Louis XV

Louis succeeded to the throne with Philippe II, duc d’Orléans as regent. After the regent died (1723), Louis XV came to throne. He became king at the age of 5. He was handsome, majestic, intelligent, and shy at the same time. Although he was the king, he was guided by the real power, André Hercule de Fleury, his main adviser from 1726. When Fleury died in 1743, Louis XV decided not to appoint a chief minister. He governed by himself between 1743 and 1758.

Louis, however, lacked both the will and interest to govern forcefully, and his reign was influenced by a succession of favorites. Of these, the Marquise de Pompadour and her adherents were the most important and were in favor from the 1730s until 1764. The Marquise de Pompadour became the king's mistress in 1745. The comtesse Du Barry was installed in 1768 and retained her influence until the king’s death.

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