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Article: Louis XVI (France) (1754–1793; Ruled 1774–1792)
- Article from:
- Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World
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LOUIS XVI (FRANCE) (1754
–
1793; ruled 1774
–
1792)
LOUIS XVI (FRANCE)
(1754
–
1793; ruled 1774
–
1792), king of France. Louis-Auguste, duc de Berry was the second surviving son of the heir to the throne (dauphin) Louis-Ferdinand and his second wife, Marie-Th
é
r
è
se-Antoinette-Rapha
ë
lle, daughter of Augustus III, elector of Saxony and king of Poland. Louis's elder brother, the duc de Bourgogne, died in 1761, so when their father died in 1765, he became eldest male heir to his grandfather, Louis XV. Once thought a dull child, recent research has shown that he was a well-taught, reflective, and intelligent student, particularly interested in the sciences ...