Coronation of Charles X of France

The Coronation of Charles X took place in Reims on 29 May 1825 when Charles X was crowned as King of France, marking the last coronation of a French monarch. It took place at Reims Cathedral in Champagne, the traditional site of the coronation of French sovereigns. It was the only coronation to take place following the 1815 defeat of Napoleon and the Bourbon Restoration before the direct line were deposed in 1830.

Background
As the Count of Artois Charles has spent many years in exile following the execution of his brother Louis XVI in 1793 during the French Revolution. During the later years of the Napoleonic Wars he settled in Britain, returning to France when his brother was restored by Allied Forces in 1814 and again after the Waterloo campaign in 1815. In the restored monarchy he was the heir of his childless elder brother Louis XVIII. Artois emerged as the leader of the Ultra-royalists a conservative political grouping which rejected most of the changes of the French Revolution. Louis XVIII never had a coronation. Plans to hold one kept falling through due to various circumstances, and ultimately were postponed indefinitely by the King's poor physical health. He therefore reigned for ten years without any formal religious ceremony. The country was occupied by Allied forces until the Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle in November 1818 agreed a withdrawal.

As the King's health declined, it was clear that Charles was likely to succeed him. While his eldest son had no children, his younger son the Duke of Berry who had been assassinated had been survived by his pregnant wife who gave birth to a son Henri in September 1820. Henri was therefore heir to the throne after the childless Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême, apparently securing the succession for at least another generation. Louis XVIII died in September 1824 and Artois was proclaimed his successor as Charles X. In a speech from the throne on 22 December 1824, Charles made clear his intention to be crowned in the tradition of the Ancien régime. While the 1804 Coronation of Napoleon had taken place at Notre-Dame de Paris, the new king selected the ancient site of Reims Cathedral.

Ceremony
The tradition of French monarchs stretched back to Clovis I in the fifth century and coronations had taken place in Reims since the ninth century. In 1825 the event had four stages: The King's journey from Paris to Reims, the ceremonies in that city, his return journey to Paris and entry into the city and various events held in the capital. On 24 May 1825 the King left Paris and travelled to Compiègne where he remained for three days. He then travelled to Reims via Soissons. Extensive preparations had taken place in Reims, for which Charles had contributed a significant amount from the royal treasury, including the remodelling of the Palace of Tau where he stayed. A new gold coach was designed by Charles Percier.

Large crowds gathered in the city of Reims for the event. The Holy Ampulla that had been used for more than six hundred years had been destroyed by French Revolutionaries in 1793. A new ampulla was designed by Louis Lafitte for the ceremony. A special mass had been commissioned by he King from the Italian composer Luigi Cherubini. The ceremony was performed by Jean-Baptiste de Latil, the Archbishop of Reims. In a new innovation, four Napoleonic Marshals of France presented the King with the symbols of royal authority and in his oath he swore to uphold the Charter of 1814 which had established a constitutional monarchy rather than an absolute one. Nonetheless the overall sense was one of nostalgia for the pre-Revolution era, and pride of place was given to the nobility and clergy. As a Prince of the Blood the King's distant cousin the Duke of Orleans participated.

The ceremony attracted visitors from across Europe. Notable French figures in attendance included the Royalist writers Chateaubriand, Victor Hugo and Charles Nodier. King Charles returned to Compiègne on 1 June, where he rested for a few days, before entering Paris on 6 June. He arrived in the city through the Villette Gate. The scene was depicted in a painting by Louis-François Lejeune.

Aftermath
At the Covent Garden theatre in London a pageant The Coronation of King Charles X was organised by Charles Kemble, based on the research of James Planché, and proved to be popular with audiences. The Italian composer Gioachino Rossini created an opera The Journey to Reims focusing on several characters on their way to the coronation. It premiered in Paris on 19 June 1825. The same year as part of a duel commission by George IV the English artist Sir Thomas Lawrence painted both Charles and his eldest son the Duke of Angoulême, for which Lawrence was awarded the Legion of Honour.

Despite the splendour of the coronation, political troubles continued throughout his reign. In 1830 Charles was overthrown in the July Revolution and went into exile in Britain. From 1830 until his death in 1836 he was the Legitimist claimant to the French throne. His successor Louis Philippe I rejected the idea of a coronation in an attempt to distance himself from the rule of his cousins. Napoleon III, who established the Second Empire in 1852, never had a coronation ceremony although a crown was designed for him in 1855.