Louis XVIII (17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824) was King of France during two separate periods: from April 1814 until March 1815, and again from July 1815 until his death in September 1824. He returned to the throne as part of the Bourbon Restoration that followed the fall of Napoleon.
Early life
Born at Versailles into the royal family, he was the younger brother of King Louis XVI and was commonly styled the Comte de Provence before becoming king. When the French Revolution began, he initially remained in Paris but left the country in 1791 and went into exile, taking refuge in places including Belgium.
Claim to the throne during the Revolution
After the turmoil of the 1790s, Louis’s position changed as royal dynastic fortunes shifted: Louis XVI was put to death in 1793 by execution, and the young heir—often referred to as Louis XVI's son—died in 1795 while still a prisoner. In the absence of other surviving male dynasts, the exiled Comte de Provence assumed the title Louis XVIII and continued to press his claim from abroad.
Return and the nature of his rule
Louis XVIII came back to Paris after Napoleon’s first abdication in 1814 and accepted a settlement that established a constitutional monarchy. The charter under which he reigned limited royal power and created a parliamentary framework; however, the king retained influence over appointments and policy, so his role was not merely ceremonial.
The Hundred Days and final restoration
Napoleon’s unexpected escape from Elba in 1815 briefly interrupted Louis’s reign. Louis fled once more to Belgium, and Napoleon returned to power for the period known as the Hundred Days. After Napoleon’s ultimate defeat at Waterloo, Louis XVIII was restored to the throne in July 1815 and ruled until his death in 1824.
Death and legacy
Louis XVIII died in 1824 after a reign that bridged revolutionary and post-revolutionary France. His time on the throne is remembered for attempting to reconcile royal authority with the constitutional and social changes brought by the Revolution and the Napoleonic era.
- Born: 1755, Versailles
- First reign: April 1814 – March 1815
- Second reign: July 1815 – September 1824