Louis XVIII

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Lore & Background

Louis XVIII lived in exile in Prussia, Great Britain, and Russia following the French Revolution and during the Napoleonic era. When the Sixth Coalition first defeated Napoleon in 1814, Louis XVIII was placed in what he, and the French royalists, considered his rightful position. However, Napoleon escaped from his exile in Elba and restored the Napoleonic Empire. Louis XVIII fled, and a Seventh Coalition declared war on the French Empire, defeated Napoleon again, and again restored Louis XVIII to the French throne. His return in 1815 led to a second wave of White Terror headed by the Ultra-royalist faction. The following year, Louis dissolved the unpopular parliament (the Chambre introuvable), giving rise to the liberal Doctrinaires. His reign was further marked by the formation of the Quintuple Alliance and a military intervention in Spain. Louis had no children, and upon his death the crown passed to his brother, Charles X. Louis XVIII was the last king or emperor of France to die a reigning monarch: his successor, Charles X (r. 1824–1830), abdicated; and both Louis Philippe I (r. 1830–1848) and Napoleon III (r. 1852–1870) were deposed.

Reader's Guide

Louis XVIII's significance lies in his role as the first constitutional monarch of France after the Revolution, marking a break from the absolutist Ancien Régime. His reign demonstrated the possibility of a limited monarchy in post-revolutionary France, though it was challenged by Ultra-royalist factions and the brief return of Napoleon. The Charter of 1814 reduced royal prerogative and established a framework for governance that influenced later French constitutions. His death as a reigning monarch was unique among his successors, as Charles X abdicated, and both Louis Philippe I and Napoleon III were deposed. His legacy is tied to the Bourbon Restoration's attempt to reconcile monarchy with revolutionary changes, a balance that ultimately proved fragile.

Did You Know?

• Louis Stanislas Xavier was christened six months after his birth, in accordance with Bourbon family tradition, being nameless before his baptism.
• At the time of his marriage in 1771, Louis Stanislas was obese and waddled instead of walked; he never exercised and continued to eat enormous amounts of food.
• Louis Stanislas commissioned a pavilion for his mistress, the Countess of Balbi, on a parcel of land at Versailles which became known as the Parc Balbi.
• In the early 1780s, Louis Stanislas incurred huge debts totalling 10 million livres, which his brother Louis XVI paid.
• Louis XVIII was the last king or emperor of France to die a reigning monarch; his successor Charles X abdicated, and both Louis Philippe I and Napoleon III were deposed.