Louis Philippe I

Louis Philippe I
Louis Philippe I
	Portrait of Louis Philippe I by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, 1841
King of the French
Reign	9 August 1830 – 24 February 1848
Proclamation	9 August 1830
Predecessor	Charles X ; (as King of France)
Successor	Monarchy abolished
Prime ministers	See list Himself; (1830) ; Jacques Laffitte; (1830–1831) ; Casimir Pierre Périer; (1831–1832) ; The Duke of Dalmatia; (1832–1834) ; Étienne Maurice Gérard; (1834–1834) ; The Duke of Bassano; (1834–1834) ; The Duke of Trévise; (1834–1835) ; The Duke of Broglie; (1835–1836) ; Adolphe Thiers ; (1836–1836) ; Louis-Mathieu Molé; (1836–1839) ; The Duke of Dalmatia; (1839–1840) ; Adolphe Thiers; (1840–1840) ; The Duke of Dalmatia; (1840–1847) ; François Guizot; (1847–1848) ; Louis-Mathieu Molé; (1848–1848);
Lieutenant-General of the Realm
	In office; 1 August 1830 – 11 August 1830
Preceded by	Charles Philippe, Count of Artois
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Prime Minister of France
	In office; 1 August 1830 – 2 November 1830
Monarchs	Charles X; Himself
Preceded by	Casimir de Rochechouart
Succeeded by	Jacques Laffitte
Born	6 October 1773; Palais-Royal, Paris, France
Died	26 August 1850 (aged 76); Claremont, Surrey, England
Burial	St. Charles Borromeo Chapel, Weybridge (1850–1876); Chapelle royale de Dreux (since 1876);
Spouse	Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily (m. 1809)
Issue; see detail...	Prince Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans; Louise, Queen of the Belgians; Princess Marie; Prince Louis, Duke of Nemours; Clémentine, Princess of Koháry; François, Prince of Joinville; Prince Charles, Duke of Penthièvre; Prince Henri, Duke of Aumale; Prince Antoine, Duke of Montpensier;
House	Bourbon-Orléans
Father	Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Mother	Louise Marie Adélaïde de Bourbon
Religion	Catholicism
Signature
Military career
Allegiance	Kingdom of France; French First Republic;
Branch	French Army
Service years	1785–1793
Rank	Lieutenant general
Commands	Governor of Strasbourg; 4th Brigade of the Army of the North; 14th Dragoons Regiment;
Conflicts	French Revolutionary Wars Battle of Valmy; Battle of Jemappes; Battle of Neerwinden; ;

Louis Philippe I (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850), nicknamed the Citizen King, was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, the penultimate monarch of France, the last French monarch to bear the title "King", and the only French monarch to descend from the Orléans branch of the Bourbon family. He abdicated from his throne during the French Revolution of 1848, which led to the foundation of the French Second Republic.

Louis Philippe was the eldest son of Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (later known as Philippe Égalité). As Duke of Chartres, the younger Louis Philippe distinguished himself commanding troops during the French Revolutionary Wars and was promoted to lieutenant general by the age of 19 but broke with the First French Republic over its decision to execute King Louis XVI. He fled to Switzerland in 1793 after being connected with a plot to restore France's monarchy. His father fell under suspicion and was executed during the Reign of Terror.

Louis Philippe remained in exile for 21 years until the Bourbon Restoration. He was proclaimed king in 1830 after his distant cousin Charles X was forced to abdicate by the July Revolution. The reign of Louis Philippe is known as the July Monarchy and was dominated by wealthy industrialists and bankers. During the 1840–1848 period, he followed conservative policies, especially under the influence of French statesman François Guizot. He also promoted friendship with the United Kingdom and sponsored colonial expansion, notably the French conquest of Algeria. His popularity faded as economic conditions in France deteriorated in 1847, and he was forced to abdicate after the outbreak of the French Revolution of 1848.

Louis Philippe lived for the remainder of his life in exile in the United Kingdom. His supporters were known as Orléanists, while the Legitimists supported the main line of the House of Bourbon, and the Bonapartists supported the House of Bonaparte. Among his grandchildren were King Leopold II of Belgium, Empress Carlota of Mexico, Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria, and Queen Mercedes of Spain.