The Royalists were a conservative faction of French politics that existed from 1792 to 1804 and from 1870 to 1936, representing the monarchist aristocracy and their supporters. The Royalists advocated the restoration of the monarchy in France, and they proposed an autocratic regime that controlled the economy, religion, citizenship, and the military. During the French Revolution of the 1790s, Catholics, moderates, and aristocrats supported the royalists against the republican political clubs such as the Jacobin Club, and the royalists were persecuted by the government on several occasions. Royalists rose up in the countryside of France in the Chouannerie and the War in the Vendee during the 1790s and 1800s, but these revolts were quelled; the Royalists in parliament were overthrown in the Coup of 18 Fructidor in 1797. The royalists would be quelled during the reign of Napoleon I (1804-1815), as France was ruled by a monarchy, and they split into the Orleanists and Legitimists during the first half of the 19th century.
The party was re-created in 1870 after the creation of the French Third Republic, supporting the revival of a monarchy after Napoleon III's overthrow. However, the royalists had little power during the second half of the 19th century and early 20th century due to the dominance of republicanism in French politics. In addition, attempts to unite the Orleanists and Legitimists would be met with mixed results. The Royalists supported the restoration of the House of Bourbon to power, sympathizing with its conservative views. However, it would constantly be defeated during elections, as the French people had overthrown their last monarch in 1870 and were not willing to return to a monarchy again.
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