Louis le Bien-Aimé, Louis the Well-Beloved, was King of France from 1715 to 1774, and his inadequate reign started the decline of royal authority that eventually ended with the start of the French Recolution. Both Louis XV parents and his brother died in 1712, and consequently, he became king at the age of five upon the death of his great grandfather Louis XIV. At the age of five, Louis was too young to rule, so as a result, the Duke of Orleans became his regent. Louis had a very privileged childhood, however, it was also quite lonely; he was attended by adults but had very little interaction with other children. He was tutored by André Hercule de Fleury and of all his studies, Louis developed a life long fascination with science. When Louis's uncle the Duke of Orleans died, he turned to Fleury and he became his first Minster. Louis was first betrothed to the daughter of King Philip V, his uncle, however, he ended up marrying the beautiful Marie Leszczyzaska, the daughter of the deposed King of Poland. They were married in 1725, when Louis was only 15. The marriage produced 10 children, however rather melancholically, only seven survived into adulthood. Louis was never completely interested in politics, however he did earn the admiration of the people of France, especially during the War of Austrian Sucession; during this war he was on the battlefield. When his first minister Fleury died in 1743, he chose to rule without a first minister, similar to his great grandfather Louis XIV. Louis received the sobriquet "Le Bien-Aime," "The Well-Loved," from his relieved constituents after he recoverd from a horrible illness. Louis XV's popularity among his people didn't last long; the War of Austrian Succession proved a detriment to France, the Treaty of Alixla-Chapelle, which ended the war in 1748, did little to advance France or settle conflicts with Britain over certain colonies. Louis's long time mistress Madame de Pompadour, had become an advisor and confidante to him; she aided him in making most of these decisions.
On 10 May 1774, Louis XV died in his bedroom at Versailles. He was comforted by his last mistress, Jeanne Bécu, countess du Barry. Louis XV was succeeded by his grandson Louis XVI and his wife Queen Marie Antoinette. The wrath of The French Reveloution would be felt by these young new monarchs, but nevertheless, many would agree that the seeds of this rebellion were planted during the reign of Louis XV.
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