Charles X of France

Born 9 October 1757, Charles Philippe spent years in exile supporting his brother Louis XVIII after the fall of the monarchy. When the Bourbons returned in 1814, he led the ultra-royalists, a faction bent on absolute rule and hostile to the constitutional compromises of the Charter. After his son was assassinated in 1820, his influence grew; he became king on 16 September 1824. His coronation in 1825 included an attempt to revive the royal touch. His governments reimbursed aristocrats for lost feudal rights, expanded Church power, and made sacrilege a capital offense - all while the Chamber of Deputies leaned liberal. He launched the conquest of Algeria as distraction and extorted Haiti for recognizing its independence. When his conservative premier lost the 1830 election, Charles dissolved the Chamber, restricted voting, and reimposed press censorship. Within a week the July Ordinances triggered street riots, then revolution. He abdicated 2 August 1830, replaced by Louis Philippe. Charles died in exile in Gorizia on 6 November 1836, the last of the senior Bourbon line.