Léopold IV de Lorraine

## Léopold IV & I François

Léopold IV, Roi de Lorraine et de Bourgogne, c. 1767

### Regent

Louis Charles Philippe de Lorraine-Montbéliard, Prince des Vosges, Roi-Consort Douairière (1759 - Present)

## King of France and Navarre (disputed)

### French Regent

Marie Zéphyrine de France, Madame Royale de France, Reine de Lorraine, de France et de Bourgogne (1768 - Present)

## Biography

### Full Name

Léopold François Barthélémy Charles Frédéric de Lorraine

### Born

10th March 1753, Château de Lunéville, Lorraine (aged 15)

### House

House of Lorraine (by birth)House of Lorraine de Bourbon (co-founder)

### Siblings

Marie Augustine, Saint Impératrice RomainePrincesse Louise Josephine

Princesse Marie Félicité

### Father

Auguste Gabriel de Lorraine, Prince de Vaudémont †

### Religion

Roman Catholicism

**Léopold IV & I** (Léopold François Barthélémy Charles Frédéric; born March 10th 1753), commonly known as ***le Roi Garçon,*** meaning ***the Boy King,*** or sometimes ***Dieudonné,*** meaning ***Godgiven,*** is the present reigning King of Lorraine and Burgundy, succeeding his grandmother Élisabeth I at the age of six in 1759. He is also legally the reigning King of France since the death of Louis XV, though this is disputed. Due to his minority, a regency was put into place. His grandfather Louis Charles Philippe, Prince des Vosges, was installed as Regent of the Kingdom until Léopold reached the age of sixteen, at which time he would commence his personal rule. Léopold inherited a Kingdom with numerous problems: the lavish spending of his grandmother had all but bankrupted Lorraine, the main line of his house had begun to fail which caused an issue with the succession and corruption within the administration was rife. As such, Léopold inherited Lorraine in one of the worst states it had been in throughout much of its history. Throughout the beginning of his reign, the economic crisis grew more dire.

Léopold himself has been known as soft-spoken, weak-willed, lacking intelligence and shy. Though he was known as sweet and loveable as his father had been, Léopold was disappointing to many members of his family due to his lack of ambition and ability. Outside of his court, Léopold is almost unknown to his Kingdom apart from on the coinage. This has led to a greater amount of alienation between the monarch and his subjects, creating unrest amid the most unfortunate in his realm. Further, a great number of famines and lack of action over the economic turmoil also contributed to brewing discontent among both nobility and commoners. As a result of the lack of funds, his Kingdom has fallen into a great amount of disrepair throughout the first part of his reign. It has been suggested that little more progress will be made once Léopold enters his power.

## Early Life (1753 - 1759)

### **Birth**

Léopold François Barthélémy Charles Frédéric de Lorraine was born on the March 10th, 1753 at the Château de Lunéville to Prince Auguste Gabriel, Duc de Vaudémont and his wife, Élisabeth Jeanne Françoise de Bourbon. His father was heir-apparent to the throne of Lorraine at the time of his birth. His birth was considered miraculous, for his father was thirty-seven and his mother was thirty-six at the time. It had been widely believed that the couple were incapable of producing another child and would never have a son, which is why the birth of a son and heir to the royal line was considered so extraordinary. His grandmother remarked, "*Notre avenir, donné par Dieu,"* which led to him being nicknamed *Dieudonné,* meaning *the Godgiven.* There were a great amount of celebrations held in court for the birth of the new prince, for he was the last male of the direct line of the House of Lorraine.

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## Titles, Styles and Honours

### **Titles and Styles**

* **10th March 1753 -** **18th August 1753:** *Son Altesse Royale, Monseigneur le Duc de Barrois*
* **18th August 1753 - 4th November 1759:** *Son Altesse Royale, Monseigneur le Prince de Vaudémont*
* **4th November 1759 - Present:** *Sa Majeste Plus Royale, le Roi de Lorraine et de Bourgogne*
* **1st August 1768 - Present:** *Sa Majeste Très Chrétien, le Roi de France et de Navarre*

### **Honours**

* Grand Master of the Order of the White Eagle (Lorraine)
* Grand Master of the Order of Léopold II (Lorraine)
* Grand Master of the Order of the Holy Spirit (France)
* Grand Master of the Order of St. Michael (France)
* Grand Master of the Order of St. Louis (France)
* Knight of the Golden Fleece (Austria)