A petition to 'return' the British Crown Jewels to France received a prime-time plug when famous commentator, Gérard Holtz, told viewers about it during Olympic coverage on France 2.

• French petition: Queen must 'hand back' Crown Jewels (06 Aug 12)

Holtz gave a brief explanation of the Plantagenet petition, saying it was to return the jewels to their 'rightful' home in Angers, southern France.

“So there we are, you can sign this petition, but in my opinion there is very little chance we will be listened to by the other side of the channel,” he said.

Since being launched, the petition has gained 2500 signatures, and the man behind it, Calixte de Nigremont, says he’s ready to take it to trial.

Speaking to The Local this week, Nigremont said: “The petition is serious. It’s a bit of a nod towards the British to remind them of the history and relationship between France and the United Kingdom.”

Angers was the historic home of the Plantagenet kings. The modern term the 'Angevin Empire' is derived from Angers and is applied to lands controlled by the Plantagenets, which covered much of western France and large parts of the British Isles in the 12th and 13th centuries.