Louis 18 [dix-huit]

Louis XVIII had the most extraordinary career of all the kings of France, mirroring in many ways that of Charles II in England. Born in 1755, the younger brother of Louis XVI, he escaped from Paris in the middle of the revolution disguised as an Englishman. During his ten year reign from 1814 to 1824, France experienced parliamentary government, freedom of speech and religious tolerance. He was successful by the standards of his time, for while Napoleon was ultimately vanquished, Louis XVIII died on his throne.