Régence
Encyclopedia
The Régence is the period in French history
between 1715 and 1723, when King Louis XV
was a minor
and the land was governed by a Regent
, Philippe d'Orléans
, the nephew of Louis XIV of France
.
The era was the time when Philippe was able to prise power away from the Duke of Maine
(illegitimate son of Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan) who was the favourite son of the late king and had had much influence. During the Regency there was the Polysynody
which was the system of government in use in France between 1715 and 1718 and in which each minister (secretary of state) was replaced by a council. The Regent also introduced the système de Law
which transformed the finances of the bankrupted kingdom and its aristocracy. Cardinal Dubois
and Cardinal Fleury were key people during the time.
Contemporary European rulers were Philip V of Spain
; John V of Portugal; George I of Great Britain
; Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
and Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy
; Savoy was the maternal grand father of Louis XV.
Will of Louis XIV
Monseigneur Le Régent Philippe d'Orléans was officially recognised Regent of France for Louis XV. Philippe was, after the king, the most important man in the country followed by his son Louis d'Orléans (1703–1752). Louis d'Orléans was allowed into the Council of the Regency on 30 January 1718.
Chronology
The Women
as centre of policymaking, since the Regent's court was at the Palais Royal
in Paris. It marks the rise of Parisian salon
s as cultural centres, as literary meeting places and nuclei of discreet liberal resistance to some official policies. In the Paris salons aristocrats mingled more easily with the higher Bourgeoisie
in a new atmosphere of relaxed decorum, comfort and intimacy.
, characterised by the paintings of Antoine Watteau
(1684–1721).
Rococo developed first in the decorative arts and interior design. Louis XIV's succession brought a change in the court artists and general artistic fashion. By the end of the old king's reign, rich Baroque designs were giving way to lighter elements with more curves and natural patterns. These elements are obvious in the architectural designs of Nicolas Pineau
. During the Régence, court life moved away from Versailles and this artistic change became well established, first in the royal palace and then throughout French high society. The delicacy and playfulness of Rococo designs is often seen as perfectly in tune with the excesses of Louis XV's regime.
The 1730s represented the height of Rococo development in France. The style had spread beyond architecture and furniture to painting and sculpture, exemplified by the works of Antoine Watteau
and François Boucher
. Rococo still maintained the Baroque taste for complex forms and intricate patterns, but by this point, it had begun to integrate a variety of diverse characteristics, including a taste for Oriental designs and asymmetric compositions.
. It was applied to:
French colonial expansion was not limited to the New World
, however. In Senegal
in West Africa
, the French began to establish trading posts along the coast in 1624. In 1664, the French East India Company
was established to compete for trade in the east
. Colonies were established in India in Chandernagore (1673) and Pondicherry in the Southeast (1674), and later at Yanam (1723), Mahe (1725), and Karikal (1739) (see French India
). Colonies were also founded in the Indian Ocean, on the Île de Bourbon (Réunion
, 1664), Île de France (Mauritius
, 1718), and the Seychelles
(1756).
History of France
The history of France goes back to the arrival of the earliest human being in what is now France. Members of the genus Homo entered the area hundreds of thousands years ago, while the first modern Homo sapiens, the Cro-Magnons, arrived around 40,000 years ago...
between 1715 and 1723, when King Louis XV
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
was a minor
Minor (law)
In law, a minor is a person under a certain age — the age of majority — which legally demarcates childhood from adulthood; the age depends upon jurisdiction and application, but is typically 18...
and the land was governed by a Regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
, Philippe d'Orléans
Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Philippe d'Orléans was a member of the royal family of France and served as Regent of the Kingdom from 1715 to 1723. Born at his father's palace at Saint-Cloud, he was known from birth under the title of Duke of Chartres...
, the nephew of Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
.
The era was the time when Philippe was able to prise power away from the Duke of Maine
Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine
Louis Auguste de Bourbon, Legitimé de France was the eldest legitimised son of the Louis XIV of France and his maîtresse-en-titre, Madame de Montespan...
(illegitimate son of Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan) who was the favourite son of the late king and had had much influence. During the Regency there was the Polysynody
Polysynody
Polysynody was the system of government in use in France between 1715 and 1718 and in which each minister was replaced by a council....
which was the system of government in use in France between 1715 and 1718 and in which each minister (secretary of state) was replaced by a council. The Regent also introduced the système de Law
John Law (economist)
John Law was a Scottish economist who believed that money was only a means of exchange that did not constitute wealth in itself and that national wealth depended on trade...
which transformed the finances of the bankrupted kingdom and its aristocracy. Cardinal Dubois
Guillaume Dubois
Guillaume Dubois was a French cardinal and statesman.-Early years:Dubois, the third of the four great Cardinal-Ministers , was born in Brive-la-Gaillarde, in Limousin...
and Cardinal Fleury were key people during the time.
Contemporary European rulers were Philip V of Spain
Philip V of Spain
Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...
; John V of Portugal; George I of Great Britain
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
; Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles VI was the penultimate Habsburg sovereign of the Habsburg Empire. He succeeded his elder brother, Joseph I, as Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia , Hungary and Croatia , Archduke of Austria, etc., in 1711...
and Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy
Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia
Victor Amadeus II was Duke of Savoy from 1675 to 1730. He also held the titles of marquis of Saluzzo, duke of Montferrat, prince of Piedmont, count of Aosta, Moriana and Nizza. Louis XIV organised his marriage in order to maintain French influence in the Duchy but Victor Amadeus soon broke away...
; Savoy was the maternal grand father of Louis XV.
Origins
- 29 July 1714 the Duke of Maine and his brother the Count of ToulouseLouis-Alexandre de Bourbon, Comte de ToulouseLouis Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse , duc de Penthièvre , d'Arc, de Châteauvillain and de Rambouillet , , was the son of Louis XIV and of his mistress Madame de Montespan...
are made Princes of the Blood much to the annoyance of many;
Will of Louis XIV
- 1 September 1715 : Death of Louis XIV at Versailles; reading of Louis XIV's will.
- By order of Louis XIV, till the time that the young Duke of AnjouLouis XV of FranceLouis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
reaches his majority (1723) the kingdom would be governed by the Duke of Maine, bâtard légitimé de FranceLouis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du MaineLouis Auguste de Bourbon, Legitimé de France was the eldest legitimised son of the Louis XIV of France and his maîtresse-en-titre, Madame de Montespan...
. The nephew of the late King, Philippe II, Duke of OrléansPhilippe II, Duke of OrléansPhilippe d'Orléans was a member of the royal family of France and served as Regent of the Kingdom from 1715 to 1723. Born at his father's palace at Saint-Cloud, he was known from birth under the title of Duke of Chartres...
would hold the honourific title of "President of the Regency council" (« président du conseil de régence »)
Prising of Power
- 2 September 1715 : Cancellation of Louis XIV's will; alliance of the Duke of Orléans and the Parlement de ParisParlementParlements were regional legislative bodies in Ancien Régime France.The political institutions of the Parlement in Ancien Régime France developed out of the previous council of the king, the Conseil du roi or curia regis, and consequently had ancient and customary rights of consultation and...
. Before the death of Louis XIV Philippe d'Orléans had been a member of the Parlement de Paris due to being a Prince du SangPrince du SangA prince of the blood was a person who was legitimately descended in the male line from the monarch of a country. In France, the rank of prince du sang was the highest held at court after the immediate family of the king during the ancien régime and the Bourbon Restoration...
;- Philippe d'Orléans had the will of Louis XIV cancelled with the approval of the Parlement de Paris. Philippe was named Regent for the young king Louis XV as Régent du royaume (Regent of the Kingdom);
- Droit de remontrance – this was the right of the Parlement de Paris to revoke a law made by a King who had died; this allowed the parlement and the Regent to withdraw the late kings will without question;
- 1 October 1715 : PolysynodyPolysynodyPolysynody was the system of government in use in France between 1715 and 1718 and in which each minister was replaced by a council....
was held in Paris; it was composed of the highest nobility of the country;
La Régence
Under the style and title of His Royal HighnessRoyal Highness
Royal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...
Monseigneur Le Régent Philippe d'Orléans was officially recognised Regent of France for Louis XV. Philippe was, after the king, the most important man in the country followed by his son Louis d'Orléans (1703–1752). Louis d'Orléans was allowed into the Council of the Regency on 30 January 1718.
Chronology
1715
- 2 September : Cancellation of Louis XIV's will;
- 9 September : Body of Louis XIV taken to Saint-DenisSaint-DenisSaint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis....
; Louis XV sets off for VincennesChâteau de VincennesThe Château de Vincennes is a massive 14th and 17th century French royal castle in the town of Vincennes, to the east of Paris, now a suburb of the metropolis.-History:...
with the Regent, Madame de VentadourMadame de VentadourCharlotte de La Motte Houdancourt, Duchess of Ventadour was the governess of King Louis XV of France, great-grandson of King Louis XIV. She is credited with saving Louis XV from the ministrations of the royal doctors when he was ill as a child...
, Villeroi, Toulouse and Maine; Philip V of Spain hears of his grand fathers death; - 12 September : Philippe d'Orléans recognised Regent by order of the Parlement;
- 15 September : Droit de remontrance issued by the Parlement supported the Regents claim;
- 30 December : Removal of Louis XV from the Château de VincennesChâteau de VincennesThe Château de Vincennes is a massive 14th and 17th century French royal castle in the town of Vincennes, to the east of Paris, now a suburb of the metropolis.-History:...
to the Tuileries PalaceTuileries PalaceThe Tuileries Palace was a royal palace in Paris which stood on the right bank of the River Seine until 1871, when it was destroyed in the upheaval during the suppression of the Paris Commune...
; - Louis XV put under the care of François de NeufvilleFrançois de Neufville, duc de VilleroiFrançois de Neufville, 2ème duc de Villeroy was a French soldier.-Biography:Villeroy was born in Lyon into noble family which had risen into prominence in the reign of Charles IX....
, Duke of Villeroi; Guillaume DelisleGuillaume DelisleGuillaume Delisle was a French cartographer who lived in Paris.His father, Claude Delisle studied law and then later settled in Paris as private teacher in geography and history, and afterwards filled the office of royal censor...
and the Cardinal de Fleury are put in charge of Louis' education;
1716
- 14 March : Creation of the Chambre ArdenteChambre ArdenteA Chambre ardente was an extraordinary court of justice in Ancien Régime France, mainly held for the trials of heretics.The name is perhaps an allusion to the fact that the proceedings took place in a room from which all daylight was excluded, the only illumination being from torches, or there may...
; an extraordinary court of justice in France, mainly held for the trials of heretics; - 2 May : Philippe d'Orléans allows John LawJohn Law (economist)John Law was a Scottish economist who believed that money was only a means of exchange that did not constitute wealth in itself and that national wealth depended on trade...
to found the Banque générale; - 27 June : Birth of Louise Diane d'OrléansLouise Diane d'OrléansLouise d'Orléans was the sixth daughter and last child of Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans and his wife, Françoise Marie de Bourbon, the youngest legitimised daughter of King Louis XIV of France and his mistress, Madame de Montespan...
at the Palais-Royal; she was the last child of the Regent; - 9/10 October : Alliance with Great Britain;
- Future Charles III of SpainCharles III of SpainCharles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
born in Madrid (d.1788);
1717
- Triple Alliance (1717)Triple Alliance (1717)The Triple Alliance was a treaty between the Dutch Republic, France and Great Britain, against Spain, attempting to maintain the agreement of the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. The three states were concerned about Spain becoming a superpower in Europe. As a result of this militarisation took place,...
; a treaty between the Dutch Republic, France and Great Britain, against Spain, attempting to maintain the agreement of the 1713 Treaty of UtrechtTreaty of UtrechtThe Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713...
; - 31 March : The Regents second surviving daughter Louise AdélaïdeLouise Adélaïde d'OrléansLouise Adélaïde d'Orléans was the third daughter of Philippe d'Orléans, and Françoise Marie de Bourbon, a legitimised daughter of Louis XIV of France and his mistress, Madame de Montespan. She was Abbess of Chelles.-Biography:Marie Louise Adélaïde d'Orléans was born at the Palace of Versailles on...
takes the veil and becomes a nun under the name of Sœur Sainte-Bathilde; her parents were not impressed; - 21 May : Arrival of Peter I of RussiaPeter I of RussiaPeter the Great, Peter I or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov Dates indicated by the letters "O.S." are Old Style. All other dates in this article are New Style. ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his half-brother, Ivan V...
in Paris; he visits the King, Versailles, the Regent, his daughter Marie Louise Élisabeth d'OrléansMarie Louise Elisabeth d'OrléansMarie Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans, Duchess of Berry , was a member of the House of Orléans who married Charles, Duke of Berry.-Biography:...
; he stays in Paris; he does not see the Duchess of OrléansFrançoise-Marie de BourbonFrançoise Marie de Bourbon, Légitimée de France was the youngest legitimised daughter of Louis XIV of France and his maîtresse-en-titre, Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan. Originally known as the second Mademoiselle de Blois, that style eventually gave way to the name Françoise Marie de...
despite her pleas; Peter stays at the Grand TrianonGrand TrianonThe Grand Trianon was built in the northwestern part of the Domain of Versailles at the request of Louis XIV, as a retreat for the King and his maîtresse en titre of the time, the marquise de Montespan, and as a place where the King and invited guests could take light meals away from the strict...
; - 6 June 1717 : Purchase of the Regent DiamondRegent DiamondThe Regent Diamond is a diamond which is on display in the Louvre. In 1698, a slave found the 410 carat uncut diamond in a Golkonda mine, more specifically Paritala-Kollur Mine in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India and concealed it inside of a large wound in his leg. An English sea captain stole...
; later part of the French Crown JewelsFrench Crown JewelsThe French Crown Jewels were the crowns, orb, sceptres, diadems and jewels that were the symbol of royalty and which were worn by many Kings and Queens of France. The set was finally broken up, with most of it sold off in 1885 by the Third French Republic...
; - July : the Duke of Maine and his brother the Count of ToulouseLouis-Alexandre de Bourbon, Comte de ToulouseLouis Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse , duc de Penthièvre , d'Arc, de Châteauvillain and de Rambouillet , , was the son of Louis XIV and of his mistress Madame de Montespan...
are stripped of their rank of Prince of the Blood by the Parlement - September : Foundation of the Compagnie d'Occident et du Mississippi;
- Famous personages born in this year include Maria Theresa of AustriaMaria Theresa of AustriaMaria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
, Prince of ContiLouis François I de Bourbon, prince de ContiLouis François de Bourbon, Prince of Conti was a French nobleman, who was the Prince of Conti from 1727 to his death, following his father Louis Armand II. His mother was Louise Élisabeth de Bourbon, a natural granddaughter of Louis XIV...
(grandson of the Regent), the husband of Madame de PompadourCharles-Guillaume Le Normant d'ÉtiollesCharles-Guillaume Le Normant d'Étiolles is best known as being the husband of Madame de Pompadour or Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, the illustrious mistress of King Louis XV of France....
and the Duchess of ChâteaurouxMarie-Anne de Mailly-Nesle duchess de ChâteaurouxMarie Anne de Mailly, duchesse de Châteauroux was the youngest and prettiest of the five famous de Nesle sisters, four of whom would become the mistress of King Louis XV of France....
;
1718
- March : Arrival of the Duke of LorraineLeopold, Duke of LorraineLeopold , surnamed the Good, was Duke of Lorraine and Bar from 1690 to his death.-Early life:Leopold Joseph Charles Dominique Agapet Hyacinthe was the son of Charles V, Duke of Lorraine, and his wife Eleonora Maria Josefa of Austria, a half-sister of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor.At the time of...
and his consort, Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans (sister of the Regent); - 31 March : Infanta Mariana Victoria of SpainMariana Victoria of SpainMariana Victoria of Spain was an Infanta of Spain and Queen consort of Portugal as wife of King Joseph I. The mother of Queen Maria I of Portugal, she also acted as Regent of Portugal during the last months of her husband's life and advisor to her daughter during her reign.-Background:Mariana...
born in Madrid; later betrothed to Louis XV; - 11 April : Death of the Dowager Duchess of Vendôme;
- 7 May : Death of Mary of ModenaMary of ModenaMary of Modena was Queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland as the second wife of King James II and VII. A devout Catholic, Mary became, in 1673, the second wife of James, Duke of York, who later succeeded his older brother Charles II as King James II...
at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-LayeChâteau de Saint-Germain-en-LayeThe Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye is a royal palace in the commune of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, in the département of Yvelines, about 19 km west of Paris, France. Today, it houses the Musée d'Archéologie Nationale ....
; she was Queen consort of the exiled James II of EnglandJames II of EnglandJames II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
; - 2 August : Quadruple AllianceQuadruple AllianceThe term "Quadruple Alliance" refers to several historical military alliances; none of which remain in effect.# The Quadruple Alliance of August 1673 was an alliance between the Holy Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Spain, Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine, and the United Provinces of the Netherlands, in...
with Austria, France, the Dutch RepublicDutch RepublicThe Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
and Great Britain – aimed at revising (principally at Spain's expense) the treaties which ended the War of the Spanish SuccessionWar of the Spanish SuccessionThe War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
; - 24 September : end of the PolysynodyPolysynodyPolysynody was the system of government in use in France between 1715 and 1718 and in which each minister was replaced by a council....
and the reestablishment of ministers; - 4 December : Banque générale becomes the Banque RoyaleBanque de FranceThe Banque de France is the central bank of France; it is linked to the European Central Bank . Its main charge is to implement the interest rate policy of the European System of Central Banks...
; - December the finding of the Conspiration de CellamareCellamare ConspiracyThe Cellamare Conspiracy of 1718 was a conspiracy against the then Regent of France, Philippe d'Orléans . "Created" in Spain, it was the brainchild of Antonio del Giudice, Prince of Cellamare.-Background and Plot:...
headed by the Duke of Maine and his wife Anne Louise Bénédicte de Bourbon; the conspiracy was aimed at placing Philip V of SpainPhilip V of SpainPhilip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...
as head of the regency in France with the help of the Spanish Ambassador the "príncipe de Cellamare"; the Duke and Duchess are exiled from court and return in 1720 to their home at the Château de SceauxChâteau de SceauxThe Château de Sceaux is a grand country house in Sceaux, Hauts-de-Seine, not far from Paris, France. Located in a park laid out by André Le Nôtre, it houses the Musée de l’Île-de-France, a museum of local history. The former château was built for Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Louis XIV's minister of...
;
1719
- 9 January : Declaration of War with Spain;
- 15 April : Death of Madame de Maintenon at Saint-Cyr-l'ÉcoleSaint-Cyr-l'ÉcoleSaint-Cyr-l'École is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.It used to host the training school for officers of the French army, the École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr , which was relocated to Coëtquidan in 1945.The old buildings of the ESM are...
; - May foundation of the East India CompanyEast India CompanyThe East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
by John Law; - 21 July : Death of Marie Louise Élisabeth d'OrléansMarie Louise Elisabeth d'OrléansMarie Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans, Duchess of Berry , was a member of the House of Orléans who married Charles, Duke of Berry.-Biography:...
; favourite daughter of the Regent;
1720
- 5 January : John Law made Controller-General of FinancesController-General of FinancesThe Controller-General of Finances was the name of the minister in charge of finances in France from 1661 to 1791. The position replaced the former position of Superintendent of Finances , which was abolished with the downfall of Nicolas Fouquet.- History :The term "contrôleur général" in...
; - 11 February : Marriage of Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans to the Hereditary Prince of ModenaFrancesco III d'EsteFrancesco III was Duke of Modena and Reggio from 1737 until his death.-Biography:He was born in Modena, the son of Rinaldo d'Este, Duke of Modena, and Charlotte of Brunswick-Lüneburg....
at the Tuileries PalaceTuileries PalaceThe Tuileries Palace was a royal palace in Paris which stood on the right bank of the River Seine until 1871, when it was destroyed in the upheaval during the suppression of the Paris Commune...
; - March : Great Plague of MarseilleGreat Plague of MarseilleThe Great Plague of Marseille was the last of the significant European outbreaks of bubonic plague. Arriving in Marseille, France in 1720, the disease killed 100,000 people in the city and the surrounding provinces. However, Marseille recovered quickly from the plague outbreak. Economic activity...
; - 21 March : Death of Marie Anne de Bourbon, wife of the Duke of Bourbon;
- 26 March: Execution of the leaders of the Pontcallec ConspiracyPontcallec ConspiracyThe Pontcallec conspiracy was a rebellion that arose from an anti-tax movement in Brittany between 1718 and 1720. This was at the beginning of the Régence , when France was controlled by Philippe II, Duke of Orléans during the childhood of Louis XV...
against the Regency.
1721
- Publication of the Persian LettersPersian LettersPersian Letters is a literary work by Charles de Secondat, baron de Montesquieu, recounting the experiences of two Persian noblemen, Usbek and Rica, who are traveling through France.-Plot summary:...
by Montesquieu; negotiations between the Regent and Peter I of Russia begin regarding the proposed marriage of the Regents only legitimate son to a daughter of the Emperor, namely either the Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna or the future Elizabeth of Russia; plans fail and Louis d'Orléans marrys in 1724; - 6 January : Arrest of Louis Dominique BourguignonLouis Dominique BourguignonLouis Dominique Garthausen, also known as Cartouche , who usually went by the name of Louis Bourguignon or Louis Lamarre when he wanted to hide his identity, was a highwayman who terrorized the roads around Paris during the Régence until the authorities had him broken on the wheel.Cartouche's...
; - 27 March : Alliance of Spain and France;
- May : Visit of Mehmet Effendi; Turkish Ambassador;
- 18 July : Death of Antoine WatteauAntoine WatteauJean-Antoine Watteau was a French painter whose brief career spurred the revival of interest in colour and movement...
; - 17 September : Death of HRHRoyal HighnessRoyal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...
the Grand Duchess of TuscanyMarguerite Louise d'OrléansMarguerite Louise d'Orléans was Grand Duchess of Tuscany, as the wife of Grand Duke Cosimo III de' Medici. Deprived of her lover, Charles V of Lorraine, and yearning for France, Marguerite Louise despised her husband and his family, whom she often quarrelled with and falsely suspected of...
; cousin of the Regent; - 29 December : Birth of the future Madame de PompadourMadame de PompadourJeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour, also known as Madame de Pompadour was a member of the French court, and was the official chief mistress of Louis XV from 1745 to her death.-Biography:...
; - Marie Anne de BourbonMarie Anne de BourbonMarie Anne de Bourbon, Légitimée de France was the eldest legitimised daughter of King Louis XIV of France and Louise de La Vallière. At the age of thirteen, she was married to Louis Armand de Bourbon, Prince of Conti and as such was the Princess of Conti by marriage...
is put in charge of the Infanta's education in France;
1722
- Madame la Duchesse DouairièreLouise-Françoise de BourbonLouise Françoise de Bourbon, Légitimée de France was the eldest surviving legitimised daughter of Louis XIV of France and his maîtresse-en-titre, Madame de Montespan. She was said to have been named after her godmother, Louise de La Vallière, the woman that her mother had replaced as the king's...
starts the construction of the Palais BourbonPalais BourbonThe Palais Bourbon, , a palace located on the left bank of the Seine, across from the Place de la Concorde, Paris , is the seat of the French National Assembly, the lower legislative chamber of the French government.-History:...
in Paris to a design by the Italian architect Lorenzo Giardini, approved by Jules Hardouin MansartJules Hardouin MansartJules Hardouin-Mansart was a French architect whose work is generally considered to be the apex of French Baroque architecture, representing the power and grandeur of Louis XIV...
; - 20 January : Marriage of Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans to the future Louis I of Spain;
- 10 March : Arrival of HRH Infanta Mariana Victoria of SpainMariana Victoria of SpainMariana Victoria of Spain was an Infanta of Spain and Queen consort of Portugal as wife of King Joseph I. The mother of Queen Maria I of Portugal, she also acted as Regent of Portugal during the last months of her husband's life and advisor to her daughter during her reign.-Background:Mariana...
in Paris; daughter of Philip V of Spain and Elisabeth of ParmaElisabeth of ParmaElisabeth Farnese , the daughter of Odoardo Farnese and Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg, was Queen consort of Spain who exerted great influence over Spain's foreign policy.-Parma:Elisabeth was born at the Palazzo della Pilotta in Parma, the capital of a duchy which had been ruled by...
; - 15 June : Louis XV and the court return to Versailles; the Regent takes the old apartments of his dead cousin, the late Louis, Dauphin of France (1661–1711);
- 22 August : Guillaume Dubois made the Prime Minister of the Regent;
- 25 October : Coronation of Louis XV at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Reims;
- 8 December : Death of Elizabeth Charlotte of the PalatinateElizabeth Charlotte of the PalatinateElizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine was a German princess and the wife of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, younger brother of Louis XIV of France. Her vast correspondence provides a detailed account of the personalities and activities at the court of her brother-in-law, Louis XIV...
(Madame), mother of the Regent;
1723
- Louis XV orders plans for the future Salon d'HerculeSalon d'HerculeThe salon d'Hercule is on the first floor of the Château de Versailles and connects the chapel and the North Wing of the château with grand appartement du roi....
to begin; - 2 February : Secret marriage of the Count of ToulouseLouis-Alexandre de Bourbon, Comte de ToulouseLouis Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse , duc de Penthièvre , d'Arc, de Châteauvillain and de Rambouillet , , was the son of Louis XIV and of his mistress Madame de Montespan...
and Marie Victoire de NoaillesMarie Victoire de NoaillesMarie Victoire Sophie de Noailles, Countess of Toulouse , was the daughter of Anne Jules de Noailles, the 2nd Duke of Noailles, and his wife, Marie-Françoise de Bournonville...
(already widowed daughter in law of Mme de Montespan) in Paris; their marriage was only announced after the death of the Regent; - 16 February : Majority of Louis XV;
- 23 February : Death of Anne Henriette of BavariaAnne Henriette of BavariaAnne Henriette of Palatinate-Simmern, in France known as Anne Henriette of Bavaria was a Princess of Palatinate-Simmern by birth and by her marriage in 1663, the Duchess of Enghien and then the Princess of Condé...
, Dowager Princess of Condé; - 10 August : Death of Dubois; Role later took on by Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon;
- 2 December : Death of the Regent at the Palace of VersaillesPalace of VersaillesThe Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
;
The Polysynody
There were seven parts of the Polysynody all of which had their own ministers for the Regency:- Council of Conscience (Conseil de Conscience)
- Members included the: Cardinal de Noailles, Armand Bazin de Bezons (Archbishop of Bordeaux), Henri François d'AguesseauHenri François d'AguesseauHenri François d'Aguesseau was Chancellor of France three times between 1717 and 1750.-Biography:He was born at Limoges, France, in a family of magistrates...
, René Pucelle, Cardinal Fleury.
- Members included the: Cardinal de Noailles, Armand Bazin de Bezons (Archbishop of Bordeaux), Henri François d'Aguesseau
- Council of Foreign Affairs (Conseil des Affaires étrangères, headed by Nicolas Chalon du BléNicolas Chalon du BléNicolas Chalon du Blé, marquis d'Uxelles and Cormatin was a French general and Foreign Minister. He was also created a knight and Marshal of France by Louis XIV, and was a diplomat for Louis XIV and Philippe II, Duke of Orléans.-Biography:-Early years:du Blé was born at Chalon-sur-Saône.His...
) - Council of War (Conseil de la Guerre)
- Members included: Duke of VillarsClaude Louis Hector de VillarsClaude Louis Hector de Villars, Prince de Martigues, Marquis then Duc de Villars, Vicomte de Melun was the last great general of Louis XIV of France and one of the most brilliant commanders in French military history, one of only six Marshals who have been promoted to Marshal General of...
, Dominique-Claude Barberie de Saint-Contest, Prince of Conti, Duke of MaineLouis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du MaineLouis Auguste de Bourbon, Legitimé de France was the eldest legitimised son of the Louis XIV of France and his maîtresse-en-titre, Madame de Montespan...
, Louis Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, Duke of GramontAntoine V de GramontAntoine V de Gramont , Duke of Guiche, French military figure and member of the Gramont family. He was the oldest child of Antoine Charles IV de Gramont and Marie Charlotte de Castelnau. At the age of thirteen, he became a musketeer and by 1687 he had become head of his regiment and had married the...
, Claude le BlancClaude le BlancClaude Le Blanc was a French royal official of the ancien regime. He was an intendant in several provinces and was twice Secretary of State for War...
.
- Members included: Duke of Villars
- Council of the Marine (Conseil de la Marine, headed by the Count of ToulouseLouis-Alexandre de Bourbon, Comte de ToulouseLouis Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse , duc de Penthièvre , d'Arc, de Châteauvillain and de Rambouillet , , was the son of Louis XIV and of his mistress Madame de Montespan...
) - Council of Finances (Conseil des Finances, headed by the Duke of NoaillesAnne-Jules, 2nd duc de NoaillesAnne Jules de Noailles, 2th Duke of Noailles was one of the chief generals of France towards the end of the reign of Louis XIV, and, after raising the regiment of Noailles in 1689, he commanded in Spain during both the War of the Grand Alliance and the War of the Spanish Succession, and was made...
) - Council of the Affairs the Kingdom (Conseil des Affaires du Dedans du Royaume, headed by the Duke of AntinLouis Antoine de Pardaillan de GondrinLouis Antoine de Pardaillan de Gondrin , marquis of Antin, Gondrin and Montespan , then 1st Duke of Antin was a French nobleman...
– half brother of the Duke of Maine and Count of Toulouse)- Members included: marquis de Harlay, de Goissard, Marquis of ArgensonMarc-René de Voyer de Paulmy d'Argenson (1652-1721)Marc-René de Voyer de Paulmy, 1st marquis d'Argenson was a French politician.-Biography:Argenson was born in Venice where his father, also Marc-René, was ambassador...
,
- Members included: marquis de Harlay, de Goissard, Marquis of Argenson
- Council of Commerce (Conseil du Commerce)
People
The Men- Philippe d'OrléansPhilippe II, Duke of OrléansPhilippe d'Orléans was a member of the royal family of France and served as Regent of the Kingdom from 1715 to 1723. Born at his father's palace at Saint-Cloud, he was known from birth under the title of Duke of Chartres...
(2 August 1674 – 2 December 1723) Born at his fathers Palace at Saint-Cloud, he was the Duke of Chartres from birth; his mother, whom he was very close to, was a German Princess of the Palatinate named Elizabeth CharlotteElizabeth Charlotte of the PalatinateElizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine was a German princess and the wife of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, younger brother of Louis XIV of France. Her vast correspondence provides a detailed account of the personalities and activities at the court of her brother-in-law, Louis XIV...
. In 1692 he married his first cousin, Françoise-Marie de BourbonFrançoise-Marie de BourbonFrançoise Marie de Bourbon, Légitimée de France was the youngest legitimised daughter of Louis XIV of France and his maîtresse-en-titre, Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan. Originally known as the second Mademoiselle de Blois, that style eventually gave way to the name Françoise Marie de...
– the youngest illegitimate daughter of Philippe's uncle Louis XIVLouis XIV of FranceLouis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
and Madame de MontespanFrançoise-Athénaïs, marquise de MontespanFrançoise Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, marquise of Montespan , better known as Madame de Montespan, was the most celebrated maîtresse en titre of King Louis XIV of France, by whom she had seven children....
. He died at Versailles in the arms of his mistress; - Louis Henri de Bourbon, Duke of Bourbon (18 August 1692 – 27 January 1740) son of Louis III, Prince of CondéLouis III, Prince of CondéLouis de Bourbon, , was Prince of Condé for less than a year, following the death of his father Henry III, Prince of Condé in 1709...
and Louise-Françoise de BourbonLouise-Françoise de BourbonLouise Françoise de Bourbon, Légitimée de France was the eldest surviving legitimised daughter of Louis XIV of France and his maîtresse-en-titre, Madame de Montespan. She was said to have been named after her godmother, Louise de La Vallière, the woman that her mother had replaced as the king's...
, he was thus the nephew of Philippe d'Orléans and was the Prime Minister of France 1723–26; he was a great rival of the Regent and the House of Orléans in general; - Louis Auguste de Bourbon, Duke of MaineLouis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du MaineLouis Auguste de Bourbon, Legitimé de France was the eldest legitimised son of the Louis XIV of France and his maîtresse-en-titre, Madame de Montespan...
(31 March 1670 – 14 May 1736) favourite Louis XIV and Madame de MaintenonFrançoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de MaintenonFrançoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon was the second wife of King Louis XIV of France. She was known during her first marriage as Madame Scarron, and subsequently as Madame de Maintenon...
, he was despised by the Princes of the Blood due to his constant honours and great wealth he accumulated from his father – as well as his illegitimacy; he died at Sceaux aged 66; - John Law (21 April 1671 – 21 March 1729) was a Scottish Economist who believed that money was only a means of exchange that did not constitute wealthWealthWealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions. The word wealth is derived from the old English wela, which is from an Indo-European word stem...
in itself and that national wealth depended on trade. He was responsible for the Mississippi Bubble and a chaotic economic collapse in France; he died in VeniceVeniceVenice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
;
The Women
- Infanta Mariana Victoria of SpainMariana Victoria of SpainMariana Victoria of Spain was an Infanta of Spain and Queen consort of Portugal as wife of King Joseph I. The mother of Queen Maria I of Portugal, she also acted as Regent of Portugal during the last months of her husband's life and advisor to her daughter during her reign.-Background:Mariana...
(31 March 1718 – 15 January 1781) was the eldest daughter of Philip V of SpainPhilip V of SpainPhilip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...
and his second wife Elisabeth of ParmaElisabeth of ParmaElisabeth Farnese , the daughter of Odoardo Farnese and Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg, was Queen consort of Spain who exerted great influence over Spain's foreign policy.-Parma:Elisabeth was born at the Palazzo della Pilotta in Parma, the capital of a duchy which had been ruled by...
; born in Madrid, she moved to France in 1721 and lived at the Tuileries Palace in Paris with her proposed husband; the engagement was broken off due to tense relations regarding the marriages of the Regents daughters marrying to of Philip V's sons. The Infanta was sent back to Spain and later married the future Joseph I of Portugal; the present Brazilian Imperial Family descend from Philippe d'Orléans, Louis XV as well as Mariana Victoria; - Françoise Marie de Bourbon (4 May 1677 – 1 February 1749) was an illegitimate child of Louis XIVLouis XIV of FranceLouis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
and Madame de MontespanFrançoise-Athénaïs, marquise de MontespanFrançoise Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, marquise of Montespan , better known as Madame de Montespan, was the most celebrated maîtresse en titre of King Louis XIV of France, by whom she had seven children....
. She married the Philippe d'Orléans and was mother of 8 of his children including the next Duke of Orléans; she died at the Château de Saint-CloudChâteau de Saint-CloudThe Château de Saint-Cloud was a Palace in France, built on a magnificent site overlooking the Seine at Saint-Cloud in Hauts-de-Seine, about 10 kilometres west of Paris. Today it is a large park on the outskirts of the capital and is owned by the state, but the area as a whole has had a large...
aged 71; - Anne Louise Bénédicte de Bourbon (8 November 1676 – 23 January 1753) was the wife of thee Duke of Maine and thus daughter-in-law of Louis XIV; she was one of the Regents most ardent enemies and was the aunt of the Duke of BourbonDuke of BourbonDuke of Bourbon is a title in the peerage of France. It was created in the first half of the 14th century for the eldest son of Robert of France, Count of Clermont and Beatrice of Burgundy, heiress of the lordship of Bourbon...
; she was also the grand daughter of the Le Grand CondéLouis II de Bourbon, Prince de CondéLouis de Bourbon, Prince of Condé was a French general and the most famous representative of the Condé branch of the House of Bourbon. Prior to his father's death in 1646, he was styled the Duc d'Enghien...
; she held court at Sceaux and was exiled to DijonDijonDijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
after the Cellamare ConspiracyCellamare ConspiracyThe Cellamare Conspiracy of 1718 was a conspiracy against the then Regent of France, Philippe d'Orléans . "Created" in Spain, it was the brainchild of Antonio del Giudice, Prince of Cellamare.-Background and Plot:...
was found out; she died in Paris having outlived most of her generation;
Places
- Palace of VersaillesPalace of VersaillesThe Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
: Birthplace of Louis XV and the home of the French court before and after the Regency; it was at Versailles that the Duke of Orléans died in 1723; - Palais-Royal : Paris home of the House of OrléansHouse of OrleansOrléans is the name used by several branches of the Royal House of France, all descended in the legitimate male line from the dynasty's founder, Hugh Capet. It became a tradition during France's ancien régime for the duchy of Orléans to be granted as an appanage to a younger son of the king...
; it was from there that the Regent handled state affairs; his last daughter, Louise Diane, was also born at the palace; - Palais des TuileriesTuileries PalaceThe Tuileries Palace was a royal palace in Paris which stood on the right bank of the River Seine until 1871, when it was destroyed in the upheaval during the suppression of the Paris Commune...
: the childhood home of Louis XV during the Regency; Louis XV was installed in the Grand Appartements of Louis XIV located on the second floor.
Politics
The Régence marks the temporary eclipse of VersaillesVersailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
as centre of policymaking, since the Regent's court was at the Palais Royal
Palais Royal
The Palais-Royal, originally called the Palais-Cardinal, is a palace and an associated garden located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris...
in Paris. It marks the rise of Parisian salon
Salon (gathering)
A salon is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine taste and increase their knowledge of the participants through conversation. These gatherings often consciously followed Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "either to...
s as cultural centres, as literary meeting places and nuclei of discreet liberal resistance to some official policies. In the Paris salons aristocrats mingled more easily with the higher Bourgeoisie
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
in a new atmosphere of relaxed decorum, comfort and intimacy.
Art history
In the arts, the style of the Régence is marked by early RococoRococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
, characterised by the paintings of Antoine Watteau
Antoine Watteau
Jean-Antoine Watteau was a French painter whose brief career spurred the revival of interest in colour and movement...
(1684–1721).
Rococo developed first in the decorative arts and interior design. Louis XIV's succession brought a change in the court artists and general artistic fashion. By the end of the old king's reign, rich Baroque designs were giving way to lighter elements with more curves and natural patterns. These elements are obvious in the architectural designs of Nicolas Pineau
Nicolas Pineau
Nicolas Pineau was a French carver and ornamental designer, one of the leaders who initiated the exuberant asymmetrical phase of the high Rococo. He worked in St...
. During the Régence, court life moved away from Versailles and this artistic change became well established, first in the royal palace and then throughout French high society. The delicacy and playfulness of Rococo designs is often seen as perfectly in tune with the excesses of Louis XV's regime.
The 1730s represented the height of Rococo development in France. The style had spread beyond architecture and furniture to painting and sculpture, exemplified by the works of Antoine Watteau
Antoine Watteau
Jean-Antoine Watteau was a French painter whose brief career spurred the revival of interest in colour and movement...
and François Boucher
François Boucher
François Boucher was a French painter, a proponent of Rococo taste, known for his idyllic and voluptuous paintings on classical themes, decorative allegories representing the arts or pastoral occupations, intended as a sort of two-dimensional furniture...
. Rococo still maintained the Baroque taste for complex forms and intricate patterns, but by this point, it had begun to integrate a variety of diverse characteristics, including a taste for Oriental designs and asymmetric compositions.
Colonialism
The Régence is also the customary French word for the pre-independence regimes in the western North African countries, the so-called Barbary CoastBarbary Coast
The Barbary Coast, or Barbary, was the term used by Europeans from the 16th until the 19th century to refer to much of the collective land of the Berber people. Today, the terms Maghreb and "Tamazgha" correspond roughly to "Barbary"...
. It was applied to:
- First the Barbary Coast (Maghrebinian countries in North Africa) was de facto independent (dominated by military governors, soon de facto princes, styled deyDeyDey was the title given to the rulers of the Regency of Algiers and Tripoli under the Ottoman Empire from 1671 onwards...
, beyBeyBey is a title for chieftain, traditionally applied to the leaders of small tribal groups. Accoding to some sources, the word "Bey" is of Turkish language In historical accounts, many Turkish, other Turkic and Persian leaders are titled Bey, Beg, Bek, Bay, Baig or Beigh. They are all the same word...
or beylerbeyBeylerbeyBeylerbey is the Ottoman and Safavid title used for the highest rank in the hierarchy of provincial administrators It is in western terms a Governor-general, with authority...
, and by the raïsRaisRaees, Raeesha, is a title used by the rulers of Muslim states in the Middle East and South Asia. It is translated as president in Arabic and wealthy in Persian...
, Muslim corsairCorsairCorsairs were privateers, authorized to conduct raids on shipping of a nation at war with France, on behalf of the French Crown. Seized vessels and cargo were sold at auction, with the corsair captain entitled to a portion of the proceeds...
s), but nominally an OttomanOttoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
province.
French colonial expansion was not limited to the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
, however. In Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
in West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
, the French began to establish trading posts along the coast in 1624. In 1664, the French East India Company
French East India Company
The French East India Company was a commercial enterprise, founded in 1664 to compete with the British and Dutch East India companies in colonial India....
was established to compete for trade in the east
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
. Colonies were established in India in Chandernagore (1673) and Pondicherry in the Southeast (1674), and later at Yanam (1723), Mahe (1725), and Karikal (1739) (see French India
French India
French India is a general name for the former French possessions in India These included Pondichéry , Karikal and Yanaon on the Coromandel Coast, Mahé on the Malabar Coast, and Chandannagar in Bengal...
). Colonies were also founded in the Indian Ocean, on the Île de Bourbon (Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
, 1664), Île de France (Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, 1718), and the Seychelles
Seychelles
Seychelles , officially the Republic of Seychelles , is an island country spanning an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, some east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar....
(1756).