Louis XVII of France (27 March 1785 – 8 June 1795), also known as Louis-Charles, Duc de Normandie, was the son of Louis XVI of France and Marie Antoinette, bearing the title of Dauphin of France from 1789 to 1791, then Prince-Royal of France from 1791 to 1792.
Biography[]
Following the death of his elder brother on 4 June 1789, in the midst of the Estates-General, Louis-Charles became the Dauphin, although he himself was a sickly child.[1] After the fall of the monarchy in 1792, he was imprisoned along with the rest of his family,[2] and his father was executed in January 1793.[3] This left the Dauphin the nominal king of France, although this claim and his title Louis XVII was only recognized by exiled royalists.[1]
While imprisoned in the Conciergerie with his mother, Louis-Charles was placed in a cell beneath that of his mother, so that the Queen could hear him crying.[4] In July 1793, he was separated from his family and placed under the care of the cobbler Antoine Simon in the Temple. Simon had a brutish personality and insisted on teaching the Dauphin well-known obscene songs, and Louis-Charles' health deteriorated.[1] When his mother was put on trial in October 1793, the Dauphin's captors pushed him to accuse her of incest.[5]
Louis-Charles died of tuberculosis in June 1795,[1] covered in scars testifying to the abuse he suffered. With no surviving brothers, his claim to France was taken up by his uncle, who promptly named himself Louis XVIII.[6] The French Assassin Arno Dorian heard rumors of the prince's survival and that he was in Templar captivity as a bargaining chip, and was tasked by a fellow Assassin with finding and liberating him, as it was suspected that Louis-Charles might have valuable knowledge. After rescuing a man he believed to be the Dauphin, Arno learned that he had in fact rescued Louis-Charles' groom. Despite this, Arno's fellow Assassin reasoned that the groom would have useful knowledge nonetheless.[7]
Appearances[]
- Assassin's Creed: Unity (mentioned only)
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Assassin's Creed: Unity – Database: Dauphin Louis-Charles
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Unity – Database: Temple
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Unity – Database: Execution of Louis XVI
- ↑ Project Widow – "Hotel Guillotine"
- ↑ Assassin's Creed Unity: Abstergo Entertainment – Employee Handbook
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Unity – [citation needed]
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Unity – The Little Prince