Her keel was laid down in Cherbourg in 1812 as "Inflexibe". During her construction, she was renamed "Friedland", "Duc de Bordeaux" during the Bourbon Restoration, "Friedland" again briefly during the Hundred Days and back to "Duc de Bordeaux" thereafter. On 9 October 1830, following the July Revolution, she took her name of "Friedland". She was finally launched on 4 March 1840.