 He claimed that his ancestors had stopped using that surname, but it remained his true patronym, so he had a right to resume its use.This request was denied on March 29, 2000 by the High Court of Paris, and was confirmed on 1 February 2001 by a decision of the 1st Division of the Court of Appeal of Paris, judgment endorsed on September 30, 2003 by the Court of Cassation.Charles is the eldest of the family of Napoleon Bonaparte by agnatic primogeniture and is the descendant of Jérôme Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon.