Louis-Joseph, Dauphin of France
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Louis-Joseph Xavier Francois, Dauphin of France (October 22, 1781–June 4, 1789) was the second child and first son of King Louis XVI of France and Marie Antoinette of Austria. As the heir apparent to the French throne, he was called the Dauphin. A sweet-natured child, unlike Madame Royale, Louis-Joseph died at the age of seven of what was then known as "consumption" (tuberculosis). On his death the title of Dauphin passed to his younger brother Louis-Charles, Duke of Normandy (1785–1795), who would survive his father and die in prison at the age of ten.
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, is named for him (Louis-Joseph, Dauphin of France). The Pennsylvania legislature, meeting in Philadelphia in 1785, to thank France for helping America win her independence from Great Britain, named the newly formed county, "Dauphin", northwest of Lancaster and north of York, in which Harrisburg is located. "Dauphin" was the title of the heir to the French throne, much as the title "Prince of Wales" belongs to the heir to the British throne.
[edit] Bibliography
History of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania Historical Commission, Harrisburg, PA
House of Bourbon Cadet Branch of the Capetian dynasty Born: 22 October 1781 Died: 4 June 1789 |
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Preceded by Louis-Auguste |
Dauphin of France 22 October 1781–4 June 1789 |
Succeeded by Louis-Charles |