Louis XV (1710-1774) was king of France from 1715 to 1774. His reign was marked by the decline of the prestige of the monarchy and the deepening of the crisis that eventually led to the French Revolution.

Since Louis XV, the great-grandson of Louis XIV, was only 5 years old when he became king, the regent, the Duc d'Orléans, was the actual ruler until his death in 1723. In 1725 Louis XV was married to Marie Leszczynska, daughter of a claimant to the Polish throne. Although the Queen bore him nine children, this political marriage to a woman 7 years his senior was not a happy one. In 1726 Cardinal Fleury, already 73 years old, became first minister, a position that he retained until his death (1743).

Louis XV's personal reign began with the death of Fleury. His decision to rule without a first minister gave promise of a strong regime in the tradition of...