Freemasonry in France dates back to 1728 when French Masons had decided to recognize Philip Wharton, 1st Duke of Wharton, who lived in Paris and Lyon in 1728 and 1729 and who had been Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster in 1723, as Grand Master of all Freemasons in France. Two other Jacobite Grand Masters succeeded him: James Hector MacLean (1703-1750) and Charles Radclyffe, Earl of Derwentwater (1693-1746), elected Grand Master of the Order of Free Masons in the Kingdom of France on 27 December 1746.

In December 1736, Chevalier Andrew Michael Ramsay (1686-1743) delivered a reception discourse elaborating on what could be a connection between Freemasonry and the Crusader knights. This discourse had a great influence on the development of several additional Degrees over the period 1740-1770 in France. In the 1738 version, Anderson’s Constitutions mention the existence of a Grand Master and Lodges in France and defined them to be equal to the Grand Lodges of York, Ireland and Scotland.

Following the death of the Grand Master of all Regular Lodges in France Louis de Pardaillan de Gondrin, Duke of Antin, his successor Louis, Count of Clermont (1709-1771), blood Prince Bourbon-Condé was elected on 11 December 1743.