Louis, Duke of Brittany (1707–1712)

Louis de France, Duke of Brittany, Dauphin of France (Versailles, 8 January 1707 – Versailles, 8 March 1712) was the second son of Louis, Duke of Burgundy and Princess Marie Adélaïde of Savoy.

As a grandson of the Dauphin, he was styled a Grandson of France.

Due to the deaths of his grandfather, Louis, le Grand Dauphin in 1711, and his father Louis, Duke of Burgundy in 1712, during the reign of Louis XIV, he became heir apparent to the throne of France and therefore Dauphin of France, for three weeks in 1712, until his death. His younger brother became the Dauphin and eventually succeeded the King as Louis XV in 1715.

Biography

Louis was born at Versailles to the Duke and Duchess of Burgundy; at birth he was created the Duke of Brittany and was the first person to hold that title for almost 200 years.

At the time of his birth Louis was the third-in-line heir to his great-grandfather Louis XIV of France. He was preceded in birth by an elder brother, also named Louis, who was born in 1704 and died in infancy the following year.

His paternal grandfather, Louis, Dauphin of France and Prince of Viana, died on 14 April 1711. Young Louis' father became Dauphin and Louis became the second-in-line heir to the throne.

His parents contracted an illness in early 1712. His mother died first on 12 February at Versailles. His father died on 18 February at the Château de Marly. At this point Louis became the Dauphin, the heir apparent of his great-grandfather Louis XIV of France. However he died himself less than a month later.

His death is attributed to contracting measles. As a treating technique, the doctors used bloodletting and the young Dauphin bled to death.

Louis was buried in Basilica of St Denis. His younger brother, the Duke of Anjou, became Dauphin in his place and would succeed their great-grandfather as Louis XV of France.

Ancestry

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

• 8 January 1707 – 18 February 1712 His Royal Highness the Duke of Brittany
• 18 February 1712 – 8 March 1712 His Royal Highness the Dauphin of France (Monseigneur le Dauphin)

Titles