- The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail was published in 1982, becoming a bestseller on both sides of the Atlantic by blending pseudo-history with timely pop culture elements like Raiders of the Lost Ark.
- The book proposed a secret bloodline of Jesus Christ through the Merovingian kings, sparking controversy and criticism from historians and religious figures.
- Pierre Plantard, the source of the Priory of Sion myth, distanced himself from the claim that he was a descendant of Jesus, calling it a step too far.
- The sequel The Messianic Legacy (1987) sold well but failed to replicate the original's success, leading to the authors' eventual split and diminishing returns.
- New conspiracy theories emerged, such as The Tomb of God (1996), which claimed Jesus' body was hidden under Mount Cardou, but was later debunked by a BBC Timewatch documentary.
- Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code (2003) turned the Rennes-le-Château lore into a global phenomenon, selling millions and sparking a media frenzy, despite being heavily criticized for poor writing and factual inaccuracies.
- Brown's novel presented itself as both fiction and fact, leading to a plagiarism lawsuit by Leigh and Baigent, which they lost.
- The conspiracy theories around Rennes-le-Château illustrate the phenomenon of hyperreality, where fictional narratives often overshadow factual history.
- Key figures like Henry Lincoln, Richard Leigh, and Michael Baigent died without resolving the mystery, while the theories continue to influence popular culture through games, books, and documentaries.