Louis XVIII

Louis XVIII, born Louis Stanislas Xavier on November seventeenth, seventeen fifty-five, was a significant figure in French history, known as 'le Désiré' or 'the Desired.' He ascended to the throne of France in eighteen fourteen, ruling until his death in eighteen twenty-four, with a brief interruption during the Hundred Days in eighteen fifteen. His early life was marked by the upheaval of the French Revolution, which forced him into a lengthy exile that lasted twenty-three years, beginning in seventeen ninety-one.

Before becoming king, Louis held the title of Count of Provence, being the brother of King Louis XVI, the last monarch of the Ancien Régime. Following the abolition of the monarchy by the National Convention in September seventeen ninety-two and the execution of his brother, Louis XVI, Louis XVIII claimed the throne after the death of his young nephew, Louis XVII, in prison in June seventeen ninety-five.

During his years in exile, Louis XVIII resided in various countries, including Prussia, Great Britain, and Russia. His return to power came after the Sixth Coalition defeated Napoleon in eighteen fourteen, allowing him to reclaim what he and royalists considered his rightful position. However, Napoleon's escape from Elba led to a temporary loss of the throne, until the Seventh Coalition defeated Napoleon again, restoring Louis XVIII to the French crown.

His reign, lasting just under a decade, was characterized by the establishment of a constitutional monarchy, a significant shift from the absolutist rule of the Ancien Régime. The Charter of eighteen fourteen curtailed his royal prerogative, and his return in eighteen fifteen sparked a second wave of White Terror, driven by the Ultra-royalist faction. In eighteen sixteen, he dissolved the unpopular parliament, paving the way for the liberal Doctrinaires. Louis XVIII's rule also saw the formation of the Quintuple Alliance and military intervention in Spain. Upon his death, the crown passed to his brother, Charles X, marking Louis XVIII as the last reigning monarch of France to die in power.