Articles

10. Meet the French Royals and their styles: Napoléon III

Napoléon III, president of France from 1848 to 1870, became the first French ruler elected by popular vote. Before becoming Emperor, he attempted several coups d’état. Imprisoned after his second c...

9. Meet the French Royals and their styles: Louis Philippe

Louis Philippe reigned from 1830 to 1848. He had fled France during the French Revolution of 1789 when his father, Louis XVI, was beheaded. Louis Philippe lived in exile for 21 years, during which ...

8. Meet the French Royals and their styles: Napoléon Bonaparte

Napoléon proclaimed Emperor of the French in 1804 and reigned until 1814. He achieved many victories, as he was extremely military cunning. He considered himself to be a scientist and when he tried...

7. Meet the French Royals and their styles: Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette became the first and only Queen of France when she married Louis XVI in 1770. When first arriving in Paris, she wanted to ride horses in the city. This caused protest from the cou...

6. Meet the French Royals and their styles: Louis XVI

Louis XVI was the last King of France before the French Revolution. He was interested in lock-picking. The blunt table knives that we use today are heavily influenced by Louis XVI, as he ordered t...

5. Meet the French Royals and their styles: Madame de Pompadour

Madame de Pompadour was the favourite mistress of Louis XV. The King gifted her the title of Marquise de Pompadour, which she loved because it rhymes with ‘amour’, emphasizing her special place i...

4. Meet the French Royals and their styles: Louis XV

Louis XV reigned from 1715 to 1774, becoming King at the age of 5, making him one of the youngest monarchs in French history. Louis XV was an enthusiastic amateur astronomer and very fond of archi...

2. Meet the French Royals and their styles: Louis XIV

Louis XIV is known as Le Roi Soleil, the Sun King. Louis XIV's reign spanned an impressive seventy two years, from 1638 to 1715, making him one of the longest-reigning monarchs in European history....

3. Meet the French Royals and their styles: Philippe d'Orléans

Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans and nephew of the Sun King, reigned as Regent of France from 1715 to 1723. Never intended to be King, he was brought up to have a military career. Philippe II w...

1. Meet the French Royals and their styles: Louis XIII

Louis XIII was the king of France from 1610 to 1643, climbing the throne at the age of only 8 years old. He was known as Le Juste, the Fair. Louis XIII was the first king to wear a wig, solely in...