Louis XVI of France

Louis tied the knot with the Archduchess Marie Antoinette in May, 1770. Both of them were in their early teens at the time of their wedding. The marriage was widely criticized by the public, since Marie belonged to Austria.

The couple did not have any children even after being married for seven years, giving rise to the speculation amongst the public that the King is infertile. The monarch and his queen, Maria Antoinette, became the subject of mockery of the French subjects due to the same reason.

It is also believed that the French monarch had consulted several doctors and underwent treatments to solve the problem. However, later, the couple went on to become the parents of four kids, namely, Marie Therese Charlotte, Louis Charles, Louis Joseph Xavier Francois and Sophie Helene Beatrix.

Louis XVI was born to Louis, the Dauphin of France and his spouse Marie-Josèphe, on 23rd August 1754, at the Palace of Versailles, located in France. The prince was the second of the seven children born to his parents.

Though he was considered to be very shy as a kid, the young prince was known to be very intelligent. He managed to get a grip over several languages including English, Italian, Geography, History, Astronomy and Latin at a very young age.

During his younger days, some of the prince’s favorite activities included spending time with his siblings, namely Charles Philippe and Louis Stanislas.

The prince succeeded his father in 1765 to become the new Dauphin, after the latter succumbed to Tuberculosis. The lad was barely eleven years old while it was confirmed that he was the inherent to his grandfather’s throne.

Many teachers had helped Louis XVI in shaping his personality and help him gain knowledge, till the age of fifteen. A few of these instructors include Abbe Berthier, Duc de La Vauguyon and Abbe Soldini.

After his grandfather passed away in 1774, Louis XVI was crowned the next king of France. The prince was merely 19 years of age when he received this honor. However, he had a humongous responsibility of stabilizing the nation which was suffering, due to a great economic mess.

In his initial days as the new ruler, Louis XVI’s administration showed a lack of maturity and inconsistent in terms of decision making. However, he sought the help of Jean-Frédéric Phélypeaux, who worked as an advisor to the new king and helped him in making decisions concerning important political matters.

One of the important accomplishments of his administration was signing the pact titled ‘Edict of Versailles’, in 1787. The pact gave his subjects an opportunity to practice any religion of their choice. Non-Catholic inhabitants such as Jews and Lutherans enjoyed improved political statuses during his reign.

Louis XVI also had a desire to invade India and in this concern entered into a trading agreement with Peshwa Madhav Rao Narayan, a ruler of the Maratha empire. Eventually, the French naval forces reached the shores of present day Mauritius and tried devising a strategy to enter India.

The king of France was also interested in extending his tentacles to the Cochinchina region of Vietnam. In this regard, Louis XVI and the renowned Vietnamese emperor Nguyen Phuc Anh, agreed on a pact in 1787, titled ‘Treaty of Versailles’.

King Louis was portrayed in the 1938 flick 'Marie Antoinette', which was based on the life of his queen