Louis I of Spain
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| Born | 25 August 1707 Buen Retiro, Madrid, Castile | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 31 August 1724 (aged 17) Buen Retiro, Madrid, Spain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Louis I ( one of the shortest in history , lasting for just over seven months.
Infante of Spain (1707–1709)Louis was born at Palacio del Buen Retiro, in Madrid[1] as the eldest son of the reigning King Philip V of Spain and his wife Maria Luisa Gabriella of Savoy. He was named after his great-grandfather Louis XIV of France.[2]
Prince of Asturias (1709–1721) At birth he was the Infante Ferdinand and Infante Felipe Pedro. On 24 December 1714, Louis' father remarried to Elisabeth Farnese, the young heiress to the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza .
Marriage (1722)As heir not only to the vast livres.[4]
King of Spain (1724)Louis ruled for a short period between the time his father Philip V abdicated in his favour (14 January 1724) and his death from smallpox, just over seven months.[5] King Philip sent him a letter informing him of his decision. He calls his son a great king. Louis sent his father a humble reply, thanking him. Louis signed his letter as Prince of Asturias. His marital problems dominated during his reign. His father kept tabs on him from San Ildefonso. To counter his father's influence, he surrounded himself with officials who had not served under Philip. His plans were to focus more on the American colonies rather than the lost Italian territories. On his death, his father returned to the throne, and reigned 22 more years until his own death in 1746. Louis was buried in the Cripta Real del Monasterio de El Escorial part of the El Escorial complex.[6] Appearance and personalityLouis was tall and thin, with blonde hair. He was considered unattractive and the similarity between him and his maternal grandfather, Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia, was notable.[7] Apart from this, Louis had weak arms, which emphasized his delicacy.[8]
Not much is known about Louis' personality. According to Vicente Bacallar, Marquis de San Felipe, he was extremely liberal, magnanimous and into making people to feel comfortable next to him. However, neither his liberty as king nor gentilism eclipsed his strong religiosity.[9] Other contemporaries allegedly pointed out Louis had inherited his father's intelligence and charm and his mother's morality and submission.[8] SexualityApart from it, many have argued that Louis inherited his father's sexual appeal. He was reputedly onanist as a pedophile.[12]
Ancestry
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