Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême (Louis XIX) — Bourbon heir and brief claimant
French Bourbon prince (1775–1844), eldest son of Charles X; émigré officer, heir apparent during the Restoration, briefly succeeded and immediately abdicated during the 1830 July Revolution; later a Legitimist claimant.
Overview
Louis Antoine of France (6 August 1775 – 3 June 1844), known as the Duke of Angoulême, was the eldest son of Charles X and a leading Bourbon prince during a turbulent era. Raised before and during the French Revolution, he spent much of his early life in exile, returned with the Bourbon Restoration and became heir apparent when his father acceded in 1824. Traditional accounts record that, during the upheaval of the July 1830 Revolution, he technically succeeded his father but renounced the throne almost at once (often described as lasting only minutes).
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Early life and exile
Born into the senior line of the House of Bourbon, Louis Antoine left France with his family after the outbreak of the Revolution. Like many royalists of his generation, he served with émigré forces opposing revolutionary governments. He lived abroad for many years and married Marie-Thérèse of France (the daughter of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette) while in exile; the marriage linked the senior branches of the Bourbon family.
Role in the Restoration
After Napoleon's fall and the Bourbon Restoration, Louis Antoine returned to France and took part in public and military duties as a prominent royal prince. As the eldest son of the reigning king, he was heir apparent from 1824 until 1830 and was associated with conservative, legitimist political currents that favored traditional monarchical authority.
Abdication and the July Revolution
During the popular uprising known as the July Revolution of 1830, Charles X abdicated in favor of his son. Louis Antoine in turn issued an immediate renunciation in favor of his nephew, the young Duke of Bordeaux. While contemporary and later observers sometimes describe Louis Antoine as king for a very short interval (the phrase "king for twenty minutes" has entered popular memory), he never governed or reigned in practice.
Exile, later life and legacy
Following the royal family's removal from power, Louis Antoine lived the remainder of his life in exile. After his father's death in 1836 some Legitimists continued to recognize him as Louis XIX, the Bourbon claimant, until his own death in 1844. He left no direct heirs and his passing transferred the Legitimist claim to the next generation. Historians consider him an emblematic figure of the old monarchy: a prince shaped by counter-revolutionary exile, Restoration service and the abrupt end of Bourbon rule in 1830.
Key facts
- Born: 6 August 1775. Died: 3 June 1844.
- Titles: Duke of Angoulême; regarded by Legitimists as Louis XIX after 1836.
- Marriage: Marie-Thérèse of France (no surviving issue).
- Significance: last heir apparent of the senior Bourbon line before the July Monarchy; symbolic figure for Legitimists.
Questions and answers
Q: Who was Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême?
A: Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême, was the eldest son of Charles X of France and the last person in line to be the King of France from 1824 to 1830.
Q: How long was Louis Antoine technically the King of France and Navarre?
A: Louis Antoine was technically the King of France and Navarre for less than 20 minutes before he himself abdicated.
Q: Why did Louis Antoine give up being the King of France?
A: Louis Antoine gave up being the King of France after his father also did during the July Revolution of 1830.
Q: Did Louis Antoine ever rule over the country?
A: No, Louis Antoine never ruled over the country.
Q: What happened after Louis Antoine's father's death?
A: After his father's death in 1836, Louis Antoine was called Louis XIX.
Q: Was Louis Antoine ever recognized as the true King of France?
A: No, Louis Antoine was not recognized as the true King of France.
Q: What was Louis Antoine's abdication a result of?
A: Louis Antoine's abdication was a result of the July Revolution of 1830.
Author
AlegsaOnline.com Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême (Louis XIX) — Bourbon heir and brief claimant Leandro Alegsa
URL: https://en.alegsaonline.com/art/141843