 May 1027 | 20 July 1031 | became sole king | Robert II of France |
| Philip | son | 23 May 1059 | 4 August 1060 | became sole king | Henry I of France |
| Philip | son | 14 April 1129 | 13 October 1131 | died | Louis VI of France |
| Louis | son | 25 October 1131 | 1 August 1137 | became sole king | Louis VI of France |
| Philip | son | 1 November 1179 | 18 September 1180 | became sole king | Louis VII of France |
Capetian heirs by Salic succession I
After the accession of Philip II of France, the throne became de jure as well as de facto hereditary, so that on the death of the king, the legal heir became king immediately, and could exercise authority without coronation. The throne passed to the closest male heir.Heirs who actually succeeded are shown in bold type. From 1350 on, the heir apparent to the French throne was styled Dauphin. Heirs so styled are accompanied on the table below by an image of the Dauphin's coat of arms. The title was abandoned in 1791 in favor of the style Prince Royal, less than a year before the abolition of the monarchy.
| Heir | Status | Relationship to Monarch | Became heir | Became heir | Ceased to be heir | Ceased to be heir | Next in succession relation to heir, dates | Monarch |
| Heir | Status | Relationship to Monarch | Date | Reason | Date | Reason | Next in succession relation to heir, dates | Monarch |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 5 September 1187 | born | 14 July 1223 | became king | succession uncertain | Philip II of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 5 September 1187 | born | 14 July 1223 | became king | Philip son | Philip II of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 5 September 1187 | born | 14 July 1223 | became king | Louis son | Philip II of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 14 July 1223 | father became king | 8 November 1226 | became king | Robert I of Artois brother | Louis VIII of France |
| Robert I of Artois | heir presumptive | brother | 8 November 1226 | brother became king | 25 February 1244 | birth of heir | Jean Tristan brother | Louis IX of France |
| Robert I of Artois | heir presumptive | brother | 8 November 1226 | brother became king | 25 February 1244 | birth of heir | Alfonso, Count of Poitou brother | Louis IX of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 25 February 1244 | born | January 1260 | died | Robert I of Artois uncle | Louis IX of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 25 February 1244 | born | January 1260 | died | Philip brother | Louis IX of France |
| Philip | heir apparent | son | January 1260 | brother died | 25 August 1270 | became king | Jean Tristan brother | Louis IX of France |
| Philip | heir apparent | son | January 1260 | brother died | 25 August 1270 | became king | Louis son | Louis IX of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 25 August 1270 | father became king | May 1276 | died | Philip brother | Philip III of France |
| Philip | heir apparent | son | May 1276 | brother died | 5 October 1285 | became king | Charles, Count of Valois brother | Philip III of France |
| Charles, Count of Valois | heir presumptive | brother | 5 October 1285 | brother became king | 4 October 1289 | son born to king | Louis, Count of Évreux uncle | Philip IV of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 4 October 1289 | born | 29 November 1314 | became king | Charles, Count of Valois uncle | Philip IV of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 4 October 1289 | born | 29 November 1314 | became king | Philip, Count of Poitou brother | Philip IV of France |
| Philip of Poitou | heir presumptive | brother/ uncle | 29 November 1314 | brother became king | became king | Philip son | Louis X of France | |
| Philip of Poitou | heir presumptive | brother/ uncle | 29 November 1314 | brother became king | became king | Philip son | John I of France | |
| Philip | heir apparent | son | father became king | 24 March 1321 | died | Louis brother | Philip V of France | |
| Philip | heir apparent | son | father became king | 24 March 1321 | died | Charles, Count of La Marche uncle | Philip V of France | |
| Charles of La Marche | heir presumptive | brother | 24 March 1321 | king's son died | 3 January 1322 | became king | Philip son | Philip V of France |
| Philip | heir apparent | son | 3 January 1322 | father became king | 24 March 1322 | died | Charles, Count of Valois great-uncle | Charles IV of France |
| Charles of Valois | heir presumptive | uncle | 24 March 1322 | king's son died | March 1324 | son born to king | Philip son | Charles IV of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | March 1324 | born | March 1324 | died | Charles, Count of Valois great-uncle | Charles IV of France |
| Charles of Valois | heir presumptive | uncle | March 1324 | king's son died | 16 December 1325 | died | Philip son | Charles IV of France |
| Philip of Valois | heir presumptive | 1st cousin | 16 December 1325 | father died | 29 May 1328 | became king | John son | Charles IV of France |
| John | heir apparent | son | 29 May 1328 | father became king | 22 August 1350 | became king | Charles II, Count of Alençon uncle | Philip VI of France |
| John | heir apparent | son | 29 May 1328 | father became king | 22 August 1350 | became king | Louis brother | Philip VI of France |
| John | heir apparent | son | 29 May 1328 | father became king | 22 August 1350 | became king | Charles II of Alençon uncle | Philip VI of France |
| John | heir apparent | son | 29 May 1328 | father became king | 22 August 1350 | became king | John brother | Philip VI of France |
| John | heir apparent | son | 29 May 1328 | father became king | 22 August 1350 | became king | Charles II of Alençon uncle | Philip VI of France |
| John | heir apparent | son | 29 May 1328 | father became king | 22 August 1350 | became king | Philip, Duke of Orléans brother | Philip VI of France |
| John | heir apparent | son | 29 May 1328 | father became king | 22 August 1350 | became king | Charles son | Philip VI of France |
| Charles | heir apparent | son | 22 August 1350 | father became king | 8 April 1364 | became king | Louis, Count of Anjou brother | John II of France |
| Charles | heir apparent | son | 22 August 1350 | father became king | 8 April 1364 | became king | John son | John II of France |
| Charles | heir apparent | son | 22 August 1350 | father became king | 8 April 1364 | became king | Louis, Duke of Anjou brother | John II of France |
| Louis, Duke of Anjou | heir presumptive | brother | 8 April 1364 | brother became king | 7 June 1366 | son born to king | John, Duke of Berry brother | Charles V of France |
| John | heir apparent | son | 7 June 1366 | born | 21 December 1366 | died | Louis, Duke of Anjou uncle | Charles V of France |
| Louis, Duke of Anjou | heir presumptive | brother | 21 December 1366 | king's son died | 3 December 1368 | son born to king | John, Duke of Berry brother | Charles V of France |
| Charles | heir apparent | son | 3 December 1368 | born | became king | Louis, Duke of Anjou uncle | Charles V of France | |
| Charles | heir apparent | son | 3 December 1368 | born | became king | Louis brother | Charles V of France | |
| Louis I, Duke of Orléans | heir presumptive | brother | 16 September 1380 | brother became king | son born to king | Louis, Duke of Anjou uncle | Charles VI of France | |
| Louis I, Duke of Orléans | heir presumptive | brother | 16 September 1380 | brother became king | son born to king | Louis II of Naples 1st cousin | Charles VI of France | |
| Charles | heir apparent | son | 25 September 1386 | born | died | Louis I, Duke of Orléans uncle | Charles VI of France | |
| Louis I, Duke of Orléans | heir presumptive | brother | 28 December 1386 | king's son died | 6 February 1392 | son born to king | Louis II of Naples 1st cousin | Charles VI of France |
| Charles | heir apparent | son | 6 February 1392 | born | 13 January 1401 | died | Louis I, Duke of Orléans uncle | Charles VI of France |
| Charles | heir apparent | son | 6 February 1392 | born | 13 January 1401 | died | Louis brother | Charles VI of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 13 January 1401 | brother died | 18 December 1415 | died | John brother | Charles VI of France |
| John | heir apparent | son | 18 December 1415 | brother died | 5 April 1417 | died | Charles brother | Charles VI of France |
| Charles | heir apparent | son | 5 April 1417 | brother died | 21 October 1422 | became king | Charles, Duke of Orléans 1st cousin | Charles VI of France |
Lancastrian succession
On March 21, 1420, the government of Charles VI was obliged to sign the Treaty of Troyes, which provided a legal framework for the transfer of power to Henry V, King of England, who had invaded and occupied northern France, including Paris. Under the treaty, Henry, who was to marry Charles' daughter Catherine, was named as "Heir of France" and the Dauphin Charles was disinherited. The treaty was not recognized by those factions which were still at war with England, and only had legal force in English-occupied territory and, more briefly, in the Burgundian lands and in Brittany.| Heir | Status | Relationship to Monarch | Became heir | Became heir | Ceased to be heir | Ceased to be heir | Next in succession relation to heir, dates | Monarch |
| Heir | Status | Relationship to Monarch | Date | Reason | Date | Reason | Next in succession relation to heir, dates | Monarch |
| Henry V, King of England | heir apparent | son-in-law | 21 May 1420 | treaty | 31 August 1422 | died | Thomas, Duke of Clarence brother, 1420-1421 | Charles VI |
| Henry V, King of England | heir apparent | son-in-law | 21 May 1420 | treaty | 31 August 1422 | died | John, Duke of Bedford brother, Mar.-Dec. 1421 | Charles VI |
| Henry V, King of England | heir apparent | son-in-law | 21 May 1420 | treaty | 31 August 1422 | died | Henry, Duke of Cornwall son, 1421-1422 | Charles VI |
| Henry VI, King of England | heir apparent | grandson | 31 August 1422 | father died | 21 October 1422 | became king | John, Duke of Bedford uncle, Aug.-Oct. 1422 | Charles VI |
| John, Duke of Bedford Regent of France 1422-1435 | heir presumptive | uncle | 21 October 1422 | nephew became king | 14 September 1435 | died | Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester brother, 1422-1435 | Henry |
| Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester | heir presumptive | uncle | 14 September 1435 | brother died | 23 February 1447 | died | succession uncertain | Henry |
Capetian heirs by Salic succession II
In southern France, the treaty of Troyes was never regarded as valid, and Charles VII was considered to have become king upon his father's death. Given his repudiation by his father, however, his status remained uncertain until his coronation at Reims on 17 July 1429. In the following two decades Charles VII regained control of most of France; the English were finally expelled from Guienne on 19 October 1453, retaining only the port of Calais.| Heir | Status | Relationship to Monarch | Became heir | Became heir | Ceased to be heir | Ceased to be heir | Next in succession relation to heir, dates | Monarch |
| Heir | Status | Relationship to Monarch | Date | Reason | Date | Reason | Next in succession relation to heir, dates | Monarch |
| Charles d'Orléans | heir presumptive | 1st cousin | 21 October 1422 | cousin became king | 3 July 1423 | son born to king | John, Count of Angoulême brother | Charles VII of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 3 July 1423 | born | 22 July 1461 | became king | Charles d'Orléans 1st cousin +1 | Charles VII of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 3 July 1423 | born | 22 July 1461 | became king | John brother | Charles VII of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 3 July 1423 | born | 22 July 1461 | became king | Charles d'Orléans 1st cousin +1 | Charles VII of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 3 July 1423 | born | 22 July 1461 | became king | Jacques brother | Charles VII of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 3 July 1423 | born | 22 July 1461 | became king | Charles d'Orléans 1st cousin +1 | Charles VII of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 3 July 1423 | born | 22 July 1461 | became king | Charles, Duke of Berry brother | Charles VII of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 3 July 1423 | born | 22 July 1461 | became king | Louis son | Charles VII of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 3 July 1423 | born | 22 July 1461 | became king | Charles de Berry brother | Charles VII of France |
| Charles de Berry | heir presumptive | brother | 22 July 1461 | brother became king | 4 December 1466 | son born to king | Charles d'Orléans 1st cousin +1 | Louis XI of France |
| Charles de Berry | heir presumptive | brother | 22 July 1461 | brother became king | 4 December 1466 | son born to king | Louis, Duke of Orléans 2nd cousin | Louis XI of France |
| Francis | heir apparent | son | 4 December 1466 | born | 4 December 1466 | died | Charles de Berry | Louis XI of France |
| Charles de Berry | heir presumptive | brother | 4 December 1466 | king's son died | 30 June 1470 | son born to king | Louis d'Orléans 2nd cousin | Louis XI of France |
| Charles | heir apparent | son | 30 June 1470 | born | 30 August 1483 | became king | Charles de Berry uncle | Louis XI of France |
| Charles | heir apparent | son | 30 June 1470 | born | 30 August 1483 | became king | Louis d'Orléans 2nd cousin +1 | Louis XI of France |
| Charles | heir apparent | son | 30 June 1470 | born | 30 August 1483 | became king | Francis brother | Louis XI of France |
| Charles | heir apparent | son | 30 June 1470 | born | 30 August 1483 | became king | Louis d'Orléans 2nd cousin +1 | Louis XI of France |
| Louis d'Orléans | heir presumptive | 2nd cousin 1ce removed | 30 August 1483 | cousin became king | 11 October 1492 | son born to king | Charles, Count of Angoulême 1st cousin | Charles VIII of France |
| Charles-Orland | heir apparent | son | 11 October 1492 | born | 6 December 1495 | died | Louis d'Orléans 2nd cousin +2 | Charles VIII of France |
| Louis d'Orléans | heir presumptive | 2nd cousin 1ce removed | 6 December 1495 | king's son died | 8 September 1496 | son born to king | Charles of Angoulême 1st cousin | Charles VIII of France |
| Louis d'Orléans | heir presumptive | 2nd cousin 1ce removed | 6 December 1495 | king's son died | 8 September 1496 | son born to king | 1st cousin +1 | Charles VIII of France |
| Charles | heir apparent | son | 8 September 1496 | born | 2 October 1496 | died | Louis d'Orléans 2nd cousin +2 | Charles VIII of France |
| Louis d'Orléans | heir presumptive | 2nd cousin +1 | 2 October 1496 | king's son died | July 1497 | son born to king | Francis of Angoulême 1st cousin +1 | Charles VIII of France |
| Francis | heir apparent | son | July 1497 | born | early 1498 | died | Louis d'Orléans 2nd cousin +2 | Charles VIII of France |
| Louis d'Orléans | heir presumptive | 2nd cousin +1 | early 1498 | king's son died | 7 April 1498 | became king | Francis of Angoulême 1st cousin +1 | Charles VIII of France |
| Francis of Angoulême | heir presumptive | 1st cousin +1 | 7 April 1498 | cousin became king | 1 January 1515 | became king | Charles IV, Duke of Alençon 5th cousin+1 | Louis XII of France |
| Charles of Alençon | heir presumptive | 5th cousin -1 | 1 January 1515 | cousin became king | 28 February 1518 | son born to king | Charles III, Duke of Bourbon 7th cousin | Francis I of France |
| Francis | heir apparent | son | 28 February 1518 | born | 10 August 1536 | died | Charles of Alençon 5th cousin +2 | Francis I of France |
| Francis | heir apparent | son | 28 February 1518 | born | 10 August 1536 | died | Henry brother | Francis I of France |
| Henry | heir apparent | son | 10 August 1536 | king's son died | 31 March 1547 | became king | Charles, Duke of Orléans brother | Francis I of France |
| Henry | heir apparent | son | 10 August 1536 | king's son died | 31 March 1547 | became king | Francis son | Francis I of France |
| Francis | heir apparent | son | 31 March 1547 | father became king | 10 July 1559 | became king | Antoine, Duke of Vendôme 8th cousin -2 | Henry II of France |
| Francis | heir apparent | son | 31 March 1547 | father became king | 10 July 1559 | became king | Louis, Duke of Orléans brother | Henry II of France |
| Francis | heir apparent | son | 31 March 1547 | father became king | 10 July 1559 | became king | Antoine of Vendôme 8th cousin -2 | Henry II of France |
| Francis | heir apparent | son | 31 March 1547 | father became king | 10 July 1559 | became king | Charles brother | Henry II of France |
| Charles | heir presumptive | brother | 10 July 1559 | brother became king | 5 December 1560 | became king | Henry brother | Francis II of France |
| Henry | heir presumptive | brother | 5 December 1560 | brother became king | 30 May 1574 | became king | Hercules Francis, Duke of Anjou brother | Charles IX of France |
| Francis of Anjou | heir presumptive | brother | 30 May 1574 | brother became king | 19 June 1584 | died | Henry of Navarre 9th cousin -1 | Henry III of France |
| Henry of Navarre | heir presumptive | 9th cousin +1 | 19 June 1584 | king's brother died | 2 August 1589 | became king | Charles, Cardinal de Bourbon uncle | Henry III of France |
| Charles, Cardinal Bourbon | heir presumptive | uncle | 2 August 1589 | nephew became king | 9 May 1590 | died | Henry, prince of Condé great-grandnephew | Henry IV of France |
| Henry de Condé | heir presumptive | 1st cousin +2 | 9 May 1590 | great-granduncle died | son born to king | Francis, prince of Conti uncle | Henry IV of France | |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | born | 14 May 1610 | became king | Henry de Condé 2nd cousin+1 | Henry IV of France | |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | born | 14 May 1610 | became king | Nicolas Henry, Duke of Orléans brother | Henry IV of France | |
| Nicolas Henry, Duke of Orléans | heir presumptive | brother | 14 May 1610 | brother became king | 17 November 1611 | died | Gaston, Duke of Orléans brother | Louis XIII of France |
| Gaston, Duke of Orléans | heir presumptive | brother | 17 November 1611 | brother died | 5 September 1638 | son born to king | Henry de Condé 2nd cousin +1 | Louis XIII of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 5 September 1638 | born | 14 May 1643 | became king | Gaston d'Orléans uncle | Louis XIII of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 5 September 1638 | born | 14 May 1643 | became king | Philippe, Duke of Orléans brother | Louis XIII of France |
| Philippe de France | heir presumptive | brother | 14 May 1643 | brother became king | 1 November 1661 | son born to king | Gaston d'Orléans uncle | Louis XIV of France |
| Philippe de France | heir presumptive | brother | 14 May 1643 | brother became king | 1 November 1661 | son born to king | Louis, Prince de Condé 3rd cousin +1 | Louis XIV of France |
| Louis Le Grand Dauphin | heir apparent | son | 1 November 1661 | born | 14 April 1711 | died | Philippe de France uncle | Louis XIV of France |
| Louis Le Grand Dauphin | heir apparent | son | 1 November 1661 | born | 14 April 1711 | died | Philip Charles, Duke of Anjou brother | Louis XIV of France |
| Louis Le Grand Dauphin | heir apparent | son | 1 November 1661 | born | 14 April 1711 | died | Philippe de France uncle | Louis XIV of France |
| Louis Le Grand Dauphin | heir apparent | son | 1 November 1661 | born | 14 April 1711 | died | Louis François, Duke of Anjou brother | Louis XIV of France |
| Louis Le Grand Dauphin | heir apparent | son | 1 November 1661 | born | 14 April 1711 | died | Philippe de France uncle | Louis XIV of France |
| Louis Le Grand Dauphin | heir apparent | son | 1 November 1661 | born | 14 April 1711 | died | Louis, Duke of Burgundy son | Louis XIV of France |
| Louis Le Petit Dauphin | heir apparent | grandson | 14 April 1711 | father died | 18 February 1712 | died | Louis, Duke of Brittany son | Louis XIV of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | great-grandson | 18 February 1712 | father died | 8 March 1712 | died | Louis brother | Louis XIV of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | great-grandson | 8 March 1712 | brother died | 1 September 1715 | became king | Philip V of Spain uncle | Louis XIV of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | great-grandson | 8 March 1712 | brother died | 1 September 1715 | became king | Charles, Duke of Berry uncle | Louis XIV of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | great-grandson | 8 March 1712 | brother died | 1 September 1715 | became king | Philippe d'Orléans 1st cousin -2 | Louis XIV of France |
| Philippe d'Orléans Regent of France 1715-1723 | heir presumptive | 1st cousin -2 | 1 September 1715 | cousin became king | 2 December 1723 | died | Louis d'Orléans son | Louis XV of France |
| Louis d'Orléans | heir presumptive | 2nd cousin -1 | 2 December 1723 | father died | 4 September 1729 | son born to king | Louis Henry, Prince de Condé 5th cousin +2 | Louis XV of France |
| Louis d'Orléans | heir presumptive | 2nd cousin -1 | 2 December 1723 | father died | 4 September 1729 | son born to king | Louis Philippe d'Orléans son | Louis XV of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 4 September 1729 | born | 20 December 1765 | died | Louis d'Orléans 2nd cousin -2 | Louis XV of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 4 September 1729 | born | 20 December 1765 | died | Philip brother | Louis XV of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 4 September 1729 | born | 20 December 1765 | died | Louis d'Orléans 2nd cousin -2 | Louis XV of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 4 September 1729 | born | 20 December 1765 | died | Louis son | Louis XV of France |
| Louis | heir apparent | son | 4 September 1729 | born | 20 December 1765 | died | Louis-Auguste son | Louis XV of France |
| Louis-Auguste | heir apparent | grandson | 20 December 1765 | father died | 10 May 1774 | became king | Louis, Count of Provence brother | Louis XV of France |
| Louis, Count of Provence | heir presumptive | brother | 10 May 1774 | brother became king | 22 October 1781 | son born to king | Charles, Count of Artois brother | Louis XVI of France |
| Louis Joseph | heir apparent | son | 22 October 1781 | born | 4 June 1789 | died | Louis, Count of Provence uncle | Louis XVI of France |
| Louis Joseph | heir apparent | son | 22 October 1781 | born | 4 June 1789 | died | Louis-Charles brother | Louis XVI of France |
| Louis Charles | heir apparent | son | 4 June 1789 | brother died | 21 September 1792 | monarchy abolished | Louis, Count of Provence uncle | Louis XVI of France |
Following the abolition of the monarchy of France by the French National Convention, Louis XVI and his family were held in confinement. Louis XVI was found guilty by the Convention of treason against the state, and was executed on 21 January 1793. The Dauphin Louis-Charles was thereafter proclaimed "Louis XVII of France" by French royalists, but was kept confined and never reigned. He died of illness on 8 June 1795.
Louis-Stanislas-Xavier, Count of Provence, was subsequently proclaimed "Louis XVIII", but was in exile from France and powerless.
Bonaparte succession: First Empire
France passed through a series of republican regimes until a hereditary monarchy was restored in the person of Napoleon Bonaparte, who was proclaimed hereditary Emperor of the French on 20 May 1804. The succession law promulgated at the same time also demanded a Salic succession, in which Napoleon was to be succeeded by, first, his own legitimate offspring, then his elder brother Joseph Bonaparte and his descendants, and finally his younger brother Louis Bonaparte and his descendants. The title of the heir apparent of the First Empire was King of Rome.| Heir | Status | Relationship to Monarch | Became heir | Became heir | Ceased to be heir | Ceased to be heir | Next in succession relation to heir, dates | Monarch |
| Heir | Status | Relationship to Monarch | Date | Reason | Date | Reason | Next in succession relation to heir, dates | Monarch |
| Joseph Bonaparte | heir presumptive | elder brother | 20 May 1804 | Empire proclaimed | 20 March 1811 | son born to Emperor | Louis Bonaparte brother | Napoleon I |
| Napoleon Francis King of Rome | heir apparent | son | 20 March 1811 | born | 6 April 1814 | abdication of Napoleon I end of the Empire | Joseph Bonaparte uncle | Napoleon I |
Napoleon I was defeated by an alliance of most of the other European powers, and abdicated unconditionally, for himself and his son, on 6 April 1814 and went into exile.
Restored Bourbon succession I
On 6 April 1814, the Senate of the French Empire summoned Louis Stanislas Xavier, Count of Provence—already styling himself "Louis XVIII"—to become head of a restored, but constitutional, French monarchy. Louis' younger brother, Charles, Count of Artois, came to Paris on 12 April and was appointed Lieutenant-General of the realm; Louis himself returned on 3 May, and on 4 June he authorized the publication of a constitution for France by which he became a constitutional monarch. With the acceptance of this constitution we can say that the monarchy was resumed, although by royalist principles the Republican and Imperial governments of 1792-1814 had all been illegitimate, and the monarchy itself had never ceased.| Heir | Status | Relationship to Monarch | Became heir | Became heir | Ceased to be heir | Ceased to be heir | Next in succession relation to heir, dates | Monarch |
| Heir | Status | Relationship to Monarch | Date | Reason | Date | Reason | Next in succession relation to heir, dates | Monarch |
| Charles, Count of Artois | heir presumptive | brother | 4 June 1814 | brother became king | 19 March 1815 | fall of royal government | Louis-Antoine, Duke of Angoulême son | Louis XVIII of France |
On 1 March 1815, however, Napoleon returned to France. With Napoleon I within miles of the capital, Louis XVIII and all his family fled Paris on 19 March, and for the next several months they remained in exile, until the victory of Waterloo allowed them to return.
Restored Bonaparte succession
On 20 March Napoleon entered Paris and once again proclaimed the Empire. Although the Imperial Constitution was amended in a more democratic direction, the hereditary office of Emperor and the succession laws remained unchanged.| Heir | Status | Relationship to Monarch | Became heir | Became heir | Ceased to be heir | Ceased to be heir | Next in succession relation to heir, dates | Monarch |
| Heir | Status | Relationship to Monarch | Date | Reason | Date | Reason | Next in succession relation to heir, dates | Monarch |
| Napoleon Francis King of Rome | heir apparent | son | 20 March 1815 | Empire re-proclaimed | 22 June 1815 | nominally became Emperor | Joseph Bonaparte uncle | Napoleon I of France |
| Joseph Bonaparte | heir presumptive | uncle | 22 June 1815 | nephew became Emperor | 7 July 1815 | end of Empire | Louis Bonaparte brother | Napoleon II of France |
This restored First Empire lasted until 22 June 1815, when Napoleon abdicated again, this time in favor of a regency on behalf of his son. The nominal reign of Napoleon II lasted no longer than until 7 July 1815, when an Allied army occupied Paris. Napoleon I was now exiled to the Atlantic island of St. Helena, where he died a prisoner 5 May 1821. Napoleon II continued to live under close observation in Vienna until he died of tuberculosis 22 July 1832. Neither Joseph nor Louis Bonaparte ever made any effort on behalf of the imperial claims that had descended to them.
Restored Bourbon succession II
On July 8 Louis XVIII returned to Paris. Government was resumed under the 1814 Constitution as before.| Heir | Status | Relationship to Monarch | Became heir | Became heir | Ceased to be heir | Ceased to be heir | Next in succession relation to heir, dates | Monarch |
| Heir | Status | Relationship to Monarch | Date | Reason | Date | Reason | Next in succession relation to heir, dates | Monarch |
| Charles, Count of Artois | heir presumptive | brother | 8 July 1815 | resumption of royal government | 16 September 1824 | became king | Louis-Antoine, Duke of Angoulême son | Louis XVIII of France |
| Louis-Antoine, Duke of Angoulême | heir apparent | son | 16 September 1824 | father became king | 2 August 1830 | father abdicated/ technically became king | Henry, Duke of Bordeaux nephew | Charles X of France |
Charles X's attempt in July 1830 to suspend the Charter of 1814 prompted a revolution. After several days of violence at the end of July and the beginning of August, Charles and his son fled Paris and signed an instrument of abdication. The intended beneficiary of the abdication was Charles' grandson Henry, Duke of Bordeaux, a child of 9.
Orléans succession
After several days of discussion, the French Chamber of Deputies chose to ignore the instrument and instead proclaimed Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, as King on 9 August 1830.Under the Orléans régime, the style Dauphin was not used for the heir apparent to the French throne; he was called instead Prince Royal, in accordance with the 1791-1792 usage.
| Heir | Status | Relationship to Monarch | Became heir | Became heir | Ceased to be heir | Ceased to be heir | Next in succession relation to heir, dates | Monarch |
| Heir | Status | Relationship to Monarch | Date | Reason | Date | Reason | Next in succession relation to heir, dates | Monarch |
| Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans | heir apparent | son | 9 August 1830 | father elected king | 13 July 1842 | died | Louis, Duke of Nemours brother | Louis-Philippe of France |
| Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans | heir apparent | son | 9 August 1830 | father elected king | 13 July 1842 | died | Philippe, comte de Paris son | Louis-Philippe of France |
| Philippe, comte de Paris | heir apparent | grandson | 13 July 1842 | father died | 24 February 1848 | abdication of Louis-Philippe | Robert, Duke of Chartres brother | Louis-Philippe of France |
After a further revolutionary upheaval in 1848, Louis-Philippe abdicated on 24 February in favor of his grandson Philippe. The choice of Philippe was not accepted by the Chamber of Deputies, and instead the monarchy was abolished and a new Republic declared.
Bonaparte succession: Second Empire
The Second Republic elected as its president Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, son of Napoleon I's brother Louis Bonaparte. President Bonaparte overthrew the Republic by internal coup d'état on 2 December 1851; exactly one year later, following a plebiscite, he converted himself into an Emperor, Napoleon III—considering the brief reign of "Napoleon II" in 1815 as valid.The succession laws were similar to those of the First Empire, except that Jérôme Bonaparte and his male-line male descendants were, by special decree, eligible for the succession, following the descendants of Napoleon III himself.
The heir apparent of the Emperor was titled Prince Imperial, parallel to the Orléans title of Prince Royal.
| Heir | Status | Relationship to Monarch | Became heir | Became heir | Ceased to be heir | Ceased to be heir | Next in succession relation to heir, dates | Monarch |
| Heir | Status | Relationship to Monarch | Date | Reason | Date | Reason | Next in succession relation to heir, dates | Monarch |
| Jérôme Bonaparte | heir presumptive | uncle | 18 December 1852 | Imperial decree | 16 March 1856 | son born to Emperor | Napoléon Joseph Charles Paul Bonaparte son | Napoleon III |
| Louis Napoléon, Prince Imperial | heir apparent | son | 16 March 1856 | born | 4 September 1870 | Third Republic declared | Jérôme Bonaparte great-uncle | Napoleon III |
| Louis Napoléon, Prince Imperial | heir apparent | son | 16 March 1856 | born | 4 September 1870 | Third Republic declared | Napoléon Joseph Charles Paul Bonaparte 1st cousin -1 | Napoleon III |
With the failure of the Imperial army at the Battle of Sedan in the Franco-Prussian War, Napoleon III was captured and his government collapsed. Two days after the battle a Third Republic was declared which would last for seventy years. The Imperial family went into exile. France would never again be ruled by a hereditary monarch.