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Now we all know the French mark their national day for an event that stuck it to the king and that symbolises the demise of royalty in the nation ...the storming of the bastille.

So even now in passionate France you wouldn’t have thought it exactly de riguer to be a modern Frenchman questing for a royal heritage.

And yet there they are, shaking the family tree looking for a link to a long line of Louis’ ... And at the heart of the dispute ... What else - a little pickled heart.

Heather Ewart has our postcard.

Charles de Bourbon

Ewart: Meet our two protagonists, vying for the royal title. First, former aircraft technician Monsieur Charles de Bourbon, who claims it belongs to him.

17:30

de Bourbon: Those who are fighting for the cause of the real Louis XVII for the defence of his memory -- call me 'your highness' or 'prince' which by the way I have the right to be called. I am the Prince of Bourbon until it can be proven otherwise.

Ewart with de Beauffremont

Ewart: And on the other side of the ring is the Duc de Beauffremont, a retired public relations agent who also claims royal ancestry.

18:03

de Beauffremont: It is very important to me personally -- given that I have concerned myself for a long time with safeguarding the legitimacy of the Royal House of France.

18:11

Versailles

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18:25

Paintings

Ewart: Set yourself back in time to the chateau of Versailles in 1789. The French revolution is starting to take shape, but this rich and luxurious palace is still home to this small boy, Prince Louis Charles, who's heir to the throne. His mother is Marie Antoinette, his father is King Louis XVI. Their other son has just died of tuberculosis. Over the next few years, the revolution against the royals begins to rage. The king is seized and imprisoned. Finally guillotined in early 1793. Marie Antoinette is to suffer the same fate.

Her 8 year old son Louis the XVII is locked in a prison tower in solitary confinement. He suffers appalling conditions for two years. But eventually dies of tuberculosis. Or so the history books tell us.

19:11

Basilica

His heart is taken by one of the doctors who performs the autopsy. And it finally ends up in this small, dark church crypt, amongst the coffins of past kings at the basilica of St. d'Ani [?] on the outskirts of Paris. For the record, it was normal practice to preserve the hearts of French royals.

19:27

Ewart

Super: Heather Ewart

But can we really be sure this is the heart of Louis the XVII? Well here begins a journey to unravel a mystery that's developed over 200 years and involves a feud between two families that just intensifies with time.

19:46

The crux of the bizarre battle that's captivated France appears to centre on this contention from Monsieur de Bourbon – the heart on show must belong to Louis the XVII's brother, because the young prince was really smuggled out of his cell at the height of the French revolution and lived happily ever after in Holland.

Gravestone in Delft

So Holland is our starting point. And what we find, in the town of Delft, is a grave marked Louis XVII. This is the link de Bourbon relies on. Local historians though tell us a German man called Naundorff lies here. No one disputes that he was de Bourbon's ancestor. But Naundorff was an ex-convict with the gift of the gab who convinced a local lawyer he was a French prince. And the lawyer wrote out the death certificate accordingly.

20:22

Petrie

Super: Hans Petrie

Historian

Petrie: He was a handy barrister. And once this obstacle taken it was only a small step to put the name of Louis XVII on the grave, on the tombstone.

20:53

Laboratory

Ewart: Still, this historian was intrigued enough to organise DNA testing on Naundorff's bones, compared with a sample of Marie Antoinette's hair. It came up negative. So we head back to Paris to check on Monsieur de Bourbon. Or should we call him the prince.

21:09

Ewart arrives at home of de Bourbon

Because at his headquarters in an old terrace house in one of the more down market areas of Paris, he insists the findings don't convince him. Surrounded by his royal memorabilia, and loyal band of female followers, he continues to claim Naundorff as an ancestor who was the true Louis XVII.

21:26

The scientists must have DNA tested the wrong bones, he says. And anyway, the scientists are just part of the conspiracy with the French government, and his arch rival, the Duc de Beauffremont.

de Bourbon

de Bourbon: It's as if I walk around with a French identity card with my name, Monsieur de Bourbon – but people, if they turned to look, can see a question mark on his back -- 'Is he or isn't he?' It is very annoying to be in this position. It is also true that I have a lot of support in the country.

21:57

L'Herbaudiere with family tree

Ewart: His chief supporter is this French literature teacher, who always refers to Monsieur de Bourbon as the Prince. She's also into the conspiracy theory. And always wears dark glasses in case the French government is spying on her.

22:24

Ewart: So why has this become so important to you?

Super: Michelle L'Herbaudiere

Bourbon Supporter

L'Herbaudiere: Because it's for me the memory of France, and it's our history, our memory, and the honour of the Royal Family.

22:41

Ewart with de Beauffremont in basilica

Ewart: Fair enough, but what about the Duc de Beauffremont, who also considers it a case of family honour. We catch up with him back at the basilica and he feels he's had a victory. He's organised DNA testing of a piece of the heart. And it comes up trumps.

22:54

Genetically matching samples of Marie Antoinette's hair, and proving it's the duke's family that carries the royal bloodline. What's more, the establishment backs him.

The archbishop will allow us to interview the Duke in the basilica, but not that imposter, de Bourbon.

de Beauffremont

de Beauffremont: It is a very difficult situation. The Basilica is an official royal place. It is where all the kings are buried, and now it is proven that Monsieur de Bourbon could not possibly be the descendant of Louis XVII. As a visitor, sure -- but as someone making declarations here on television about his claims… No… it's impossible.

23:27

Ewart with de Beauffremont

Ewart: But hang on a minute, as we wander around the tombs with the duke, isn't that Monsieur de Bourbon in the distance? Will there be blood on the floor here?

23:51

But no, they pass like ships in the night, refusing to acknowledge each other. And once the duke is out of the way, the ever defiant Monsieur de Bourbon and his merry gang take great delight in pointing out physical similarities with past kings.

de Beauffremont in basilica

Don't for a moment think this is the end of the sage. The would-be prince has offered to put himself up for DNA testing. He just hasn't gotten around to it yet.

24:16

Furthermore, his only son will carry on the battle when he dies. Maybe, this is one of those mysteries that will never disappear entirely.

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Credits:

Reporter: Heather Ewart

Camera: Tim Bates

Editor: Tim Bates