After the dissolution of the First French Empire with the final defeat of Napoléon I in 1815, the title "King of Rome", previously a courtesy title of the heir apparent to the Emperor of the French became defunct. Therefore, on the 6th of March, 2019, Lewis Edward Samuel declared himself King Lewis I of Rome, both to revive this dormant title of great honour, and to show respect to Napoléon I and his son Napoléon II, the first King of Rome.
The title was revived with the Declaration of Kingship, and restructured to be a personal dignity and courtesy title with no connection to the French Empire, and it affords no legal rights or privileges. The King of Rome is recognised as legitimate by many, particularly in the micronational community, but also by some outside it. The King of Rome maintains a great degree of privacy regarding his personal life. |
It is entirely reasonable to question the legitimacy of Lewis I as King of Rome. As the title is claimed as a courtesy title with no legal rights, and as it has been refounded and restructured since the days of Napoléon II as King of Rome, the title is legitimate. However, as with all courtesy titles, it is only legitimate insofar as one recognises its legitimacy - for example, the nobility of the Ancien Régime still exists, but whether or not one recognises their courtesy titles is completely a matter of choice. Whether one recognises their courtesy titles or not, such titles have no legal rights or privileges, and it is the same with the King of Rome.
The legitimacy of a courtesy title can be examined on various factors, such as historical lines of succession and if another has a more legitimate claim to the title. Due to the nature of the title of King of Rome as it has been refounded by Lewis I, there are no historical issues with its legitimacy as it can be considered a new title based upon a predecessor of a different (and defunct) nature. Furthermore, no other claims to the Kingship of Rome exist, and Lewis I has a number of supporters who recognise his legitimacy. |
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