Final answer:
The question appears to be misplaced as 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' does not focus on a ruling family, but rather on the protagonist's actions during the post-revolutionary period in France.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question "What family is ruling in The Scarlet Pimpernel?" seems to be a bit misplaced as 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' is a fictional work set during the Reign of Terror following the French Revolution, where there is no royal family in power. The novel is by Baroness Orczy and does not directly chronicle the ruling families of England or any real historical period. If we consider the historical context, during the French Revolution, the ruling family would have been the Bourbons, specifically King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, who were dethroned and executed. However, since 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' mainly takes place in France and England after the revolution, the story does not focus on a reigning family per se but on the protagonist's efforts to save the persecuted French aristocrats.