Special Sub-Topic: Louis XV Click Here To Play: Louis XV

Who was Louis XV's father?

The Duc de Bourgogne. The Duc de Bourgogne (or Burgundy in English) died, along with his wife and elder son, from a plague of measles, when the future Louis XV was only three years old. Louis XIV was the great-grandfather of Louis XV. The Grand Dauphin, the French equivalent of the Prince of Wales, was his grandfather. The Duc d'Orleans was a nephew of Louis XIV and the Regent during Louis XV's minority.

Louis XV's closest friend and teacher during his childhood went on to become his most important minister, and possibly the last great first minister of pre-Revolutionary France. Who was this churchman?

Cardinal Fleury. Cardinal Richelieu was first minister to Louis XIII. Cardinal Mazarin held the same position under the early years of Louis XIV. Cardinal de Rohan was the personal bete noir of Marie Antoinette, and one of the principals, albeit unwilling, in the Diamond Necklace Affair.

Here is an easy one. The wife of Louis XV had probably the most common first name among the Queens of France, what was it?

Marie & Maria. Marie Leczinska was the daughter of the exiled and penniless King of Poland, Stanislas Leczinski. She went from being an obscure princess without a country to Queen of the single richest nation in Europe, quite a jump.

Like most of his ancestors, Louis XV was simply mad over one sport, what was it?

Hunting. Except when he was very ill indeed, Louis went out hunting virtually every day of his life from his early teen years.

Like all French kings, Louis lived in several palaces throughout the year. Which of these is not a royal palace?

Chantilly. Versailles was the main seat of the monarchy from Louis XIV to the Revolution. Compiegne was especially loved by Louis XV for its great forests with their plentiful hunting. The Louvre had been the main royal palace in Paris since the twelfth century. Chantilly was the spectacular residence of Louis XV's cousin the Prince de Conde.

Louis XV was remarkably unwarlike for a King of France, but in the eighteenth century war could not be avoided. Which of these did NOT occur during the reign of Louis XV?

The War of the Spanish Succession. The war of the Spanish Succession was fought before Louis XV was born. It resulted in the placing of a grandson of Louis XIV (and uncle of Louis XV) on the throne of Spain as Philip V. He was thus the first Bourbon king of Spain, a house that still reigns there today.

In a time when marriages, especially royal ones, were arranged for financial and dynastic reasons, mistresses were an accepted fact of life. The official mistress to the King was a recognized and important position in France. Who was Louis XV's most famous mistress?

The Marquise de Pompadour. The Marquise de Pompadour was not only the great love of Louis XV's life, but his single most important political advisor after the death of Cardinal Fleury, a post she handled with talent and discretion. Mlle. de la Valliere was an early mistress of Louis XIV, and Madame de Maintenon was the last mistress and probably the secret second wife of the same king. Diane de Poitiers was the famous mistress of King Henri II.

During the reign of Louis XV, France had one of its many artistic flowerings. Whom of these was NOT an artist active during his monarchy?

Nicolas Poussin. Poussin (1594-1665) was one of the great early Baroque painters, and flourished during the early and middle years of Louis XIV. Boucher (1703-1770) and later Fragonard (1732-1806) gained great favor for their delicate and sensual portrayals of mythological and pastoral subjects. Chardin (1699-1779) was known for his careful and profound genre studies of middle and working class life.

How many daughters did Louis XV and his Queen have who survived childhood?

Six. Louis and Marie had ten children, seven who survived past age eight (a high proportion for the times): the Dauphin or Crown Prince; Philippe, Duc d'Anjou and eight daughters, collectively known as "Mesdames de France". The "Mesdames" were: Louise-Elisabeth and Henriette, twins; Marie-Louise; Adelaide; Victoire; Sophie; Therese-Felicite and Louise-Marie. Mesdames Marie-Louise and Therese-Felicite and the Duc d'Anjou all died before they reached the age of nine.

When Louis XV died in 1772 he was succeeded by Louis XVI. What relation was the new king to Louis XV?

His grandson. Louis XVI was the son of Louis XV's eldest son the Dauphin, who had died in 1765.