Louis XVIII of France
Louis XVIII, born Louis Stanislas Xavier de France, was King of the nation of France from 1814 until his death in 1824. His reign was briefly interrupted by the return of Napoleon Bonaparte from exile on the island of Elba in 1815, a period generally referred to as the "Hundred Days."
Fast Facts
- Born: November 17, 1755
- Real Name: Louis Stanislas Xavier
- Father: Louis,Dauphin of France
- Mother: Marie-Josephe of Saxony
- Royal House: House of Bourbon
- Married Marie Josephine Louise of Savoy1
- Reign: 1814 - 1824
- Died: September 16, 1824
- Suffered from gout for much of his reign
- Also ruled territory of Navarre, an area now split between Spain and France
The Bourbon Restoration
During the French Revolution, Louis XVIII lived in exile, largely in England. He attempted to negotiate a return to France with Napoleon, but was rebuffed. After Napoleon's abdication in 1814, Louis did return to France and restored the Bourbon dynasty, but his rule proved immediately unpopular, largely because of his efforts to symbolically walk back some of the Revolution's more sweeping changes. He fled the country upon Napoleon's return from exile the next year, and then retook the throne following the Emperor's infamous defeat at Waterloo, going on to rule for another 9 years.
Quotes
- "Punctuality is the politeness of kings"2
- "A king should die on his feet"3
Related Pages on Mahalo
History of France | Louis XVI of France | Napoleon Bonaparte | Louis-Philippe | French Revolution
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