Introduction

Welcome to furansu no tame ni (for france's sake), a one-page shrine to one of the most underrated and misunderstood characters from Le Chevalier D'Eon, King Louis XV. I hope that through this shrine, I will be able to shed light on the life of King Louis XV and help others to understand his actions. He is truly an interesting character and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it!

Thank you so much for visiting. I hope that this shrine has done Louis justice! Please check back later as I hope to one day turn it into a full shrine.

                  xoxo Neliel @ ryuuku.net

WARNING: This site contains spoilers for the entire series. You have been warned!

A Royal Portrait

Just who is King Louis XV? Well, he is a lot of things- but this section will provide a brief overview of how he is depicted at the beginning of the series.

King Louis XV is the reigning King of France. His wife is Queen Marie Leszczynska, who is of Polish descent. His other relatives include his father, King Louis XIV, his grandson, Dauphin Auguste, and his uncle, Duc D'Orleans. His most trusted attendant is Duc d'Broglie. As a King, he is quite calm, charming and witty. He almost never appears to be in visible distress, no matter what kind of situation he is in. He finds time to visit the Royal Court, although later in life he becomes more reclusive. He is on top of most situations and is well aware of plots against him before they can come to fruition.

Despite the growing concerns about monarchy, King Louis XV retains the respect of almost everyone in France. Although he is sometimes considered inferior to his predecessor, he is still a strong figure who contributes to the success of France. His most trusted knights include D'Eon de Beaumont, Durand and the late Lia de Beaumont. To some extent, they include D'Eon's master Teillagory, and his wife's attendant Robin.

In the ending credits, it states King Louis XV is born in 1710 and dies in 1774 (age 64). According to the first episode of the series, the story begins in 1742 when Lia's body washes ashore, thus making him 32.

Friendly Rivalry: Duc D'Orleans

The Duc D'Orleans is the King's only relative- the younger brother of King Louis XIV, and Louis XV's Uncle. Being that D'Orleans was bypassed as King, it is fair to say he is a constant critic of Louis XV's decisions. Eventually he even becomes part of a plot instigated primarily by Compte de Saint-Germain to overthrow Louis XV and change France's Monarchial ways. That said, he feels less dedicated than the others, and more familiar with the methods through which they would use the Psalms.

At the beginning of the series, Louis XV gets word from D'Eon that they need to investigate a Russian on Duc D'Orleans territory. He tells them to ask the Duc themselves. When they come back, they have suspicions that he is involved.

This is a clear example of the kind of King that Louis XV is- although he recognizes the importance of pre-empting any kind of anti-Monarchy attack, he still has concern for his one remaining relative. He is not ruthless, yet he is not a coward either. This kind of leadership is the reason he is so highly respected throughout the country.

After D'Eon gathers his proof, Louis XV decides to step out to "stretch his legs" during Easter to visit him. When he arrives, he is warm and charming, pleasing the people in Duc D'Orleans court. He makes a speech about how Duc D'Orleans has been "so busy as of late" that as a reward, he will reduce his workload. That said, Louis is never one to step away from threats against him:

On the way out, Duc D'Orleans has some choice words for Louis, but the way in which he handles them shows once again the calm personality of Louis XV- he does not get upset at all. At the end of the series, it is revealed that Teillagory is really a knight under Duc D'Orleans, who believes that Louis XV is far inferior to Louis XIV, going so far as to state that Louis XV has no respect for his knights. It is obvious that they are very passionate in their opposition, but I believe it was largely jealousy on Duc D'Orleans part that lead him to his involvement in the scheme. Like I stated above, he does not seem as devoted to the plan, and is more looking for a way to get Louis XV out than to topple the Monarchy.

In conclusion, King Louis XV and Duc D'Orleans have what I will refer to as a "friendly rivalry". While Louis XV's feelings towards his "Uncle" are not exactly evident, it is clear that Duc D'Orleans has no tolerance for Louis at all. The dynamics between them is a great example of Louis XV's wit and mental capabilities as King.

Trust and Mistrust: Durand

Durand is one of King Louis XV's most trusted knights. In fact, following Maximilien's betrayal and Lia's death, he's pretty much the only knight that Louis trusts. It is for that reason that Louis sends Durand out on D'Eon's quest to find the Royal Psalms and solve the secret of his sister's murder. As the series progresses, Durand's unwavering dedication to the King becomes even more apparent as flashbacks show him repeatedly declining Maximilien's offer to join the Revolutionary Brethren. Durand is pretty much the picture of loyalty, almost to a fault.

It was likely always Louis XV's intention to kill everyone who knew things related to the Royal Psalms, as will be explained later. However, the method in which he does it is kind of saddening: he sends Durand a letter that only he can read, stating that once they retrieve the Psalms, he must kill everyone and return alone. It is also pretty obvious to see that if Durand had succeeded, Louis would have had him killed too. Durand's failure was unfortunate for Louis, as it pretty much directly leads to D'Eon and Robin going free, and Teillagory being able to report to the Duc D'Orleans.

In conclusion, this was not one of Louis' shining moments, but I ask that you put it in perspective: if the series was about him and not the knights, it wouldn't have been as big of a deal. Knights are banished or killed all the time for different reasons- leaving the service is reason enough for death. It is really not unusual for a King to kill someone for knowing too much, even at their request.

Loneliness: Queen Marie

If one person can truly identify the real King Louis XV, it is his wife, Queen Mary Leszczynska. The series does not explain their history together in-depth, but it is clear that Marie is a very devoted woman. All that is explained is that she came over from Poland to be with him: Throughout the series, Marie paints a picture often different from the ruthless image he gets from his actions. He is caring and concerned and he almost always appears with her at events. However, as the series progresses he seems to get more reclusive and secretive in his behaviour. He doesn't appear as concerned about anyone else as he once was. This is all because D'Eon's group was getting close to uncovering the Royal Psalms.

When Louis suspects Marie has been having contact with Robin, who could possibly have the Royal Psalms, he arranges with Broglie to kill her with poisoned wine at dinner. When they sit down to eat, it is quite evident that Marie knows she will get killed, as she read the psalms. When asked why, she responds:

This surprises Louis, as it is quite clear that he has been lonely; as stated earlier, all of his relatives died when he was 5 except for one, and he pretty much ruled on his own since then. At this point, he becomes hesitant. He tells her that he wishes they could go back to how it was before, and tries to stop her from drinking the poisoned wine. He grabs her arm, but she pulls it away and drinks it lovingly. She knows that she knew too much and it had to be done, and wanted Louis to do what was best for the country. She didn't care if it was her life at stake, because she knew it would make life easier for Louis. With that, she drinks the wine down and says to him: Marie's death has a profound impact on Louis. He just was forced to kill the only person he really had left. It is profoundly evident that Marie was the person who had the ability to talk to Louis as a man, and not a King. Her death left an emptiness that made him doubt himself. He loses his strong, calm demeanor and acts more like a man for the first time in the entire series. Marie's role is significant in that she is the "human" aspect of King Louis XV.

Puppetmaster?: Duc d'Broglie

Duc d'Broglie is Louis' right hand, so to speak. However, what isn't discussed in the series is the amount of influence Broglie has on Louis throughout.

At the beginning, Broglie is a yes man: everytime Louis has an idea, he responds with "Indeed", and no hesitation whatsoever. He arranges for everything regarding Louis to be done. He acts more like a butler than a Duc. However, throughout the series, he starts executing his own will more. It is revealed that he was the servant of King Louis XIV, and the lead of the Secret de Roi. He begins influencing Louis into making decisions, such as poisoning his wife. When Marie dies and asks for D'Eon and Robin to be spared, Louis considers it, but Broglie shoots it down:

However, I do believe that Broglie cared about Louis XV. When Robin appears after Marie and Anna are killed, he is enraged and shoots at Louis XV. Broglie immediately jumps in front of him and for the first time, Louis appears panicked- he is protected yet again by Marie, and then flees, almost tripping over himself.

When Robin leaves and Broglie is in bed, Louis essentially acts like he lost his right hand.

In the end, Broglie is a hard character to read. He is extrodinarily dedicated to his job, but to which King is another matter. It is quite possible that Broglie is living out King Louis XIV's will to have a son that would maintain the Monarchy, but nevertheless, it is clear that he cares for Louis. In the end, Broglie is a very important character to both Louis and his development as a character and as King.

A Real Portrait: D'Eon and Lia

No relationship is as complicated as the relationship between D'Eon, Lia and King Louis XV. Their steadfast loyalty and dedication despite Louis' actions truly shows how much they respect him.

D'Eon's quest to find his sister's murderer leads in many different directions. No matter which he takes, King Louis is always behind him. The reason for this appeared to be that Lia was his most devoted knight, but in actuality it was different: Louis used it as a guise to retrieve the Royal Psalms. Although he could have just ordered D'Eon to drop the mission and get them, he chose to give them the appearance of following their own path.

The reason for this is simple: he knew who killed Lia. That is, because he killed Lia.

When Maximilien stole the Royal Psalms from King Louis XV, he took them to Lia. Lia, being the loyal knight that she was, told him to return them. In the process, however, she sealed up some important pages within herself. Louis was nervous, because those contained information about him that will be discussed in the next section. It was determined that it was simply too dangerous to let Lia live, so Louis bought off a priest to send her to confession. When she was in there, unarmed, he stabbed her. She wandered out and died in the middle of the cathedral. Before Louis could escape with Broglie, Maximilien came and found her body. He took it and then, several months later, sent it down the river with the word "Psalms" written on the casket.

This was kind of viewed as a "bastard move" of Louis by people, because she was wholeheartedly devoted to him. However, the fact remains that she opened the Royal Psalms, a book meant only for Kings, and sealed away the contents. Although she would have kept quiet, there was no telling when Maximilien would have convinced her to go to his side, since she loved him.

After D'Eon finds all this out, him and Lia are not mad at him- they swear allegience to him once again. Despite D'Eon's love for his sister, he does not blame Louis for anything, and defends him against everyone else. This kind of dedication surprises Louis, who wanted to be killed:

Louis' relationship with D'Eon and Lia proves once again that Louis will do anything for the sake of France and for his place as King. Their actions also open the gate to discovering the truth about Louis XV.

The Truth: Maximilien Robespierre

After Marie dies, Louis rips out a page of the Psalms and throws it into the fire. When he does, his skin breaks out in green sores. His body starts rotting, and by the time D'Eon arrives, he is in bed and the stench is so bad that none of his attendants can approach him.

It is here that the truth is finally revealed. Throughout the series, it was never clear why Louis XV was so protective about the Royal Psalms, that only forecast things to come for Kings. He had to kill everyone who read them, including his wife and several of his best knights. As he explains to D'Eon through Broglie, the truth is as follows:

That child's name was.. Maximilien. If this name sounds familiar, it should- Maximilien Robespierre is the blonde-haired former knight who betrayed Louis XV and worked with the Revolutionary Brethren. Essentially, they were switched at birth- the revolutionary Maximilien Robespierre is the true King Louis XV, and the King Louis XV that is the topic of this shrine is really Maximilien Robespierre. King Louis XV, as we know him, has no royal blood in him. That's why he was unable to seal the Royal Psalms. Anyone who read it could see that the dates were reversed and could figure that out. If they did, everything Louis had worked so hard for since the age of 5 would have been for nothing. All of the killing Louis did was to protect this secret. He was essentially put into place to become the King that would protect the Monarchy, instead of destroy it. This explains many parts of Louis' personality- how he is sometimes cold, but you can still tell when he regrets killing.

To people viewing King Louis XV, his somewhat-bi-polar personality is finally explained. He struggled with keeping his secret and wanted to take it to the grave. He wanted to be the ruler of France, no matter what.

After all is said and done, D'Eon and Lia refuse to kill him. He later passes away at the age of 64.

Walking a Fine Line

Throughout the whole series, King Louis XV walks a fine line between doing what is necessary for his country and, to put it bluntly, being a paranoid ass. While I was drawn to him at the beginning, I'll admit that even I was conflicted about him until the end of the series. However, I think it is important for series fans to remember this: King Louis XV is a man, yet also a puppet. He's not even of royal descent, yet he has had to reign alone since the age of five, constantly watching over his shoulder for this book that could literally destroy his dream. He had no relatives and was forced to become the King that would keep the Royal family together. He was literally told who he had to be. Everything he did was to protect himself, and France.

Also, one must consider the perspective of the story, and through whom it is told. The story is about D'Eon de Beaumont and his sister Lia, who are knights serving under him. If the story was about King Louis XV himself, would you have thought he wasn't justified in killing people who could expose him? Yes, it's true that D'Eon and Lia de Beaumont did not pose a threat to him- but they could have. The true King Louis XV, known as Maximilien Robespierre, was actively working to take Lia away from Louis. If he succeeded in convincing her, she could have easily blown everything to pieces.

Another thing that had me on the fence was how merciless he appeared to be, but it's simply not true. When Louis found out that Marie was having contact with Robin, he concluded that she probably had figured it out and had to die. When he confronts her, she confesses, but her words pierce his heart.

At that moment, Louis tried to stop her from drinking the poisoned wine, but she did it of her own accord. It is quite clear that her death impacts him a lot. By the end of his life, having had to kill almost everyone close to him, he was not even free to kill himself.

Louis lived most of his life as a puppet, controlled by the will of King Louis IV who was not even his father. Considering that, to say that Louis was merely a paranoid ass is not giving him adequate consideration.

In Conclusion

As you can probably gather from having read all that and watching the series itself, King Louis XV is a complicated character. Forced to live a lie, he does whatever is necessary to protect himself, no matter how much it ends up hurting him. It is a far cry from the insensitive jerk he comes across as in the middle of the series, from asking Durand to kill everyone to killing Marie and Anna. King Louis XV, Maximilien Robespierre.. no matter the name, it is clear that he is more than just a killer. He was France, and he wished to die as France. While I will not say that he should be admired, I hope that people will understand his position better.

About the Site

This site is titled furansu no tame ni, which is Japanese for "For France's Sake". I chose it because no matter what he did, or who he had to kill, he did it all for France. Louis yearned to be France and represent France, so I thought it was a fitting title.

The layout was made using a screencap from the anime and a brush used from brushking.

My reasons for making the site are simple: The more I thought about Louis, the more I felt like I understood him. I want other people to understand him as well. He is a scapegoat throughout the series, but he is really also a tragic character. It makes me sad to see the Louis hate when his circumstances lead to most of his actions. I hope that people will take away a better understanding of this amazing character.

This site was made as part of the Amassment One Page Shrine Marathon.

Links Out

If you would like to link to this site, I would really appreciate it! Some buttons are below. I am always up for affiliating or link exchanging, just send me an email!