Bourbon-Busset
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bourbon-Busset family is a dubious branch of the direct House of Bourbon, being thus part of the Capetian dynasty. It has been regarded as an illegitimate branch, and non-dynastic since decisions by Louis XI of France. Possibly it is however canonically legitimate, in which case it is the most senior extant male-line branch of the Capetians, and senior to the current royal Bourbons.
Its head possesses the title comte de Busset since the marriage of the first Bourbon-Busset in late 15th century.
The line of Bourbon-Busset descends in male line from the son of Louis de Bourbon, Bishop of Liège (1438-1482), himself a son of Peter I, Duke of Bourbon (1310 – 1356).
Louis de Bourbon, later Bishop of Liège, in male line a sixth cousin of king Charles VII of France, married, without royal licence, Catherine d'Egmont, daughter of Arnold, Duke of Gelderland. Either from this marriage or from a mistress of bishop Louis de Bourbon, a son was born, who then married the heiress of the Barony of Busset and was elevated to the title of Count of Busset.
Although the marriage between bishop Louis de Bourbon and Catherine of Guelders took place before Louis was consecrated as a priest (which would have made it canonically impossible for him to marry), it was kept secret, being against the interests of Bishop Louis' distant cousin King Louis XI, whose alliances in Low Countries were not compatible with the Egmont family. The King thus annulled the marriage, declaring any children of the marriage illegitimate. It remains a matter of debate as to whether the King was legally capable of bastardising children born of a lawfully consecrated marriage, and whether the customs of the Kingdom permitted him to bar canonically legitimate children from the succession.
However, mediaeval records and chronicles are unclear as to whether Louis and Catherine produced any surviving descent in the male line; evidence just as easily suggests that the Bourbon-Bussets derived from an entirely uncanonical affair between Louis de Bourbon and a mistress.
Members of the Bourbon-Busset family later gained the titles of Counts of Chalus and Lignieres. The daughter and heiress of Cesare Borgia, Duke of Valentinois, married a Count of Busset.
When the Valois-Angouleme branch on the throne was nearing its end in 16th century, Antoine de Bourbon, Duke of Vendome was recognized as the premier prince du sang, first prince of blood royal of France, although he only descended from Jacques de Bourbon, Count of La Marche (1315 – 1362), the younger brother of duke Peter I of Bourbon. Were the Bourbon-Busset legitimate, the position of the premier prince would have belonged to the then Count of Busset instead of Duke Antoine. However, what is certain is that the Bourbon-Bussets - believing themselves to be an illegitimate line, either in law or fact - never claimed the position, and played no particular role in the subsequent events, which were almost a civil war in France between protestants and catholics.
Similarly, upon the death of Henry III of France, were the Bourbon-Busset a legitimate dynastical line, the crown should have passed to César de Bourbon-Busset (1565–1630), in male line the late king's 10th cousin. However, César de Bourbon, Count of Busset never claimed the crown, and played no particular role when king Henry III of Navarre, his agnatic 7th cousin once removed, Antoine's son, became king Henry IV of France and César's liege lord.
[edit] Modern era
The senior male-line descendant of the Bourbon-Busset recently was the French writer Jacques de Bourbon Busset (1912 – 2001), member of the French Academy. President Charles de Gaulle was once quoted telling him: "Had it not been for the decision of King Louis XI, you might well be head of state of France today, instead of me."
Madeleine de Bourbon-Busset (1898-1984), daughter of a Count of Lignieres, Jacques' distant cousin, married in 1927 a royal Bourbon relative, Prince Xavier of Bourbon-Parma; they were the parents of Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma. As wife of Xavier, Madeleine was proclaimed Queen consort of Spain by the remaining Carlists in 1952. In 1974, she became titular Duchess of Parma. Madeleine, widowed in 1977, was a staunch adherent of Carlist reactionary ideals, conservatism and clericalism included. Her younger son Prince Sixte Henri de Bourbon-Parma, so-called Duke of Aranjuez continues currently as head of that movement.
