Don Luís Alfonso Gonzalo Victor Manuel Marco de Borbón y Martínez-Bordiú is considered to be the head of the French Royal House according to those royalists who consider the renunciation of Felipe V of Spain as invalid. They call him Louis-Alphonse de Bourbon, and accord him the title Duc d'Anjou (Duke of Anjou). As king, he would be Louis XX.
His supporters are mostly called legitimists, but a small number orléanists refuse to use this term, and use a variety of other descriptions, such as Blancs d'Espagne and, teasingly, Alfonsists.
He was born on April 25 1974 in Madrid. His father was Don Alfonso de Borbón y de Dampierre, Duke of Cádiz. Don Alfonso was at that time the dauphin according to those who supported his claim of his father, Don Jaime, Duke of Segovia, to the French throne. Don Alfonso married Doña Maria del Carmen Martínez-Bordiú y Franco, granddaughter of Francisco Franco. Because of the birth of his first son, Francisco, the caudillo gave Don Alfonso to title Duke of Cádiz with the style Royal Highness.
Om March 20 1975, the Duke of Segovia, Luís Alfonso's paternal grandfather, died. Luís Alfonso's father, don Alfonso became thus head of the French Royal House according to the legitimists. As such, don Alfonso took the title Duc d'Anjou.
On September 19 1981, the Duc d'Anjou gave Luís Alfonso the title Duc de Touraine.
In 1982 Luís Alfonso's parents divorced. The religious marriage was annuulled in 1986.
On February 7 1984 Luís Alfonso's older brother Francisco died as the result of a car crash. From now on, Luís Alfonso was considered to be the heir apparent to his father, according to the legitimists. As such, he was given the additional title Duc deBourbon on September 27.
In 1987 the Spanish government declared that the title Duke of Cádiz would not be hereditary. Luís Alfonso would never inherit it from his father.
On January 30 1989 his father died in a skiing accident in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Luís Alfonso became pretender to the French throne and took the title Duc d'Anjou.
He studied economy at university and now works for a bank. Although he has visited France at a regular basis, he continues to live in Spain.
In November 2003 his engagement to marry Maria Margarita Vargas y Santaella,a native of Venezuela,was announced.
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