Birth of King Louis XV, February 15 1710

Louis XV (15 February 1710 - 10 May 1774), also known as Louis the Beloved, was the King of France from 1715 till 1774. His reign of 59 years was the second largest of the history of the country only after his great-grandfather Louis XIV. The lack of economic and social stability and the abundant corruption at court during his reign caused the French monarchy to lose authority and paved the way for the French Revolution.  

Early years and marriage

Louis became king when he was only five years old after the death of his great-grandfather Louis XIV. As his grandfather, Louis of France, died when he was an infant and both of his parents, Marie Adelaide of Savoy and Louis Bourbon, passed away due to illness he became the next in the line of succession. Since he was too young to rule, the Duke of Orleans was the Regent of France until his death in 1723. Louis turned then to his tutor Cardinal André Hercule de Fleury, whom he elected as minister.

When he was fifteen years old he was married to Princess Marie Leszczynska, daughter of Stanislaus I, the deposed king of Poland. They had ten children together, of which three died during their first years of life. This union led to France taking part in the War of Polish Succession (1733-1738) against Russia and Austria to restore Marie’s father to the throne. Even though the attempt was unsuccessful, France gained the Duchy of Lorraine.

The Well-Loved

In 1743, after the decease of his prime minister Cardinal de Fleury, Louis decided to govern without a minister. His leadership during the War of Austrian Succession (1740-1748) earned him the admiration of his people and the nickname of Le Bien-Aime. However, this popularity didn’t last long. He had to give back to Austria the Austrian Netherlands, which he had occupied during the war, in order to restore peace, something which was heavily criticised by the French population. Moreover, the war also eroded French-British relations. The increased tension between both nations eventually led to France entering the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763) in support of Austria to fight together against Great Britain. The victory of the latter had disastrous consequences for France, as it lost all the colonies in New France and undermined the country’s prestige. 

Last years of life and death

During the 1760s the King made some attempts at reform by choosing the Duke of Choiseul as minister. Although the Duke managed to stabilize the country, this was not enough to counteract the consequences of warfare and the king’s extravagant lifestyle. Throughout the years, Louis XV had shown no interest in ruling and had been heavily influenced by his mistresses, especially Madame de Pompadour. By the end of his reign, the monarchy was heavily weakened and didn’t count on the support of the Parliament or the French citizens. He died on May 10, 1774, in Versailles and was succeeded by his grandson Louis XVI, who would become the last king of France.