Louis XVIII of France

Louis XVIII , king de France of 1814 to its death in 1824. Born the November 17th 1755 with Versailles, Louis Stanislas Xavier is the son of the dolphin Louis and of his second wife Marie-Josèphe of Saxony, and the younger brother of Louis Auguste, future Louis XVI. He is the grandson of Louis XV.

Wire of France, it is initially titrated “count de Provence”. Just like his/her older brother, it passes his childhood to the Château of Versailles. He receives a solid education there, like wants it his row. He receives then the palate of Luxembourg, to which he did large work.

Louis XVIII dies the September 16th 1824 with Paris, without descendant, and is buried with the Basilique Saint-Denis. His/her brother, the count d' Artois, chief of the extremists, succeeds to him under the name of Charles X.

Marry

1771 Marie-Joséphine of Savoy, the “hairy Queen” (1753-1810), girl of king Victor Amédée III of Sardinia and Marie-Antoinette Ferdinante of Spain (itself back-small-girl of the king Louis XIV of France by the maternal branch). It is the sister of Marie-Therese (+1805), wife of the king Charles X of France, younger brother of Louis XVI and Louis XVIII.

Mistresses and favorite

Mrs. de Balbi
Louise de Polastron
Zoe Heel, countess of Blanquet of Cayla (+ 1850)

Emigrant

After having agitated the Court of Louis XVI by facilitating the fall of the reforming ministers Turgot, Necker, Calonne, he claims for the Third the doubling of the number of deputies to the General states. The skid of the latter pushes it with the exile the June 20th 1791, at the same time as his/her older brother Louis XVI, which was stopped to him in Varennes (their youngest child, the count d' Artois, future Charles X, had already left France as of the shortly after the catch of the Bastille). It takes refuge thus in Brussels then Coblentz, meets the emperor Léopold II & the declaration of Pillnitz of August 1791 inspires to him which galvanizes the French revolution. He refuses to recognize the authority of the king and sees deposed his rights of prince of blood by the Legislative in January 1792. He tries to return to France to the head of an army of 14000 men but must turn back after the battle of Valmy and takes refuge in Hamm in Westphalia. In 1793, with died of his/her older brother, it proclaims “regent” for the dolphin, which remains with the hands of the revolutionists with Paris, and “Louis XVII proclaims it”. With died of the child, in 1795, it is claimed heir to the crown of France and takes the name of Louis XVIII, but the advent of Napoleon destroys once again his hopes.

The years 1804-1807

In 1804, following complaints of Napoleon, the king of Prussia Frederic-Guillaume solved to separate hosts as inconvenient as compromising; Louis XVIII and all the emigrants composing his small court accepted the order to leave the Prussian territory immediately. It was with Calmar that this order arrived at the applicant. Louis XVIII met there the count d' Artois, his brother whom he had not seen since nearly twelve years, a certain coldness having always existed between them. The interview of Calmar did not bring them closer; they were left after ten seven days of conferences, rather dissatisfied one with the other: the future Charles X took again the way of London and Louis returned to await Riga the answer of the Cabinet of Saint Petersbourg in connection with a new asylum on the Russian ground. The new Emperor, Alexandre Ier of Russia, which succeeded his/her father the tsar Paul 1 {{er}}, took an action pursuant favorable to his request and it returned to Mittau (current Latvia).

Once reinstalled in his residence, Louis XVIII wrote his last public proclamation of Louis XVIII during his stay abroad. The proclamation which it had sent to Pichegru, a few weeks before the 18 Fructidor, contained only promises of reform to the old Monarchy (Fundamental laws of the kingdom of France. It decided, this time, to clearly accept the Revolution and its continuations. Not only he admitted the whole amnesty for all the votes former to 1804, as well as the commitment to preserve at each French his ranks, his employment and his pensions; he guaranteed, moreover, freedom and the equality for the people, the maintenance of all the properties and the protection of all the interests without exception.

Within the Baltic, opposite and under protection sky, extremely of presence of our brother, of that of duke of Angouleme, our nephew, of approval of other princes of our blood, which all shares our principles and is penetrated of the same feelings which animate us, us it swearwords! never one will see us breaking the node crowned which links our intended for yours, which binds us to your families, in your hearts, with your consciences; never we will compromise on the heritage of our fathers, never we will not give up our rights. French! We take with witness of this oath the God of holy Louis, that which judges all justices!

Given to Mittau, on December 2nd of the year of grace 1804, and our reign the tenth.

Signed: Louis.

(It should be noted that on all the official documents, Louis XVIII was considered king since 1795 and consequently made the calculation of the years of his reign. Nevertheless, juridically, he will not be king before the Restoration in 1814.)

This Declaration, printed to Hamburg, ten thousand specimens, widespread on all the continent and was sent in France, by the post office, with all the authorities made up, like with the most notable inhabitants of each department.

The second stay with Mittau of the Claiming lasted only three years. The defeats of Austerlitz, Eylau and Friedland, obliged the Tsar to become the ally of Napoleon. Alexandre made it clear in Louis XVIII that its presence with Mittau in Courlande could obstruct its new ally. Louis XVIII understood that it was to seek a new asylum. He did not have to choose any more but between the Nouveau World and the England. He decided for British hospitality. About the middle of October 1807, since Gothenburg in Sweden, it informs the count d' Artois of his next arrival, which it was not to like. The confidants of the count succeeded in persuading one of the members of the British Cabinet, Lord Canning (1770-1827), which it was necessary, in the interest even British government to move away Louis XVIII from London and to confine it in Scotland. The United Kingdom was at that time the only power which was still fights about it with the imperial France and she refused in Louis XVIII the title of King, by meaning to him that at any time the re-establishment of its family, had not seemed less plausible. After protracted negotiations Louis XVIII agreed to unload in England, as a ordinary person under the name of Count of Lille while promising not to make a political action.

The years 1808-1812

Louis XVIII had fixed his residence with Gosfield Hall at the end of 1807; he left this castle only at the end of four years, at the beginning of 1811, little time after the death of Marie-Joséphine of Savoy, his wife, deceased on November 13rd 1810. He then lived Hartwell House property of the baronnet to sir Henry Lee in the county of Buckingham, close to London. Its incomes, at that time, rose with approximately 600.000 francs (that is to say 4,8 million Euros) which paid him the British government and the court of Brazil. But it had to carry out way of life reduced since this sum was distributed between its protected, agents in different course from Europe (to know about policies carried out) and that the war involved an inflation of prices which were not, at the beginning, low. At the time of the Hundred Days it took refuge with Ghent, from where pun: Our Father of Ghent!

The mandate of Mgr of Fare

In 1795, Louis XVIII entrusted to Mgr of Fare, bishop of Nancy (1752 - † 1829), the direction of its interests near the court of Vienna. It also constituted it its correspondent in all this part of Europe, function which it fills during twenty years. It was at the same time in charge of other missions for the whole of the royal family.

In 1807, all the communications of the continent with the England were prohibited: nobody could resort any more to London to touch British government there their food pensions. The bishop accepted, without the knowledge of Louis XVIII, the mission of scheduling and of checking the payment of these pensions to ensure the subsistence of his compatriots, which was worth the disgrace of the applicant to him. The payments were made by the Banque Baron J.J of Boesner, Banquier of Vienna and also by Banque S of Genoa, with the profit of the royal family, the princes and princesses of France and in particular Messeigneurs the dukes of Angouleme and Berry for maintains their Houses and soldiers of their armed balances it.

Mgr of Fare exerted this tiresome and ungrateful employment until the time of the return of Louis XVIII in his states, with the Restauration.

Restoration

Progressively of the Napoleonean wars, and especially starting from 1810, united seem to take again the advantage, waking up in him the hope of the return. After the defeat of Napoleon, in 1814, united joined together with the Congrès of Vienna still hesitate over the successor to choose in Napoleon. Eager to install on the throne of France an ally, but also a legitimate chief, they hesitate between Louis XVIII, whose unpopularity are problematic, the “Aiglon”, wire of Napoleon, but also marshal Bernadotte or Eugene de Beauharnais, even a republic. Talleyrand carries finally the opinion of Allied in favor of Louis XVIII.

Carried by United, the April 24th 1814, it unloads with Calais. Granting a constitutional Charter restoring monarchy on its subjects, it manages to be unanimously made accept like the reunificator chief of the French. He becomes thus king de France. The " terms; octroyer" and " king de France" are important in right, since they mean that sovereignty belongs to the king, and not to the people or with the nation (it is him which grant the Charter the French and not the French which decide on a constitution; contrary to a king of the French who would be king because the French put it on the throne, a king of France is sovereign of divine right). He thus denies the revolutionary theory of national sovereignty, even of popular sovereignty.

At the time of the return of Napoleon, during the Hundred Days, it organizes with the nobility resistance against that which always wanted to be Empereur of the French. Its failure leads it to be exiled again. Only the defeat of Waterloo reinstalls it on the throne of France.

Its reign is devoted to the heavy task to reconcile the revolutionary and Napoleonean heritages with those of the Ancien Mode. It defends the latter (it names thus, as Aumônier of the Court, Monseigneur Jean-Louis d' Usson de Bonnac, one of the last bishops of Old Mode survivors and especially one of the first to have refused to lend oath to the Revolution, as to have refused to resign as Napoleon required it), without to reach excesses of its own partisans, the extremists. It put a point of honor at always constituting a ministry resulting from the parliamentary majority, it with what nothing forced it.

Its opponents remain too weak and divided to threaten in anything the royal position. It thus dissolves a first ultra Room in 1816 ( untraceable Chambre celebrates it ). Another wave of dispute starts with the death of its nephew duke of Berry, wire of the count d' Artois. Louis XVIII seems a moderated king, carrying out a middle-class life, without excessive records, too insipid with the eyes of some. Others do not forget that it is an emigrant, not brought back on the throne of France by foreigners. However, in spite of this apparent weakness, it succeeded in not only avoiding a civil war always threatening (its successor made the expenses besides of them), but also bringing back prosperity in a nation exhausted by the last Napoleonean Guerres. Louis XVIII thus had a certain strength of character and it could be besides on the occasion capable of wild features of humor, as shows it the following anecdote:

Among the prerogatives of king de France, appeared the capacity to anoblir any deserving subject. Louis XVIII was thus besieged by a horde of beggars who estimated wrongly or rightly to be good candidates with the ennoblement. Among those, one the most baited of, at least by the number of Makes out S which it deposited regularly, was obscure philosophical named Antoine Quatremère. To calm these beggars a little and to give them a good lesson, Louis XVIII decided to grant to the sior Quatremère a title and the associated particle (the " de"), but in the condition express that it carries it after its name and not front! The poor philosopher drew some as it could, by buying a ground close to the village of Quincy and by adding this name to the end to his.

One quoted a similar anecdote concerning the publicity agent Genoud, who insisted to be reassured on the fact that its letter of annoblissement would mention a particle well in front of its name. Louis XVIII answered well his entourage “ Eh! since he wants a particle so much, one will put a front of it to him and behind! ” and the solicitant was made anoblir under the name of Mister de Genoude .

Louis XVIII suffered from a drop which worsened with the years and any extremely difficult displacement returned to him at the end of its reign. In his last years, the King was often moved in Wheel chair in his apartments. Because of this disease it could not be crowned King de France, because it could not have supported the ceremonial of the Sacre of the kings de France.

Sources

MEMORIES

Louis XVIII, Memories , 6 vol. in-8°, Mame-Delaunay, 1832

Duchess of Angouleme, Newspaper of the duchess of Angouleme, corrected and annotated by Louis XVIII , Paris, 1893

Baron de Besenval, Memories on the court of France , Mercure de France, coll found Time, 1987

Countess of Boigne, Memories , Mercure de France, coll found Time, 2 vol., 1986 and 1989

Mrs. de Lamothe-Langon, Memories and memories of a woman of quality, on Louis XVIII, his court and its reign , Paris, 4 vol., 1829

Gaston de Lévis, Memory-Portraits , followed intimate Letters of Mister the count of Provence to the duke of Lévis , Mercure de France, coll found Time, 1992

Count de Saint-Aulaire, political Memories under the Restoration , 2 vol., 1900

MONOGRAPHS

Georges Bordonove, Louis XVIII , Pygmalion/Gerard Watelet, 1989

Bernard de Brye, a bishop of Old Mode the Revolution proof: the cardinal Anne Louis Henri of Fare , Publications of the Sorbonne, 1985

Bernard de Brye, episcopal Consciences in exile (1789-1814), through the correspondence of Mgr of Fare , Stag-History, 2005

Duke of Castries, Louis XVIII , Hatchet, 1969

Ernest Daudet, Louis XVIII and the duke Decazes , Paris, 1899

Alphonse of Lamartine, History of the Restoration , 8 vol., 1851-1852

Evelyne Rising, Louis XVIII , Beech, 1988

Philip Mansel, Louis XVIII , Perrin, 2004

Oscar of Polish, Louis XVIII , 4° edition, Paris, 1880

Gerard Walter, the Count of Provence , Paris, 1950

Emmanuel de Waresquiel and Benoît Yvert, History of the Restoration, 1814-1830 , Perrin, coll Tempus, 2002

Paul and Pierrette Girault de Coursac, Provence and Artois: two brothers of Louis XVI . F.X of Guibert, 1999

External bonds

the account on Herodote.net of the escape of the royal family to the return of Napoleon in 1815
historical Residences of England
Gosfield Hall
Hartwell House on Wikipedia in English language
Hartwell house, old residence of Louis XVIII
Hartwell and the Ernest Cook Trust
Hartwell House
Opening of the body of Louis XVIII - St-Cloud (Hauts de Seine, Ile de France, France)

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