Charles X

(1757-1836)

   king of France

   The grandson of louis XV and the younger brother of louis XVI and louis XV III, Charles, known as the count of Artois until he became king, was born at Versailles. In 1773, he married Marie-Thérèse of savoy, with whom he had two sons (the dukes of angoulême and of berry). Greatly attached to the ideas of the ancien regime and to the principle of royal absolutism, he was generally disliked and, at the beginning of the revolution of 1789, became one of the leaders of the émigrés. At first, Charles was active with the counterrevolutionary forces, but then, in 1795, he went to England, where he remained until 1814. After the RESTORATiON,he returned to France to serve as lieutenant-general of the kingdom and became a leader of the ultras. upon the death of his brother King Louis xV III in 1824, he became king and began his reign by being crowned at Reims, the historic site of royal coronations, in the tradition of the ancien régime. Charles's rule was characterized by reactionary and autocratic policies. Favoritism was shown to the Roman Catholic Church and to the aristocracy, and conservative ministers were put in charge of the government (see jean-baptiste de villèle, jean-BAPTISTE DE MARTIGNAC, JULES DE POLIGNAC). Subsequently, liberal opposition to the regime intensified. After the suppression of freedom of the press and other liberties by Charles's government, particularly as stipulated in the Ordonnances de Saint-Cloud, the people, on July 29, 1830, rose up. The resultant revolution of July 1830 forced Charles to abdicate. His overthrow marked the end of Bourbon rule, with that dynasty being succeeded by the house of orléans. Charles spent his remaining years in exile in Britain and later on the Continent.