Origins & Early Life

Louis XVIII (Louis Stanislas Xavier; 17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824), known as the Desired (French: le Désiré), was King of France from 1814 to 1824, except for a brief interruption during the Hundred Days in 1815. Before his reign, he spent 23 years in exile from France beginning in 1791, during the French Revolution and the First French Empire. Until his accession to the throne of France, he held the title of Count of Provence as brother of King Louis XVI, the last king of the Ancien Régime. On 21 September 1792, the National Convention abolished the monarchy and deposed Louis XVI, who was later executed by guillotine.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

When his young nephew Louis XVII died in prison in June 1795, the Count of Provence claimed the throne as Louis XVIII. Following the French Revolution and during the Napoleonic era, Louis XVIII lived in exile in Prussia, Great Britain, and Russia. When the Sixth Coalition first defeated Napoleon in 1814, Louis XVIII was placed in what he, and the French royalists, considered his rightful position. However, Napoleon escaped from his exile in Elba and restored the Napoleonic Empire. Louis XVIII fled, and a Seventh Coalition declared war on the French Empire, defeated...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Anacharsis Cloots — Contemporary (Born in 1755) (1755): Prussian nobleman and radical advocate for a world parliament during the French Revolution.
• Georges Couthon — Contemporary (Born in 1755) (1755): French politician and lawyer, prominent during the revolutionary period.
• Gilbert Stuart — Contemporary (Born in 1755) (1755): Foremost American portraitist, renowned for his likenesses of Washington and early American leaders.
• Alexandre Dumas fils — Contemporary (Born in 1824) (1824): Master French playwright and novelist, celebrated for 'The Lady of the Camellias'.
• Anton Bruckner — Contemporary (Born in 1824) (1824): Master of Austro-German Romanticism, renowned for monumental symphonies and sacred works.
• Bedřich Smetana — Contemporary (Born in 1824) (1824): Father of Czech Music, known for Má vlast and The Bartered Bride.
• Abba Eban — Shared historical date (11-17 · Died) (2002): Israeli diplomat, politician, and scholar of Arabic and Hebrew languages.
• August Ferdinand Möbius — Shared historical date (11-17 · Born) (1790): Pioneering German mathematician and theoretical astronomer known for foundational work in topology.
• Albert Szent-Györgyi — Shared historical date (09-16 · Born) (1893): Pioneering Hungarian biochemist, Nobel laureate for Vitamin C and muscle research.
• Aleksandr Medved — Shared historical date (09-16 · Born) (1937): Legendary Soviet/Belarussian freestyle wrestler, celebrated for Olympic dominance.
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