Régence

Long ago, a young king lived in France.

He was only five years old. He was too small to rule. A man named Philippe helped him. This man was the Regent. He led the land for many years. He made big choices for the people. He also changed how the money worked. This helped the land. It was a very busy time in France.

In 1715, King Louis XIV of France died. His successor was Louis XV. But the new king was only five years old. He was too young to rule. A man named Philippe, the Duke of Orléans, became the Regent. A Regent is a person who rules for someone else.

Philippe took power from the Duke of Maine. The Duke of Maine was a favorite son of the old king. During this time, the way France was run changed. For a few years, councils of nobles helped lead the country. This was called the Polysynody. Later, the government went back to using single ministers.

Money was also a big part of this time. A man named John Law helped change the finances. He helped start the Banque Royale. This was meant to help the kingdom. Cardinal Dubois was also a very powerful leader. He served as the Chief Minister. This era ended in 1723 when Louis XV turned thirteen. He was then old enough to rule by himself.

The Régence was a special time in French history. It lasted from 1715 to 1723. This period began when King Louis XIV died. His successor was Louis XV. However, the new king was only five years old. A child cannot run a whole country alone. Because of this, Philippe II, the Duke of Orléans, became the prince regent. A regent is a leader who rules for someone else. Philippe was a nephew and son-in-law of the old king.

During this time, the way France was governed changed quite a bit. At first, the government used a system called the Polysynody. Instead of one minister for each job, there were councils of high nobles. There were seven different councils for things like war, the navy, and money. These councils helped lead the country from 1715 to 1718. Later, the government went back to using single ministers. Philippe also had to deal with many powerful people. He took power away from Louis-Auguste, the Duke of Maine. The Duke of Maine had been a favorite son of the late king.

Money and banking were also very important during the Régence. The kingdom had been bankrupt, which means it had no money. A man named John Law helped change the finances. He was a Scottish economist. Law helped start the Banque générale, which later became the Banque Royale. He also started the French East India Company. These changes were meant to help the kingdom's wealth. However, his ideas also led to the Mississippi Bubble. This caused a very chaotic economic collapse in France.

Many famous people lived through these years. Cardinal Dubois was a very influential leader. He served as the Chief Minister for the Regent. Other important people included Cardinal Fleury. Peter I of Russia even visited Paris during this time. He stayed at the Grand Trianon. The Regent's family was also busy. His daughter, Marie Louise Élisabeth, was part of the lively court. The Regent himself died at the Palace of Versailles in December 1723.

This era shows how leadership changes when a king is young. The center of power moved from Versailles to places like the Palais-Royal in Paris. The Régence ended in 1723. That was the year Louis XV turned thirteen years old. At thirteen, he reached his majority. This meant he was finally old enough to rule by himself. The period of the regent was over, and the young king took his place.

The Régence was a transformative era in French history. It spanned the years from 1715 to 1723. This period began following the death of King Louis XIV. His successor, Louis XV, was only five years old in 1715. Because a child could not rule alone, a regent was required. Philippe II, the Duke of Orléans, became the prince regent. He was both a nephew and a son-in-law of Louis XIV. A regent is a person who governs a state while the monarch is a minor.

Power struggles defined the early years of the Regency. Louis XIV's will originally gave real power to the Duke of Maine. The Duke of Maine was the illegitimate son of Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan. However, Philippe II allied himself with the Parlement of Paris. This legal body helped him secure his position as the official Regent. By July 1717, the Parlement stripped the Duke of Maine of his rank as a Prince of the Blood. This shift moved authority away from the late king's favorites and toward the House of Orléans.

During this time, the structure of the French government underwent significant changes. From 1715 to 1718, France utilized a system called the Polysynody. This system replaced individual ministers with various councils of high nobility. There were seven distinct councils that managed different parts of the state. The Council of Conscience included figures like Cardinal de Noailles and Cardinal Fleury. The Council of War included the Duke of Villars and the Duke of Maine. Other councils managed Foreign Affairs, the Navy, Finances, the Affairs of the Kingdom, and Commerce. This experiment ended in 1724, and the government returned to using single ministers.

Economic reform was another major pillar of the Régence. The French kingdom had been left in a state of bankruptcy. A Scottish economist named John Law introduced the système de Law to transform the nation's finances. In 1716, Philippe II allowed Law to found the Banque générale. This institution later became the Banque Royale in 1718. Law also founded the French East India Company. He believed that national wealth depended on trade rather than just money. However, his methods eventually led to the Mississippi Bubble. This caused a chaotic economic collapse in France.

Influential figures guided the Regent through many political challenges. Cardinal Guillaume Dubois served as the Chief Minister during this period.

Another important figure was Cardinal Fleury, who helped manage the young King's education. Diplomacy also played a vital role in French life. France entered into the Triple Alliance in 1717 with Great Britain and the Dutch Republic. Later, in 1719, a declaration of war was made against Spain. The Regent also managed complex marriage negotiations, such as those involving the Russian Empire.

Life in France was marked by both high society and significant hardship. While the court at the Tuileries Palace was lively, other events were much darker. In 1720, the Great Plague of Marseille occurred. This was a period of intense suffering for many people. Meanwhile, the Regent's family faced personal losses and political intrigue. The Cellamare Conspiracy in 1718 involved the Duke and Duchess of Maine. They attempted to place Philip V of Spain as the regent of France. This plot resulted in their exile from the court.

The Régence concluded in February 1723. This was the year Louis XV reached his majority by turning thirteen years old. Upon reaching this age, the young king could finally rule by himself. The Duke of Orléans died in December 1723 at the Palace of Versailles. His death marked the end of a decade of unique governance. The center of power eventually moved back toward Versailles from the Palais-Royal in Paris. This era remains a key study in how nations manage transitions of power and economic crisis.