Marie Thérèse of France

French Madame Royale (1778–1851)

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Lived 1778–1851, aged 73France

France Historical Figures

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45 languages
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Era
1778–1851
Aged 73

Summary

Updated 2026-06-21

The only survivor. Marie Thérèse of France watched the Revolution take her parents, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, and leave her alone — the sole child of the royal family to reach adulthood. She later became Dauphine, sparked a 20-minute queen controversy, and remained, to Legitimists, France's rightful queen for years after the throne was gone.

Biography

About

Born 19 December 1778, Marie-Thérèse Charlotte was the eldest child of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. The Revolution killed her family; she alone survived. In 1799 she married her cousin Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême, becoming Duchess of Angoulême. When her uncle Charles X took the throne in 1824, she became Dauphine of France. The July Revolution of 1830 forced abdications: Charles X signed first, her husband 20 minutes later — sparking claims she reigned as queen in that sliver of time, though scholars call it myth. From 1836 to 1844, Legitimists considered her the undisputed Queen of Fr…

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