Despite the death of its prominent leader Charles Maurras in 1952, the movement persisted, although it struggled to maintain relevance as monarchism waned in popularity and French far-right politics evolved.

By the late 20th century, the movement’s focus on Catholic social teaching, traditional French culture, and Euroscepticism allowed it to influence broader far-right currents, including the National Rally.

[2][3] Founded in 1899 by Maurice Pujo and Henri Vaugeois, Action Française emerged as a reaction to the Dreyfus Affair, promoting a blend of royalism, nationalism, and anti-parliamentarianism.

Under the leadership of Charles Maurras, who joined shortly after its inception, the movement championed integral nationalism, Roman Catholicism, and a vision of a decentralized monarchy that upheld traditional French values.

It subsequently became the Nouvelle Action Royaliste (NAR), which supported the heir of the House of Bourbon-Orléans (although in his 1968 reprinting of his study on the three French right-wing families, René Rémond still classified it in the legitimist movement because of its counter-revolutionary ideology).

In the beginning of the 1980s, various AF figures, such as Georges-Paul Wagner or Philippe Colombani [fr] joined the ranks of Jean-Marie Le Pen's National Front (FN).

Until the 1999 breakaway of the National Republican Movement (MNR) led by Bruno Mégret, Jean-Marie Le Pen's success was partly explained by his unification of the various far right families (such as French royalists, traditionalist Catholics, neo-fascists, etc.)

[8] The AF student movement, called Action Française étudiante, has approximately 15 local delegations in places such as Paris, Normandy, Rennes, Bordeaux, and Forez, and an official newspaper, Insurrection.

[10] During and after the anti-LGBT manifestations La Manif pour tous (2013–2014) opposing the legalization of same-sex marriage in France, Action Française created "le Printemps français", an activist submovement, and recruited several new members from younger generations.