Louis of Spain
Encyclopedia
Louis I was reigned as King of Spain from 15 January 1724 until his death in August the same year. His reign is recorded as one of the shortest in history, lasting for just over seven months.
as the eldest son of the reigning King Philip V of Spain
and his wife Maria Luisa of Savoy
.
but was not given the traditional title of "Prince of Asturias
" until April 1709. In 1714, when Louis was seven, his mother died, leaving him and his brothers, Infant Ferdinand
and Infant Felipe Pedro. As a result, on 24 December 1714, the King of Spain, Louis' father, married the young heiress to the Duchy of Parma
, Elisabeth Farnese.
, cousin of Louis' father and then the Regent
of France
. Louise Élisabeth's mother was Françoise Marie de Bourbon, daughter of Madame de Montespan. The dowry of this marriage was an enormous 4 million livres. She did not fit into the religious Spanish Court well and she often refused to speak to her husband. There were no children of the marriage and Louise Élisabeth refused to even see her husband.
, just over seven months later. On his death, his father returned to the throne, and reigned until his own death in 1746. Louis was buried in the Cripta Real del Monasterio de El Escorial part of the El Escorial
complex.
Infante of Spain
Born at Palacio del Buen Retiro, in MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
as the eldest son of the reigning King Philip V of Spain
Philip V of Spain
Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...
and his wife Maria Luisa of Savoy
Maria Luisa of Savoy
Maria Luisa of Savoy was a Savoyard princess and the first wife of Philip V of Spain. She acted as Regent of Spain and had great influence over her husband...
.
Prince of Asturias
At birth he was the heir apparentHeir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
but was not given the traditional title of "Prince of Asturias
Prince of Asturias
Prince of Asturias is the historical title given to the heir to the Spanish throne. It was also the title under the earlier Kingdom of Castile. The current Prince of Asturias is Felipe, son of King Juan Carlos of Spain and Queen Sofía...
" until April 1709. In 1714, when Louis was seven, his mother died, leaving him and his brothers, Infant Ferdinand
Ferdinand VI of Spain
Ferdinand VI , called the Learnt, was King of Spain from 9 July 1746 until his death. He was the fourth son of the previous monarch Philip V and his first wife Maria Luisa of Savoy...
and Infant Felipe Pedro. As a result, on 24 December 1714, the King of Spain, Louis' father, married the young heiress to the Duchy of Parma
Duchy of Parma
The Duchy of Parma was created in 1545 from that part of the Duchy of Milan south of the Po River, as a fief for Pope Paul III's illegitimate son, Pier Luigi Farnese, centered on the city of Parma....
, Elisabeth Farnese.
Marriage
As heir not only to the vast Spanish empire, but also to a new dynasty, it was decided that Louis would take a wife as soon as possible. On 20 January 1722, at Lerma, he met and married Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans, a daughter of Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of OrléansPhilippe II, Duke of Orléans
Philippe d'Orléans was a member of the royal family of France and served as Regent of the Kingdom from 1715 to 1723. Born at his father's palace at Saint-Cloud, he was known from birth under the title of Duke of Chartres...
, cousin of Louis' father and then the Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Louise Élisabeth's mother was Françoise Marie de Bourbon, daughter of Madame de Montespan. The dowry of this marriage was an enormous 4 million livres. She did not fit into the religious Spanish Court well and she often refused to speak to her husband. There were no children of the marriage and Louise Élisabeth refused to even see her husband.
King of Spain
Louis ruled for a short period between the time his father Philip V abdicated in his favour (14 January 1724) and his death from smallpoxSmallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
, just over seven months later. On his death, his father returned to the throne, and reigned until his own death in 1746. Louis was buried in the Cripta Real del Monasterio de El Escorial part of the El Escorial
El Escorial
The Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a historical residence of the king of Spain, in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, about 45 kilometres northwest of the capital, Madrid, in Spain. It is one of the Spanish royal sites and functions as a monastery, royal palace, museum, and...
complex.
Titles and styles
- 25 August 1707 - 2 April 1709 His Royal Highness The Infante Don Luis of Spain
- 2 April 1709 - 14 January 1724 His Royal Highness The Prince of Asturias
- 14 January 1724 – 31 August 1724 His Majesty The King
Ancestry
Sources
- Danvila, Alfonso. El reinado relámpago, Luis I y Luisa Isabel de Orleáns, 1707-1724. Madrid: Espasa-Calpe, 1952. Reprinted as Luis I y Luisa Isabel de Orleans: el reinado relámpago. Madrid: Alderabán, 1997.
External links
- Luis I Spanish