Louis XVIII

Bourbon King of France and of Navarre (1755-1824)

Louis XVIII (17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824) was King of France from April 1814 to March 1815 and again from July 1815 to September 1824.

Louis XVIII
Portrait by François Gérard
King of France
Reign6 April 1814 – 20 March 1815[1]
PredecessorNapoleon I as Emperor
SuccessorNapoleon I
Reign8 July 1815 – 16 September 1824
PredecessorNapoleon I
SuccessorCharles X
Prime Ministers
Born(1755-11-17)17 November 1755
Palace of Versailles, Kingdom of France
Died16 September 1824(1824-09-16) (aged 68)
Louvre Palace, Paris, Kingdom of France
Burial
SpouseMarie Joséphine of Savoy
Full name
French: Louis Stanislas Xavier de France
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  • Spanish: Luis Estanislao Javier de Francia
    Portuguese: Luís Estanilau Xavier da França
    Italian: Luigi Stanislao Saverio di Borbone-Francia
    Dutch: Lodewijk Stanislaus Xaverius van Frankrijk
HouseBourbon
FatherLouis, Dauphin of France
MotherMaria Josepha of Saxony
ReligionRoman Catholicism
SignatureLouis XVIII's signature

He became king with the Bourbon Restoration of the monarchy after the overthrow of Napoleon I. He ruled a constitutional monarchy, meaning he was not the main leader of his government. However, unlike some constitutional monarchs, he did have some influence in politics.

Born in Versailles, he was the brother of Louis XVI of France and in early life was known as the Comte de Provence. He remained in Paris after the French Revolution began in 1789 but escaped to Belgium two years later. After Louis XVI's execution in 1793 and the death of Louis XVI's son in 1795, he called himself Louis XVIII. He lived as an exile in various European countries until he became king after Napoleon's first abdication in 1814. On Napoleon's return to power in 1815, however, Louis again fled to Belgium; later the same year he was restored to the throne after Napoleon's final defeat at Waterloo. He remained on the throne until his death in 1824.

References

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  1. In his official acts as king, Louis XVIII dated the years of his reign from 1795, when his nephew Louis XVII died.

Other websites

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