Ancestral Trails 2016 » Louis de FRANCE XV (1710-1774)

Personal data Louis de FRANCE XV 

• He was born on February 15, 1710 in Palais de Versailles, Versailles, Yvelines, Île-de-France, France.

  Attention: Age at marriage (August 15, 1725) below 16 years (15).

• Title: King Louis XV of France
• (Ancestry) : House of Bourbon.
• He died on May 10, 1774 in Palais de Versailles, Versailles, Yvelines, Île-de-France, France, he was 64 years old.
• He is buried May 1774 in Royal Basilica of Saint Denis, Saint Denis, Ile-de-France, France.
• A child of Louis de FRANCE and Marie Adélaïde de SAVOY

Household of Louis de FRANCE XV

He is married to Marie LESZCZYNSKA.

They got married on August 15, 1725 at Strasbourg Cathedral, Strasbourg, Bas-Rhein, Alsace, France, he was 15 years old.

Child(ren):

1. Marie Louise de FRANCE  1728-1733
2. Anne Henriette de FRANCE  1727-1752
3. Marie Adélaïde de FRANCE  1732-1800
4. Sophie Philippine Elizabeth Justine de FRANCE  1734-1782
5. Marie Therese Felicite de FRANCE  1736-1744
6. Victoire Louise Marie Therese de FRANCE  1733-1799
7. Louise Elizabeth de FRANCE  1727-1759 
8. Louise Marie de FRANCE  1737-1787
9. Louis de FRANCE  1729-1765 
10. Philippe de FRANCE  1730-1733

Notes about Louis de FRANCE XV

Louis XV (15 February 1710 - 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (Louis le bien aimé), was a monarch of the House of Bourbon who ruled as King of France and Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity in 1723, his kingdom was ruled by Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans as Regent of France; the duke was his maternal great-uncle, as well as first cousin twice removed patrilineally. Cardinal Fleury was his chief minister from 1726 until the Cardinal's death in 1743, at which time the young king took sole control of the kingdom.[citation needed]

During his reign, Louis returned the Austrian Netherlands, territory won at the Battle of Fontenoy of 1745, but given back to Austria by the terms of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle of 1748. Louis also ceded New France in North America to Spain and Great Britain at the conclusion of the Seven Years' War in 1763. He incorporated the territories of Lorraine and Corsica into the kingdom of France. He was succeeded by his grandson Louis XVI in 1774.

French culture and influence were at their height in the first half of the eighteenth century. However, many scholars believe that Louis XV's decisions damaged the power of France, weakened the treasury, discredited the absolute monarchy, and made it more vulnerable to distrust and destruction. Evidence for this view is provided by the French Revolution, which broke out 15 years after his death. Norman Davies characterized Louis XV's reign as "one of debilitating stagnation," characterized by lost wars, endless clashes between the Court and Parliament, and religious feuds. A few scholars defend Louis, arguing that his highly negative reputation was based on propaganda meant to justify the French Revolution. Jerome Blum described him as "a perpetual adolescent called to do a man's job."

Louis XV was born in the Palace of Versailles on 15 February 1710 during the reign of Louis XIV. His grandfather, Louis Le Grand Dauphin, had three sons with his wife Marie Anne Victoire of Bavaria: Louis, Duke of Burgundy; Philippe, Duke of Anjou (who became King of Spain); and Charles, Duke of Berry. Louis XV was the third son of the Duke of Burgundy and his wife Marie Adélaïde of Savoy, the eldest daughter of Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy, and Anne Marie d'Orléans. At birth, Louis XV received a customary title for younger sons of the French royal family: Duke of Anjou.

In April 1711, Louis Le Grand Dauphin suddenly died, making Louis XV's father, the Duke of Burgundy, the new dauphin. At that time, Burgundy had two living sons, Louis, Duke of Brittany and his youngest son, the future Louis XV.

A year later, Marie Adélaïde, Duchess of Burgundy, contracted smallpox (or measles) and died on 12 February 1712. Her husband, said to be heartbroken by her death, died the same week, also having contracted smallpox. Within a week of his death, it was clear that the couple's two children had also been infected. The elder son was repeatedly treated by bloodletting in an unsuccessful effort to save him. Fearing that the Dauphin would die, the Court had both the Dauphin and the Duke of Anjou baptised. The Dauphin died the same day, 8 March 1712. His younger brother, the Duke of Anjou, was personally treated by his governess, Madame de Ventadour, who forbade any bloodletting. The two year old Dauphin survived the smallpox.

In 1721, Louis XV at the age of 11 was betrothed to his first cousin, the Infanta Maria Anna Victoria of Spain. The eleven-year-old king was not interested in the arrival of his future wife, the three-year-old Spanish Infanta. In June 1722, the king and the court returned to Versailles, where they resided until the end of the reign. In October of the same year, Louis XV was officially crowned in Reims Cathedral.

Eventually, the 21-year-old Marie Leszczyńska, daughter of Stanisław I, the deposed king of Poland, was chosen. A poor and plain-looking princess who had followed her father's misfortunes, she was said to be virtuous. The marriage was celebrated in September 1725 when the king was 15. The couple soon produced many children. In September 1729, in her third pregnancy, the queen finally gave birth to a male child, an heir to the throne, the dauphin Louis (1729-1765). The birth of a long-awaited heir, which ensured the survival of the dynasty for the first time since 1712, was welcomed with tremendous joy and celebration in all spheres of French society. The young king became extremely popular at the time.

Children
Louise Élisabeth (14 August 1727 - 6 December 1759), Duchess of Parma, had issue
Anne Henriette (14 August 1727 - 10 February 1752)
Marie-Louise (28 July 1728 - 19 February 1733)
Louis, Dauphin of France (4 September 1729 - 20 December 1765), married to Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain and had issue, then married to Duchess Marie-Josèphe of Saxony and had issue
Philippe of France, Duke of Anjou (30 August 1730 - 17 April 1733)
Marie Adélaïde (23 March 1732 - 27 February 1800)
Victoire Louise Marie Thérèse (11 May 1733 - 7 June 1799)
Sophie Philippine Élisabeth Justine (27 July 1734 - 3 March 1782)
Marie Thérèse Félicité (16 May 1736 - 28 September 1744)
Louise Marie (15 July 1737 - 23 December 1787)

ILLEGITIMATE ISSUE
Louis XV had several illegitimate children, although the exact number is unknown. Historiography suggest the following as possible issue of the King:

With Pauline Félicité de Mailly (1712 - 9 September 1741), by marriage marquise de Vintimille. She died after giving birth to a son:
Charles Emmanuel Marie Magdelon de Vintimille (Versailles, 2 September 1741 - Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 24 February 1814), marquis du Luc. Recognized by his mother's husband, although was highly probable that his biological father was Louis XV, especially in adulthood, when he was called Demi-Louis ("Small Louis") for his exceptional resemblance with the King. He was appointed Maréchal de camp and Governor of Porquerolles. Married to Adélaïde de Castellane on 26 November 1764, he fathered three children.

With Jeanne Perray:
Amélie Florimond de Norville (Saint-Eustache, Paris, 11 January 1753 - 27 September 1790). Registered one day after her birth (12 January 1753) as a daughter of certain bourgeois from Paris called Louis Florimond de Norville, a non-existent person; the paternity of the King is suggested by later evidence. Married to Ange de Faure (1739-1824) on 1 June 1780, with whom she had two children.

With Marie-Louise O'Murphy (21 October 1737 - 11 December 1814), an Irish adventuress:
Agathe Louise de Saint-Antoine de Saint-André (Paris, 20 May 1754 - Paris, 6 September 1774). The first illegitimate child of the King whose parentage was certain, but she was never officially recognized; in fact, she was registered as a daughter of a Louis de Saint-André, Old official of infantry and Louise-Marie de Berhini, resident of Saint-Antoine street, non-existent persons. In November 1773 she received from the King her letters of Official Recognition of Nobility (which enabled her to marry a nobleman), and funds of 223,000 livres. One month later, on 27 December 1773, she married René Jean de La Tour du Pin, marquis de la Charce, and died after only nine months of marriage as a consequence of a miscarriage.
Marguerite Victoire Le Normant de Flaghac (Riom, Puy-de-Dôme, 5 January 1768 - aft. 1814). Officially recognized by her mother's second husband, she was probably also an illegitimate child of the King. Married firstly on 24 February 1786 to Jean-Didier Mesnard, comte de Chousy, with whom he had two children; after her divorce following the incarceration of her husband in 1793, she then married Constant Lenormant d'Étiolles (a son of the husband of Madame de Pompadour) in November 1794, with whom he had another child.

With Françoise de Châlus (24 February 1734 - 7 July 1821), by marriage Duchesse de Narbonne-Lara:
Philippe Louis Marie Innocent Christophe Juste de Narbonne-Lara (Parma, 28 December 1750 - Paris, 10 May 1834), Duc de Narbonne-Lara. Captain of the Dragons Regiment of the Queen, Colonel of the Regiment of Forez and Field Marshal in 1790. Married on 3 February 1771 to Antoinette-Françoise-Claudine de La Roche-Aymon. No issue.
Louis Marie Jacques Amalric de Narbonne-Lara (Colorno, 23 August 1755 - Torgau, 17 November 1813), called Comte de Narbonne-Lara. Colonel of the Army and Honorary Chamberlain of Princess Madame Marie Adélaïde of France. In 1786 he was appointed a commander of an infantry regiment and remained in that post until the eve of the French Revolution and later served under Napoleon. Married on 16 April 1782 to Marie Adélaïde de Montholon, with whom he had two daughters. He also fathered two other children out of wedlock.
Note: Both children are officially recognized by their mother's husband, although it is alleged that the King himself was the real father. The coevals attribute the paternity of both children to Louis XV for, according to documents from the Military Archive, Françoise de Châlus' husband had been wounded in the War of the Austrian Succession (1747) becoming from that moment unable to have any offspring. The baptism of Louis, Comte de Narbonne-Lara is another indication of that paternity. His wife had become the King's mistress. Not only was it noted that he was named Louis but also his contemporaries remarked on the similarities between the young Louis and the King.

With Marguerite Catherine Haynault (11 September 1736 - 17 March 1823):
Agnès Louise de Montreuil (Saint-Sulpice, Paris, 20 May 1760 - Montmelas, 2 September 1837). Registered as a daughter of a certain Louis de Montreuil, old Official of cavalry, a non-existent person, the paternity of the King is supported by other evidence. Married on 9 December 1778 to Gaspard d'Arod de Montmelas (brother-in-law of her own mother), with whom she had four children.
Anne Louise de La Réale (Saint-Paul, Paris, 17 November 1762 - Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 30 April 1831). Registered as a daughter of Antoine Louis de la Réale, old Captain of cavalry, a non-existent person, the paternity of the King is supported by further evidence. Married on 28 August 1780 to René Guillaume Paul Gabriel Etienne de Geslin, Comte de Geslin, with whom she had six children.

With Lucie Madeleine d'Estaing (10 May 1743 - 7 April 1826), a half-sister of the Admiral d'Estaing:
Agnès Lucie Auguste (Paris, 14 April 1761 - Boysseulh, 4 July 1822). Married on 5 December 1777 to Charles de Boysseulh, vicomte de Boysseuilh, with whom she had three children.
Aphrodite Lucie Auguste (Versailles, 8 March 1763 - Artonne (Puy-de-Dôme), 22 February 1819). Married on 21 December 1784 to Jules de Boysseulh (her step-brother; son of the first marriage of her mother's husband), with whom she had one daughter.
Note: Both children were registered as daughters of Louis Auguste, Old Official, and citizen Lucie, both non-existent persons. In August 1774 Agnès and Aphrodite received from Louis XVI their letters of recognition of nobility (demoiselles issue de la plus ancienne noblesse de France) and following the stipulations leave by Louis XV, each of them obtained a capital of 223,000 livres and a reported annual revenue of 24,300 livres.

With Anne Coppier de Romans (19 June 1737 - 27 December 1808), Baroness de Meilly-Coulonge:
Louis Aimé of Bourbon (Passy, Paris, 13 January 1762 - Rome, 28 February 1787), called the Abbot of Bourbon; he was the only one of the illegitimate children of Louis XV who was officially recognized. Abbot of Saint Vincent de Metz, French Ambassador in Rome from 1785. He died of smallpox.

With Jeanne Louise Tiercelin de La Colleterie (26 November 1746 - 5 July 1779), called Madame de Bonneval:
Benoît Louis Le Duc (7 February 1764 - 1837). Registered as a son of Louis Le Duc, old cavalry official and lady Julie de la Colleterie, both non-existent persons; his royal parentage was supported by later evidence.
SOURCE: Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_XV_of_France

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Timeline Louis de FRANCE XV

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