House of Bourbon

The House of Bourbon (Borbón in Spanish) is a European royal house, which originated as a branch of the French Capetian dynasty in 1268. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century, beginning with Henri IV. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples and Sicily (later Kingdom of the Two Sicilies), and Parma. In the 21st century, Spain and Luxembourg retain Bourbon monarchs.

In 1713, following the defeat of France and Spain in the War of Spanish Succession, the British-imposed Treaty of Utrecht declared that, while different members of the Bourbon family could rule in France and Spain, the two nations would not unite under a single monarch. This matter became irrelevant with the abolition of the French monarchy in the 19th century.

Bourbon in The Two Georges
By the close of the 20th century, the House of Bourbon retained control over the Franco-Spanish Holy Alliance, one of the world's three superpowers. King François IV, who ruled from Versailles, was the head of this ancient dynasty.

Literary comment
In OTL, the Action Francaise political party stated its intention to restore the Bourbon dynasty (specifically the Orleanist branch) to the throne of France in the 20th century. In the Southern Victory Series, an Action-backed restoration occurs in the 1930s. While it could be logically inferred that the monarchs in this series are Bourbons, to state this would be speculative.

Other Bourbons in Harry Turtledove works

 * Alfonso XIII of Spain (Southern Victory, The War That Came Early)
 * Charles III of Spain (Atlantis)
 * Louis XV of France (Atlantis)
 * Louis XVI of France (Atlantis, The Two Georges)