1715 1774 reign of Louis XV of France. Louis XV of Bourbon - biography, facts from life, photographs, reference information. Louis XV. Portrait by van Loo
Louis XV(fr. Louis XV), official nickname Beloved(fr. Le Bien Aime; February 15, 1710, Versailles - May 10, 1774, Versailles) - King of France from September 1, 1715 from the Bourbon dynasty. His reign is one of the longest in world history, the second longest in French history after his great-grandfather, the previous king of France, Louis XIV. It is characterized by the flourishing of French culture, the so-called Rococo era, but by a gradual economic decline and growing tensions in the country.
The great-grandson of Louis XIV, the future king (who bore the title Duke of Anjou from birth) was at first only fourth in line to the throne. However, in 1711, the boy's grandfather, the only legitimate son of Louis XIV, the Grand Dauphin, died. At the beginning of 1712, Louis's parents, the Duchess (February 12) and the Duke (February 18) of Burgundy, and then (March 8) and his older 4-year-old brother, the Duke of Brittany, died one after another from measles. The two-year-old Louis himself survived only thanks to the perseverance of his tutor, the Duchess de Vantadour, who did not allow the doctors to apply strong bloodletting to him, which killed his older brother. The death of his father and brother made the two-year-old Duke of Anjou the direct heir of his great-grandfather, he received the title of Dauphin of Vienne.
In 1714, Louis's uncle, the Duke of Berry, died without heirs. It was expected that he would be regent for his nephew, since his other uncle, Philip V of Spain, abdicated the rights to the French throne in 1713 in the Peace of Utrecht. The fate of the dynasty, which until a few years ago was numerous, depended on the survival of a single child. The little orphan was constantly watched, not left alone for a minute. The anxiety and sympathy he aroused played a role in his popularity in the early years of his reign.
Regency
After the death of his great-grandfather, Louis XIV, on September 1, 1715, Louis ascended the throne at the age of 5, under the tutelage of regent Philippe d'Orléans, the late king's nephew. The foreign policy of the latter was a reaction against the direction and policy of Louis XIV: an alliance was concluded with England, a war was started with Spain. Internal management was marked by financial turmoil and the introduction of the John Law system, which led to a severe economic crisis. Meanwhile, the young king was brought up under the guidance of Bishop Fleury, who cared only about his piety, Imarchal Villeroy, who tried to bind his student to himself, indulging all his whims and lulling his mind and will. On October 1, 1723, Louis was declared of age, but the power continued to remain in the hands of Philip of Orleans, and after the death of the latter passed to the Duke of Bourbon. In view of the poor health of Louis and the fear that in the event of his childless death, his uncle of the Spanish king Philip V would not claim the French throne, the Duke of Bourbon hurried to marry the king to Maria Leszczynska, daughter of the ex-king of Poland Stanislav.
Government of Cardinal Fleury
In 1726, the king announced that he was taking over the reins of power, but in fact power passed to Cardinal Fleury, who led the country until his death in 1743, trying to stifle any desire in Louis to enter politics.
The reign of Fleury, who served as an instrument in the hands of the clergy, can be characterized as follows: inside the country - the absence of any innovations and reforms, the exemption of the clergy from paying duties and taxes, the persecution of Jansenists and Protestants, attempts to streamline finances and bring great savings in costs and the inability to achieve this due to the complete ignorance of the minister in economic and financial matters; outside the country - the careful elimination of everything that could lead to bloody clashes, and, despite this, the waging of two ruinous wars, for the Polish inheritance and for the Austrian. The first, at least, annexed Lorraine to the possessions of France, on the throne of which the king's father-in-law Stanislav Leshchinsky was elevated. The second, which began in 1741 under favorable conditions, was conducted with varying success until 1748 and ended with the Peace of Aachen, according to which France was forced to cede to the enemy all its conquests in the Netherlands in return for ceding Parma and Piacenza to Philip of Spain. Louis personally participated in the War of the Austrian Succession at one time, but fell ill in Metseopasno. France, greatly alarmed by his illness, joyfully greeted his recovery and called him Beloved.
Independent government. An attempt at reform.
Cardinal Fleury died at the beginning of the war, and the king, reiterating his intention to govern the state himself, appointed no one as first minister. In view of the inability of Louis to deal with affairs, this had extremely unfavorable consequences for the work of the state: each of the ministers managed his ministry independently of his comrades and inspired the sovereign with the most contradictory decisions. The king himself led the life of an Asian despot, at first obeying either one or the other of his mistresses, and from 1745 falling entirely under the influence of the Marquise de Pompadour, who skillfully indulged the base instincts of the king and ruined the country with her extravagance. The Parisian population became more hostile to the king.
In 1757, Damien made an attempt on the life of Louis. The disastrous state of the country led the inspector general Machot to the idea of reforming the financial system: he proposed to introduce an income tax (vingtième) on all classes of the state, including the clergy, and to restrict the right of the clergy to buy real estate in view of the fact that the possessions of the church were freed from payment of all kinds of duties. The clergy revolted unanimously in defense of their ancestral rights and tried to arrange a diversion - to arouse the fanaticism of the population by persecuting the Jansenists and Protestants. In the end, Machaut fell; his project remained unfulfilled.
Seven Years' War. Political and financial crisis.
In 1756, the Seven Years' War broke out, in which Louis took the side of Austria, the traditional opponent of France, and (despite the local victories of Marshal Richelieu), after a series of defeats, he was forced to conclude the Peace of Paris in 1763, which deprived France of many of its colonies (by the way - India, Canada) in favor of England, which managed to take advantage of the failures of its rival in order to destroy its maritime importance and destroy its fleet. France sank to the level of a third-rate power.
Pompadour, who changed generals and ministers at her own discretion, placed the Duke of Choiseul at the head of the administration, who knew how to please her. He arranged a family agreement between all the sovereigns of the House of Bourbon and persuaded the king to issue a decree on the expulsion of the Jesuits. The financial situation of the country was terrible, the deficit was huge. New taxes were required to cover it, but the Parlement of Paris in 1763 refused to register them. The king compelled him to do so through lit de justice (the supremacy of the royal court over any other - the principle according to which, as soon as parliament decides in the name of the king, then in the presence of the king himself, parliament has no right to do anything. According to the saying: "When the king comes , the judges fall silent"). The provincial parliaments followed the example of the Parisian: Louis arranged a second lit de justice (1766) and declared the parliaments to be simple judicial institutions, which should be considered an honor to obey the king. Parliaments, however, continued to resist.
The new mistress of the king, Dubarry, who took the place of Pompadour after the death of the latter in 1764, led Choiseul, the defender of parliaments, d'Eguillon, their ardent opponent, to the place.
On the night of January 19-20, 1771, soldiers were sent to all members of Parliament demanding an immediate answer (yes or no) to the question of whether they wished to obey the king's orders. The majority answered in the negative; the next day it was announced to them that the king was depriving them of their posts and expelling them, despite the fact that their posts were bought by them, and they themselves were considered irremovable. Instead of parliaments, new judicial institutions were established (see Mopu), but lawyers refused to defend cases before them, and the people reacted with deep indignation at the violent actions of the government.
Louis did not pay attention to popular discontent: locking himself in his parc aux cerfs (Deer Park), he was engaged exclusively in his metresses and hunting, and when he was pointed out to the danger that threatened the throne, and to the disasters of the people, he answered: “The monarchy will hold out yet, as long as we are alive” (“even a flood after us”, “après nous le déluge”). The king died of smallpox, having contracted it from a young girl sent to him by Dubarry.
Family and Children.
On September 4, 1725, 15-year-old Louis married 22-year-old Maria Leszczynska (1703-1768), daughter of Stanisław, the former King of Poland. They had 10 children, of whom 1 son and 6 daughters survived to adulthood. Only one, the eldest, of the daughters married. The younger unmarried daughters of the king took care of their orphaned nephews, the children of the Dauphin, and after the accession of the eldest of them, Louis XVI, to the throne, they were known as "Madam Aunt".
Madame de Pompadour had a daughter, Alexandrine-Jeanne d'Étiol (1744-1754), who died in childhood, who may have been the king's illegitimate daughter. According to some version, the girl was poisoned by court haters of Madame de Pompadour.
Peter the Great "holds all of France in his arms"
In addition to his wife and favorite, Louis had a whole "harem" of mistresses who were kept in the Deer Park estate and other places. At the same time, many favorites were prepared for this from adolescence, since the king preferred "non-perverted" girls, and was also afraid of venereal diseases. In the future, they were married off with a dowry.
Louis XV and Russia.
On the whole, contacts were both unfavorable and inconsistent. One of the episodes is the arrival of Peter I in France in 1717, encouraged by a possible political union; the other, again mindful of a possible union, is a “project” about marriage between the king and the crown princess Elizabeth (the future Elizabeth I Petrovna). Neither circumstance had a noticeable effect on relations between states. On the contrary, perhaps the failed marriage significantly complicated the influence of French interests in Russia during the reign of Elizabeth Petrovna.
Louis XV (nickname the Beloved) b. February 15, 1710 - death May 10, 1774 - French king from September 1, 1715 from the Bourbon dynasty.
Ascension to the throne
1710 - when Louis (who received the title of Duke of Anjou at birth) was born, nothing foretold that he would someday become king - he was only the second son of the eldest grandson of the ruler and was in fourth place in the order of heirs. However, the terrible misfortune that broke out over the Bourbon dynasty in 1711-1712 unexpectedly cleared the way for him to the throne.
During these years, the Dauphin Louis, his son the Duke of Burgundy and Louis' older brother, the Duke of Brittany, died one after another. So the 2-year-old Duke of Anjou became the heir to his great-grandfather, 73-year-old Louis XIV, and after his death in 1715 he was declared King Louis XV. His cousin, the Duke of Orleans, became regent under him.
Regency
From the age of six, Louis was given to the upbringing of the Abbé Fleury, whom he loved dearly, like a father. From 1726 to 1743, the first minister was Louis' children's tutor, Abbé Fleury. The reign of de Fleury, who served as an instrument in the hands of the clergy, can be characterized as follows: inside the country - the absence of any innovations and reforms, the exemption of the clergy from paying duties and taxes, the persecution of Jansenists and Protestants, attempts to streamline finances and make greater savings in costs and the inability to achieve this due to the minister's utter ignorance in economic and financial matters; outside the country - the careful elimination of everything that could lead to bloody clashes, and, despite this, the waging of two ruinous wars, for the Polish inheritance and for the Austrian.
Personal life. Character
The king studied diligently and knew a lot; he especially liked mathematics and geography. In addition to the usual subjects, he was taught how to conduct state affairs: the regent forced him to attend important meetings and explained diplomatic affairs in detail. Since 1723, the king was considered an adult. 1725 - he married the Polish princess Mary. According to the Duke of Richelieu, Louis at this time seemed to many the most beautiful youth in the kingdom. Everyone was delighted with the nobility and pleasantness of his appearance. But already at that time he was weary of his royal duties and tried to entrust them to the ministers.
At the age of 20, Louis was pure and pure of heart, and his court was a picture of the most innocent and ingenuous morals. The monarch was passionately fond of hunting, he loved refined society, the game, a luxurious table and Toulouse wines. He was dexterous and did not shy away from painstaking work: he planted onions with pleasure, embroidered on canvas and turned snuff boxes. In his private life he was kind and amiable. Timid in large crowds, he became very witty in private conversation.
Despite the many beautiful seductive women, the king remained faithful to his wife for a long time. The first years of their marriage were cloudless. But having given birth to 10 children from 1727 to 1737, Maria began to show fatigue and coldness towards Louis. "What is this? she once said. - All lie down and be pregnant, but incessantly give birth! .. "
She began to refuse the king in the performance of marital duties, became cold and very pious. The offended king gradually retired from his wife. They write that once, offended by the stubborn unwillingness of his wife to receive him at home in the evening, he vowed never again to demand from her the fulfillment of her duty. Since then, their life together was limited only to ceremonial relationships, and other women took Mary's place in the heart of the sensual king.
Abbé Fleury and the Marquise de Pompadour
Madame de Magli became his first favourite. The king, in his timidity, did not like too noisy society and the court, constrained by the framework of etiquette, but preferred a close company, consisting of several friends and beautiful women. The small apartments of the monarch were that part of the court where no one was allowed to go without a special invitation from his favorite. Here everything was full of taste and elegance. To have even more freedom, the king bought Choisi.
He immediately liked the location of this place: around it was a dense forest full of game and a river snaked among the parks. He ordered the castle to be completely rebuilt and luxuriously decorated. At Versailles, Louis appeared only on solemn days. Here he was an excellent husband, a good father of the family and was always present at church services. The rest of the time the sovereign lived in Choisy. In this sanctuary of love, mechanical tables first appeared, ridding the witty society of feasting at evening orgies from the presence of indiscreet and chatty servants.
The Countess de Magly could, like no one else, give charm to such dinners: she was so captivating with her gaiety, she laughed so naively, from the bottom of her heart, that the monarch, prone to melancholy by nature, merrily and laughed like a child. However, the Comtesse de Magly did not long rule over the heart of Louis. Soon he had other hobbies. At first, he fell in love with her older sister, the Duchess de Vantimille, but she died of childbirth, and then he became seriously interested in her younger sister, the ardent Marquise de la Tournel, who later became the Duchess de Châteauroux. Together with it, a militant party came to the leadership, which demanded a break with Austria. Under her pressure, the king in 1740 supported Prussia and Bavaria in their war for the Austrian succession.
Independent government
1741, summer - two French armies crossed the Rhine. In November, the French took Prague. But in August 1742, the Austrians blocked it and forced the French to retreat. The following year, the Abbé Fleury died. Louis announced that he was tired of the rule of the first minister, which pandered to his laziness, and that now he would rule himself, like Louis XIV. In fact, he began to lead a more active life, working with secretaries of state and frequently chairing the council.
He had worthy qualities, a sharp mind and a strong sense of authority, but an irresistible weakness of character never gave him the opportunity to be himself, so that he always succumbed to someone else's influence. In state councils, Louis, as a rule, showed a lot of intelligence, but he never insisted on his opinion.
The heart affairs of the king during these years were as follows. For some time, Louis mourned the Duchess of Châteauroux, and then fell into painful despondency. Thoughtful, he returned to Paris, where the festivities began on the occasion of the marriage of the Dauphin. There, in 1745, at a costume ball, the king was carried away by the charming Madame d'Etiol, who was soon granted the title.
King Louis XV (In his youth and mature years)
Favorite of the Marquis de Pompadour
She was very beautiful and charming, she played music beautifully, was fond of painting, was well educated and witty. Having become close to Louis, she soon became more than a favorite and gained such influence over Louis that for many years she was a real uncrowned French queen. The marquise, replaced generals and ministers at her own discretion. Her influence was not always positive for the state, but she undoubtedly added splendor to the reign of Louis XV.
A fan of the sciences and arts, the Marquise de Pompadour gathered around her artists, writers, philosophers and artists. She became a trendsetter and trendsetters that later bore her name. Her power, however, lay not so much in her charm, but in her incredible ability to disperse the insurmountable boredom of the monarch.
Seven Years' War
An important consequence of the War of the Austrian Succession was the change of allies. Austria and France, which had been continuously at war with each other for three centuries, began to draw closer, and the former ally, Frederick II, became more and more hostile to Louis. Having learned in January 1756 about the Anglo-Prussian military alliance, Louis in May agreed to conclude a defensive alliance with Austria. Both powers promised each other help against any conqueror. At the end of the year, the Russian joined this treaty. With these allies, Louis in August 1756 began the Seven Years' War against England and Prussia.
May 1757 - Marshal Richelieu was able to easily occupy Hannover and Braunschweig. At the same time, the main French army under Soubise linked up with the imperial army on the Main. In November, at Rosbach, the 60,000th Franco-German army entered into battle with the 20,000th Prussian and was defeated. 1758 - The Prussians went on the offensive on the Rhine and defeated the French at Krefeld.
The 1759 campaign, marked by several battles, was more successful for the French, but they failed to capitalize on their victories. Their fleet was defeated by the British. This predetermined the defeat in the colonies. Both in America and in India, the British achieved decisive successes. Canada came under their control in 1759, and in 1761 Pondicherry surrendered in India. In addition, the British captured Senegal, Martinique, Grenada and some other islands. All the French cursed this war.
Society still disliked the Austrians and rejoiced at every victory of Frederick. The Marquise de Pompadour, who was considered the culprit of the Austrian Union, was cursed in all walks of life. The treasury was empty. 1761, March - The French army in Europe was successful at Grunberg, but in the summer it was defeated again at Willinghausen. Russia's exit from the war in 1762 hastened the conclusion of a general peace. It was signed in February 1763 in Paris and ended the colonial empire of France. All the conquests of the British in America and Hindustan remained with them. The French lost in this war their military prestige, their navy and their colonies.
The next year after the Peace of Paris, the Marquise de Pompadour died. With her death, little has changed in court life. At first it was thought that Louis XV had abandoned the idea of having a titled mistress and would be satisfied with his concubines in Deer Park, but he returned from there boring. It took a long time before a replacement for the marquise was found. The last favorite of Louis XV in 1768 was the Countess du Barry.
Death of Louis XV
From the beginning of 1774, everyone began to notice a strong change in the habits and mentality of the monarch. He quickly grew old and decrepit. Deep sadness did not leave him for another minute. With the greatest reverence, he attended all the sermons and strictly observed the fasts. The king seemed to have a premonition of his near end. At the end of April 1774, he suddenly fell ill. It was smallpox. On May 10, Louis XV died, leaving his heir with huge public debts, many unresolved problems and a kingdom that was in a protracted crisis.
Louis VX as a child
Almost all authors writing about the gallant eighteenth century report with regret that King Louis XV of France was impenetrably stupid and deeply unhappy. But, tell me, can a person who has been burdened with a crown from the age of five be happy?
Royal childhood, as expected, turned out to be disturbing and bleak. Regent Philippe d'Orleans, who ruled on behalf of the infant king, turned out to be a cheerful man, but prone to all sorts of economic reforms - the Lowe system alone is worth something! The reforms, as usual, were not understood by the people, and the constant rumors that the regent wants to poison the little monarch also did not contribute to political stability.
Fortunately, Louis XV lived to adulthood and, having accepted a country devastated by social experiments, he realized that ... he just didn’t want to rule France! The king was overcome by inescapable boredom, and this despite the fact that he was the ruler of the first court in Europe.
The promiscuity of Louis, about which novelists always wrote with such pleasure, was not his "natural" feature. In other words, alcove adventures were only an accessible remedy for the inexpressible longing that oppressed the king of France from a young age.
In fact, at first he was not a libertine at all! Having married Maria Leszczynska, a princess from fraternal Poland, Louis was at first faithful to his dearest wife. However, the blond lady received Louis's stormy caresses rather coldly. Having given birth to an heir-dauphin, the queen began to skimp on marital duties and increasingly locked the door of her bedroom.
The coldness of his wife, in fact, pushed Louis into the arms of the first whore who came across - Louise de Malle, nee de Neil. De Malli was not pretty, and had the most modest mind, but she knew how to arrange merry dinners for the king, usually ending in bed ...
This idyll continued exactly until Louise's own sister, Pauline de Neil, returned from the monastic boarding school. Polina was even less beautiful than her sister, but Julius himself could envy the ambition of the monastic prude.
Maria Leshchinskaya, queen
Caesar! In a matter of weeks, the sister turned the hapless monarch around and, becoming his new concubine, decided to try her hand at running the state. She quickly quarreled with the all-powerful Cardinal Fleury and already dreamed of her absolute hegemony, but a miracle happened - Polina became pregnant. The favorite was immediately given in marriage to a certain de Ventimille, who, for a certain bribe, agreed to endure the royal metress beside him. This whole love story ended rather sadly - Polina died of puerperal fever, leaving behind an adorable little son who looked like Louis in two drops of water.
The king was killed for about a week, after which he turned his eyes to the third of the de Neil sisters, Diana de Lorage, but she became boring to the monarch too quickly to leave any mark on history.
You will laugh, but after de Lorage, the king decided to try his luck with the fourth sister of the Neil family, Madame de Flavacourt. But Flavakur somehow looked at Ludovic strangely and said something like: “And how will I look people in the eyes after all this?”
The king was completely at a loss. What to do? Upset or angry? But then a delightful, full-bodied beauty, the Marquise de la Tournel, appeared before him. Is it necessary to say that this charmer turned out to be from the de Neil family ?!
The embodied goddess of love had quite earthly goals - to irrevocably drive the crowned libertine under her chiseled heel. She quite succeeded in this - the ministers and chiefs trembled, and their beautiful wives left the sweet thought of the royal bedroom.
Two years later, this uncrowned queen received the title of Duchess de Châteauroux, under which she entered the history of France. Most Western historians acknowledge that Châteauroux was intelligent, politically literate, and rather skillfully led the weak-willed king.
It is difficult to say which path France would have taken if Chateauroux had lived a little longer, but the beautiful favorite died of
Duchess de Chateauroux
peritonitis. At court, however, there were rumors that the matter was not without poisons ...
Having exhausted all the resources of the de Neil family, Louis finally became sad and even almost returned to his first favorite - de Magli, but was there ever a shortage of chic women in beautiful Versailles? In those days, the royal court was like a disturbed beehive. A single question was discussed: “On whom will His Majesty’s choice fall ?!”
And only one woman knew exactly who. Her name was Jeanne Antoinette d'Etiol (née Poisson). Pretty Jeanne knew from childhood that not just anyone but the King of France would love her. Such naivete was also reinforced by the fortuneteller's prediction. "And you, Jeanne Poisson, will be loved by the king himself!" - these prophetic words so programmed the whole subsequent life of the girl that she didn’t want to hear about anything else!
Relatives tried to ensure that Jeanne received a good education. Philosophy, music, poetry - everything was on the shoulder of a pretty Parisian.
Madame d'Etiol was sincerely grateful to her simple-minded husband for having contributed to her career, but nothing more: quiet family happiness never seduced this purposeful lady. Gradually, the hospitable house d'Etioli turned into a fashionable salon in the capital, and the hostess herself was recognized as the most brilliant woman in Paris. Paris. But not Versailles!
Madame de Pompadour
Getting to Versailles for Madame d'Etiol was as difficult as getting to Mars or, say, to another dimension. Jeanne was still considered parvenu, that is, who imagined that impudent upstart.
But during the magnificent masquerade on the occasion of the wedding of the Dauphin, the king rushed in pursuit of a subtle, exquisite beauty ... Of course, under the mask was hidden the delightful d'Etiol, whose fate was henceforth inextricably linked with the fate of Louis.
Having made the beautiful Jeanne his favorite, the king bestowed on her the title of Marquise de Pompadour. She did a lot for France - she patronized Voltaire, Crebillon Sr., Boucher, Latour and Marmontel, built wonderful palaces and was the "mother" of Serv porcelain, but at the same time, the cost of maintaining the favorite grew from year to year. The pompadour cost France much more than the upkeep of the army...
The Marquise firmly knew: the main thing is not to win a victory, but to take advantage of its fruits. To do this, Pompadour developed for herself a whole strategy to maintain power over Louis. Knowing male psychology well, Zhanna understood that sexual pleasures become boring, and only a strong spiritual connection can become a guarantee of her eternal favor. Then Pompadour became a friend for the king, adviser, minister, personal secretary, singer, reader and, what is there to trifle, mother (Louis was orphaned in infancy, so he subconsciously strove under the "wing" to a strong-willed woman).
It is not necessary to say that the life of the royal favorite was easy and cloudless. Firstly, Jeanne was constantly annoyed by her rivals. Beautiful, dissolute and ready to do anything for royal handouts, mature matrons and very young girls staged a real hunt for the king. I also had to fight with the ministers and other dignitaries of the king, who hated the marquise. It is good that fate gave Jeanne a meeting with Choiseul, who became a true friend and ally of the favorite.
And how the epigrams of Frederick of Prussia offended her! Despising all “litter”, this militant Teuton was also a famous bawdy: his satirical rhymes about the Marquis could do credit even to Mr. Barkov ...
Poor health and a cold temperament also brought the favorite a lot of frustration, but she had to constantly smile and come up with another entertainment for the bored king. In short, Pompadour's life can be described in one line from a Soviet song: "And our whole life is a struggle!"
Louise La Morfil
In the end, the Marquise herself began to select girls for Louis - very beautiful, unbearably stupid and ridiculously naive. In her desire to retain power, Pompadour became a procuress - the meetings of the king with the girls took place in a mansion called Deer Park.
How many girls have passed through this "institution", no one has yet counted, but one name must be named - Louise La Morfil. Francois Boucher was very fond of drawing her, so many of us know this nymph well by sight. The life of the charming La Morfil was full of curiosities even after the Olenye. She married three times, and the last husband was thirty years younger than her, was in prison during the Jacobin terror, met the ascension of Napoleon and died in 1814, being a very old woman.
The last senile love of the king was the depraved, rude, but at the same time good-natured and cheerful Jeanne Dubarry. A woman from the very bottom of society, she charmed the elderly monarch in a short time. They say that after a night of love with this grisette, Louis confessed to his friend - Marshal de Richelieu: “This is the only woman in France who managed to make me forget my age and my misfortunes. She taught me things I didn't even know existed."
Dubarry interfered little in state affairs, preferring to dance, play and try on new outfits. However, the lazy favorite was not too fond of dressing in bulky dresses with wide panties, ribbons, artificial flowers and bows - she often received guests in a negligee. Her deliberate untidyness embarrassed the whole court, but for a short time this "careless style" became a big fashion.
The rise of Dubarry was opposed by the daughters of Louis XV and the young Dauphine Marie Antoinette. The young Austrian was embarrassed not even by the very fact of the appearance of a former milliner in Versailles, but by the fact that “this upstart” was honored on a par with members of the royal house.
After the death of the king, Dubarry got a good job in the palace of Louveciennes given to her ... What else is needed for happiness? But during the revolution, the former royal courtesan was put on trial and guillotined. So sadly ended the life of the last mistress of the most immoral king of France.
Alas, Louis XV failed to become famous for anything - neither military prowess, nor wise rule, nor even his personal qualities. He went down in history as a libertine king.
By the way, do you want to know what Louis XV was able to do with "five plus"? You won't guess anything! Upholster furniture and grow vegetables in your personal garden. We would have such a man at the dacha!
legendary French King Louis XIV the phrase is attributed: “The state is me!”. Regardless of whether the monarch pronounced it or not, it reflects the essence of his reign, which stretched for 72 years.
Under the Sun King, absolute monarchy in France reached its peak. But the decline inevitably follows the heyday. And the fate of the successor of the great monarch most often falls to be a pale shadow of the predecessor.
"Shadow" of Louis XIV was his great-grandson Louis XV.
The last years of the Sun King's reign were extremely dramatic. The position of the ruling dynasty, which until recently seemed unshakable, was shaken due to a series of deaths of the heirs to the throne.
In 1711, the only legitimate son of Louis XIV died. In 1712, measles hit the royal family. From February 12 to March 8, the father, mother and elder brother of the future Louis XV died of this disease.
The two-year-old great-grandson of Louis XIV remained his only direct heir and the only barrier to the impending dynastic crisis.
The life of the baby himself hung in the balance, and from the clutches of death he was pulled out by a teacher, Duchess de Ventadour.
The heir to the throne was protected like the apple of an eye. He was not left alone for a minute, his health was constantly monitored by doctors. Childhood overprotection greatly influenced the character of Louis XV in later years.
Marriage in the interests of the state
On September 1, 1715, the five-year-old heir to the throne, after the death of his great-grandfather, ascended the French throne.
Of course, in the first years of the reign, state administration was concentrated in the hands of the regent, who became the nephew of Louis XIV Philippe d'Orleans. This period was marked by the struggle of various court factions, the economic crisis and chaos in foreign affairs.
The young king was not initiated into what was happening. Louis studied under Bishop Fleury who taught him piety and piety, and spent his free time with Marshal Villeroy who was ready to fulfill any whim of the monarch.
What united the warring factions at the French court was the fear of the sudden death of Louis, who, due to his too young age, had no heirs.
Therefore, as soon as the king was 15 years old, he was married to a 22-year-old daughter Retired King of Poland Stanisław Leszczynski Mary.
This marriage really turned out to be fruitful - the couple had 10 children, of whom seven survived to adulthood.
Maria Leshchinskaya and Dauphin Louis. Photo: Public Domain
Cardinal - power, king - entertainment
In 1726, the 16-year-old Louis XV announced that he was taking the reins of government into his own hands, but in fact, power actually passed into the hands of his tutor Fleury, who became a cardinal.
Louis XV took little interest in state affairs, which was greatly facilitated by the cardinal, who concentrated great power in his hands.
Cardinal Fleury avoided reforms and drastic political steps in general, but his cautious policy made it possible to somewhat improve the country's economic situation.
Louis himself spent time in entertainment and was engaged in patronage, supporting sculptors, painters and architects, and encouraged the natural sciences and medicine.
From 1722 to 1774, more than 800 paintings, more than a thousand fine pieces of furniture and much more were bought for the castles of Louis XV.
But much more passion than art for the king were women. Louis XV had countless favorites. Their number increased especially after the wife Maria Leshchinskaya(after the birth of the tenth child in 1737) refused her husband intimacy.
Main favorite
After the death of Cardinal Fleury in 1743, Louis XV finally became the sovereign ruler of France. In 1745 banker Joseph Paris, hoping to get closer to the king, introduced him to the 23-year-old Jeanne Antoinette d'Etiol, a Parisian beauty who, according to the financier, might have liked Louis XV.
The banker was not mistaken - Jeanne Antoinette became the mistress of the king. But it turned out not to be a passing fad. The energetic lady managed to become a close friend for the king, an attorney in all matters, and then, in fact, an adviser in matters of public administration.
So Jeanne-Antoinette d'Etiol turned into an influential Marquis de Pompadour, the official favorite of the king, who overthrew and appointed ministers, who determined the direction of the country's domestic and foreign policy.
Subsequently, the French themselves were inclined to blame Madame de Pompadour for all the failures of France during the reign of Louis XV. However, in reality, the fault lies with the king himself, who never managed to overcome his childhood aversion to public affairs.
By the end of the 1750s, the situation in the country's economy began to deteriorate sharply. In 1756, Louis XV, not without the influence of his favorite and her nominees, got involved in the Seven Years' War, taking the side of Austria, which was traditionally a rival of France. This conflict not only ruined the treasury, but also led the country to the loss of colonies and a decrease in the political influence of France in the world as a whole.
"Deer Park"
The king, who in childhood was the favorite of France and received the nickname Beloved, was rapidly losing popularity. He preferred to spend time in the company of favorites, whom he bestowed with expensive gifts and in whose honor he threw sumptuous feasts that shook out the last pennies from the treasury.
The king's favorite place of leisure was the Deer Park, a mansion in the vicinity of Versailles, specially built for meetings of Louis XV with favorites. The initiator of its construction was the Marquise de Pompadour. The far-sighted woman, who did not want to lose her place as an official favorite, decided to take matters into her own hands to raise girls who would later go to bed with the king.
The older Louis XV got, the younger were his mistresses. However, the accusations of pedophilia against the king are somewhat exaggerated. The inhabitants of the "Deer Park" were mostly girls aged 15-17, who, by the standards of that time, were no longer considered children.
After the next young mistress ceased to attract the king, she was given in marriage, giving a worthy dowry for this.
two-faced marquise
The easiest way would be to call the power-hungry marquise "the owner of the royal brothel." But Madame de Pompadour was at the same time the patroness of scientists, painters and other creative people. Thanks to her, old palaces were rebuilt and new ones were built, street ensembles were created, which are the pride of France to this day. The name of the Marquise de Pompadour is inextricably linked with the concept of "Gallant Age". The mind and energy of this woman were admired by the great Voltaire.
In 1764, the all-powerful favorite passed away at the age of 42. Louis XV endured this loss rather indifferently - as a consolation, he was left with the "Deer Park", where fresh beauties were always at his service.
The death of Madame de Pompadour opened the final period of the reign of Louis XV. Having never been drawn to public affairs, he now almost completely retired from them, dealing with them for only one purpose - to obtain funds for entertainment and gifts for his mistresses.
"Flood" in the inheritance of the grandson
The Paris Parliament, which resisted the introduction of new taxes by the king, was forced by Louis to obey by force. In 1771, he completely dispersed the parliamentarians with the help of soldiers. Such measures contributed to the growth of discontent not only in the ranks of the aristocracy, but also among the lower strata of society.
In the last years of his life, Louis XV, who spent more and more time hunting and in the Deer Park, invariably responded to the words of the courtiers about the unrest among the people and the catastrophic financial situation of the country with a phrase once said by Madame de Pompadour, who was reproached for squandering: “After us even a flood!
Louis XV himself was not destined to see the "flood". In 1774, another young mistress infected the king with smallpox. On May 10, 1774, he died at Versailles.
The grandson of Louis XV, Louis XVI, ascended the throne. Not sharing his grandfather's hobbies, disgusted by the "Deer Park", the young king soon became a victim of the very "flood", the onset of which Louis XV and the Marquise de Pompadour predicted after him. But the guillotine does not understand the royal necks ...
Louis XV was born on February 15, 1710 in Versailles, France. The boy came to the throne at the age of five, Prince Philip of Orleans became his regent, and after his death, the Duke de Bourbon. At the age of sixteen, the king became the husband of the Polish princess Maria Leszczynska. But the young monarch did not want to engage in state affairs.
From 1726 to 1743, France was ruled by the elderly Cardinal de Fleury, who was an experienced politician and managed to strengthen the financial position of the country, promoting the development of industry and trade. After the death of Fleury in 1743, Louis himself began to rule the state, and hard days came for the country.
Louis XV turned out to be incapable of governing the country, showed indifference to business, devoting most of his time to feasts, hunting and amorous entertainment. His favorites had a great influence on state affairs. Among them, the most influential was the Marquise Pompadour. The king generously rewarded his beloved at the expense of the country's budget, taxes grew.
Wars for the Polish and Austrian inheritance, the Seven Years' War depleted the treasury. The British defeated the French troops in North America and India. The French were actually expelled from India and lost Canada.
By the beginning of the 1750s, the king was severely degraded both morally and physically. From a handsome young man he turned into an unattractive, flabby, fat man who suffered from shortness of breath. Gluttony and depravity destroyed him. The future of the country did not worry the monarch. Some rise in France is associated with the activities of the Duke of Choiseul, who received great power from 1758 under the patronage of the Marquise of Pompadour.
During the years of his reign, Choiseul succeeded in expelling the Jesuits from the country, reforming the army, and improving the country's economic situation. He also managed to annex Corsica to France and achieve peace. But he could not raise the authority of the king. The French parliaments, which had been submissive under Louis XIV, began to oppose the king's policies.
Under Louis XV, the role of the royal court fell sharply. In the previous reign, the court played an important role in the cultural life of the country. In the age of Louis XV, the enlightened French took an ironic view of court life. For readers of Voltaire, Rousseau, Diderot, Helvetius and others, the court seemed more and more an anachronism. The eve of the French Revolution was coming.
Louis XV died on May 10, 1774 in Versailles, having contracted smallpox from another young concubine. On this day in Paris, no one grieved, but on the contrary: rejoiced.
Awards of Louis XV
Order of the Holy Spirit
Order of Saint Michael (France)
Order of Saint Louis
Order of the Golden Fleece
Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called
