Louis XVIII

Louis XVIII granted the Charter of 1814, a constitution that preserved many Napoleonic legal and administrative reforms while restoring the monarchy. It established a hereditary monarchy, a bicameral legislature, and guaranteed civil liberties such as freedom of religion and press.

After Napoleon's abdication, Louis XVIII was installed as King of France by the Allied powers. He issued the Charter of 1814, establishing a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral parliament. This restored the Bourbon dynasty but under limited sovereignty.

Napoleon escaped from Elba and returned to power, forcing Louis XVIII to flee to Ghent. After Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, Louis returned to the throne in July 1815. The second restoration was marked by the White Terror, a wave of reprisals against Bonapartists and republicans.

Louis XVIII's representatives participated in the Congress of Vienna, which redrew European borders after Napoleon's defeat. France was reduced to its 1792 borders and required to pay an indemnity. The congress aimed to restore the balance of power and legitimize the Bourbon monarchy.

Louis XVIII died on September 16, 1824, after a reign of nearly ten years. He was succeeded by his brother, Charles X, whose ultra-royalist policies would lead to the July Revolution of 1830. Louis XVIII's reign was marked by relative stability and constitutional governance.