Louis XV
King of France · 1715-1774 · born on 15 February 1710, died on 10 May 1774
Louis XV was the great-grandson of Louis XIV. Born in 1710, he was still far from the throne. In 1711, the Grand Dauphin, son of Louis XIV, died, and the future Louis XV’s father, the Duke of Burgundy, became heir to the throne. But in 1712 a series of deaths struck the royal family: the Duke of Burgundy died in turn, followed by the future Louis XV’s elder brother. Louis, then Duke of Anjou, thus became Dauphin of France at only two. When Louis XIV died on September 1, 1715, Louis XV was just five years old.
Far too young to rule, he spent the first years of his reign under the Regency of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans. Louis XV was crowned at Reims in 1722 and declared of age on his thirteenth birthday in 1723.
André-Hercule de Fleury, the former Bishop of Fréjus, was one of the most important figures in his education. He became the king’s tutor in 1716 and encouraged his strong interest in history, geography, and the sciences.
Key dates
- 1751: Start of Diderot’s Encyclopédie
In the tree of power
- Era: Bourbons
- Predecessor: Louis XIV (1643-1715)
- Successor: Louis XVI (1774-1792)
- Queen: Marie Leszczynska (1725-1768)