Louis I (Spanish: Luis Felipe Fernando José de Borbón y Saboya; 25 August 1707 – 31 August 1724) was King of Spain from 15 January 1724 until his death in August the same year. His reign is one of the shortest in history, lasting for just over seven months.
As heir not only to the vast Spanish Empire, but also to a new dynasty, it was decided that Louis would take a wife as soon as possible. On 20 January 1722, at Lerma, he met and married Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans, a daughter of Philippe, Duke of Orléans, cousin of Louis' father and then the Regent of France. The dowry of this marriage was an enormous 4 million 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 personality
Louis 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 that Louis had inherited his father's intelligence and charm and his mother's morality and submission.[8]
Sexuality
Apart from these attributes, many have argued that Louis also inherited his father's sexual appeal. He was reputedly bisexual, being initiated into such a practice by a servant, originally from Versailles.[10] Historians believe that Lacotte, who was Louis' servant and who had a reputation of being a pedophile, was sent into the Spanish royal court to seduce the prince, whose impotence was known.[11] W. Clarke writes: "the Spanish heir was as into boys as girls during the parties that he had, playing erotic games with both sexes"; a line about Louis' sexual life was sung across streets of Madrid: "Fiery as his mother, lascivious as his father, flaming as his stepmother and onanist as a pedophile".[12]
^Aquino de Belén, Gaspar (1709). Leales demostraciones, amantes finezas, y festivas aclamaciones de la... Ciudad de Manila... en accion de gracias por el dichoso, y feliz Nacimiento de Nuestro Principe... D. Luis Phelipe Fernando Ioseph. Manila: Imprenta de la Compañia de Jesús. p. 7. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
^Pérez de Guzmán y Gallo, Juan (1880). El Principado de Asturias: bosquejo histórico-documental. Madri: Imprenta de Manuel G. Hernández. p. 271.
^Réimpression de l'ancien Moniteur, seule histoire authentique et inaltérée
^Ulloa Cisneros, Luis; Camps Llopis, Federico (1983). Historia de España volumen V: La casa de Borbon. p. 45. ISBN9788475057255.
^Quevedo, José Quevedo (1849). Historia del Real Monasterio de El Escorial. p. 364.
Danvila, Alfonso. El reinado relámpago, Luis I y Luisa Isabel de Orleáns, 1707–1724. Madrid: Espasa-Calpe, 1952. Reprinted as Luis I y Luisa Isabel de Orleans: el reinado relámpago. Madrid: Alderabán, 1997.
Martín, Ricardo Martín Tobías; Cuervo, Ignacio (1998). Historia de España (in Spanish). Barcelona: Salvat. ISBN84-345-9913-9. OCLC432782119.
González Cremona, Juan Manuel (1998). Anecdotario real : de Felipe V a Alfonso XIII (in Spanish). Barcelona: Plaza & Janés Editores. ISBN84-01-55014-9. OCLC44057661.
Vidal Sales, José Antonio (1994). Crónica íntima de los reyes de España (in Spanish). Barcelona, España: Planeta. ISBN84-08-01139-1. OCLC31314142.
The generations indicate descent from Carlos I, under whom the crowns of Castile and Aragon were united, forming the Kingdom of Spain. Previously, the title Infante had been largely used in the different realms.
