After the fall of the Second Empire under Napoleon III, the French National Assembly was ready to bring back the Bourbons, but the pretender, Henri, Comte de Chambord, refused to accept the French tricolor as the National flag, insisting on the old Bourbon flag. The monarchy issue was deferred until the death of Henri. At this point the Orleanists wanted the crown, but by this time, the National Assembly had beome dominated by republicans. So ended any possiblity of a French restoration. Charles de Gaulle is said to have planned a monarchy restoration, but instead replaced the Fourth Republic with the Fifth Republic in 1958.
The French monarchy could only now be restored as a result of a great national disaster, such as war or collapse of democratic government. Bourbons really had their chance, but blew it because of their arrogance, nothing else.
Orleanist line is probably the most likely, since legitimist line of Louis Alphone, Duc d'Anjou was excluded by Treaty of Utrecht, 1713. Furthermore, Louis Alphonse' family maybe illegitimate, since the children of Isabel II of Spain are believed to have been fathered by a lover, not her husband, Francisco de Asis de Borbon, who was believed to be homosexual.
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