Historical and
Commemorative Medals
Collection of Benjamin Weiss
LOUIS XV: PROTECTOR OF ALSACE, CROSSING THE RHINE MARTEAU, Francois Joseph: France, 1744, Bronze, 41 mm Louis XV (1710-1774), king of France (1715-1774), was the great-grandson of Louis XIV, and the third son of Louis, Duke of Burgundy and Marie Adelaide, Princess of Savoy. Louis succeeded to the throne at the age of five, but until he reached his legal majority in1723, Philippe II, duc d'Orléans, governed as regent. In 1725 Louis married Maria Leszczynska, daughter of Stanislaw I of Poland. The following year, André Hercule de Fleury, became the chief minister, giving France a stable administration until his death 17 years later. Thereafter Louis himself was in nominal control, but he took only a sporadic interest in government and never followed any consistent policy at home or abroad. He was frequently influenced by his mistresses, the most powerful of whom was the marquise de Pompadour. Louis’ failure to provide strong leadership and badly needed reforms contributed to the crisis that brought on the French Revolution LINK to Biography of Louis XV (from Wikipedia) LINK to Portrait of Louis XV on his majority by Alexis Simon Belle (from art.com)
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