Charles X, born in 1757, was the King of France from 1824 to 1830. His reign highlighted the Bourbon Restoration's failure to reconcile the monarchy's traditions with the democratic spirit that emerged after the French Revolution. Prior to ascending to the throne, Charles opposed concessions to the Third Estate and went into exile following the fall of the Bastille. Upon becoming king, his reactionary policies, implemented through successive ministries, led to his growing unpopularity. In response to opposition, Charles issued repressive ordinances in July 1830, sparking the July Revolution. Unable to resist the insurrection, he fled and abdicated in favor of his grandson. However, Louis-Philippe gained the crown, and Charles went into exile in England and later Prague, where he remained until shortly before his death in 1836.

When did Charles X rule France?

Charles X reigned as King of France from 1824 to 1830. Succeeding his brother, Louis XVIII, Charles' rule was marked by his commitment to the traditions of monarchy amidst rising democratic ideals after the French Revolution. His policies favoring the clergy and compensating former émigrés alienated the public, leading to the July Revolution of 1830. Charles X's publication of repressive ordinances ignited the rebellion, ultimately forcing him to abdicate and flee to England.

How did Charles X become king?

Charles X became king of France in 1824 upon the death of his brother, Louis XVIII. His reign was marked by reactionary policies, including compensating former émigrés and increasing the clergy's power, which made him increasingly unpopular. In July 1830, Charles X's attempt to enforce repressive ordinances sparked a rebellion. Charles X naively ignored the possibility of serious trouble. The king was forced to flee to Versailles and then Rambouillet. On August 2, Charles X abdicated in favor of his grandson, but Louis-Philippe gained the crown.

What were some important actions Charles X took as king?

As king of France, Charles X took actions that revealed his failure to reconcile the monarchy with the democratic spirit that followed the French Revolution. His policies included compensating former émigrés for nationalized lands, which largely burdened bourgeois holders of government bonds. He also granted greater power to the clergy and imposed the death penalty for certain "sacrileges." Charles X appointed the unpopular Prince Jules de Polignac, an extreme clericalist reactionary, to form a government, ignoring public opinion. When liberals objected to the Polignac ministry, Charles dissolved the Chamber of Deputies, further aggravating the situation. These actions eventually led to the July Revolution of 1830, resulting in Charles' abdication and Louis-Philippe gaining the crown.

Why was Charles X unpopular with many people in France?

Charles X's unpopularity stemmed from his reactionary policies and his failure to reconcile the Bourbon monarchy with the democratic spirit that emerged after the French Revolution. Upon becoming king in 1824, Charles X implemented policies that favored the former émigrés and the clergy, alienating the bourgeois holders of government bonds. He also increased the power of the church, and implemented the death penalty for sacrilegious acts, which outraged liberals and moderates alike. Charles X further stoked discontent by appointing the highly unpopular Prince Jules de Polignac as his chief minister and by issuing restrictive ordinances that curtailed the freedom of the press and dissolved the Chamber of Deputies. These actions ultimately led to the July Revolution of 1830, which forced Charles X to abdicate and brought Louis-Philippe to the throne.

How did the rule of Charles X come to an end?

Charles X's rule ended due to his reactionary policies and failure to reconcile with the democratic spirit of post-revolution France. His publication of restrictive ordinances on July 26, 1830, dissolving the Chamber of Deputies and curtailing press freedom, sparked the July Revolution . Strikes and protests escalated into armed conflict, and after three days of fighting, Charles X abdicated on August 2. He first fled to Versailles, then Rambouillet, and ultimately left France. Louis-Philippe , the Duke of Orléans, was proclaimed "king of the French" on August 9, marking the beginning of the July Monarchy.

Charles X

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Colored engraving showing a crowd of revolutionaries storming the Bastille fortress, with smoke and flames rising from a building, during the French Revolution on July 14, 1789.

Quick Facts

Also called (until 1824):: Charles-Philippe, comte d’Artois

Byname (1795–1824):: Monsieur

Born:: October 9, 1757, Versailles, France

Died:: November 6, 1836, Görz, Austrian Empire [now Gorizia, Italy] (aged 79)

Title / Office:: king (1824-1830), France

Charles X

king of France

Also known as: Charles-Philippe, comte d’Artois

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 2, 2026 •History

Top Questions

Who was Charles X?
Charles X, born in 1757, was the King of France from 1824 to 1830. His reign highlighted the Bourbon Restoration's failure to reconcile the monarchy's traditions with the democratic spirit that emerged after the French Revolution.

Prior to ascending to the throne, Charles opposed concessions to the Third Estate and went into exile following the fall of the Bastille. Upon becoming king, his reactionary policies, implemented through successive ministries, led to his growing unpopularity.

In response to opposition, Charles issued repressive ordinances in July 1830, sparking the July Revolution. Unable to resist the insurrection, he fled and abdicated in favor of his grandson. However, Louis-Philippe gained the crown, and Charles went into exile in England and later Prague, where he remained until shortly before his death in 1836.
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1. Charles X
2. Revolutions of 1830
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When did Charles X rule France?
Charles X reigned as King of France from 1824 to 1830. Succeeding his brother, Louis XVIII, Charles' rule was marked by his commitment to the traditions of monarchy amidst rising democratic ideals after the French Revolution. His policies favoring the clergy and compensating former émigrés alienated the public, leading to the July Revolution of 1830. Charles X's publication of repressive ordinances ignited the rebellion, ultimately forcing him to abdicate and flee to England.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How did Charles X become king?
Charles X became king of France in 1824 upon the death of his brother, Louis XVIII. His reign was marked by reactionary policies, including compensating former émigrés and increasing the clergy's power, which made him increasingly unpopular.

In July 1830, Charles X's attempt to enforce repressive ordinances sparked a rebellion. Charles X naively ignored the possibility of serious trouble. The king was forced to flee to Versailles and then Rambouillet. On August 2, Charles X abdicated in favor of his grandson, but Louis-Philippe gained the crown.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What were some important actions Charles X took as king?
As king of France, Charles X took actions that revealed his failure to reconcile the monarchy with the democratic spirit that followed the French Revolution. His policies included compensating former émigrés for nationalized lands, which largely burdened bourgeois holders of government bonds. He also granted greater power to the clergy and imposed the death penalty for certain "sacrileges." Charles X appointed the unpopular Prince Jules de Polignac, an extreme clericalist reactionary, to form a government, ignoring public opinion. When liberals objected to the Polignac ministry, Charles dissolved the Chamber of Deputies, further aggravating the situation. These actions eventually led to the July Revolution of 1830, resulting in Charles' abdication and Louis-Philippe gaining the crown.
2 Britannica Sources
1. France: The revolution of 1830
2. Charles X
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why was Charles X unpopular with many people in France?
Charles X's unpopularity stemmed from his reactionary policies and his failure to reconcile the Bourbon monarchy with the democratic spirit that emerged after the French Revolution.

Upon becoming king in 1824, Charles X implemented policies that favored the former émigrés and the clergy, alienating the bourgeois holders of government bonds. He also increased the power of the church, and implemented the death penalty for sacrilegious acts, which outraged liberals and moderates alike.

Charles X further stoked discontent by appointing the highly unpopular Prince Jules de Polignac as his chief minister and by issuing restrictive ordinances that curtailed the freedom of the press and dissolved the Chamber of Deputies. These actions ultimately led to the July Revolution of 1830, which forced Charles X to abdicate and brought Louis-Philippe to the throne.
5 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How did the rule of Charles X come to an end?
Charles X's rule ended due to his reactionary policies and failure to reconcile with the democratic spirit of post-revolution France. His publication of restrictive ordinances on July 26, 1830, dissolving the Chamber of Deputies and curtailing press freedom, sparked the July Revolution.

Strikes and protests escalated into armed conflict, and after three days of fighting, Charles X abdicated on August 2. He first fled to Versailles, then Rambouillet, and ultimately left France. Louis-Philippe, the Duke of Orléans, was proclaimed "king of the French" on August 9, marking the beginning of the July Monarchy.
5 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Charles X (born October 9, 1757, Versailles, France—died November 6, 1836, Görz, Austrian Empire [now Gorizia, Italy]) was the king of France from 1824 to 1830. His reign dramatized the failure of the Bourbons, after their restoration, to reconcile the tradition of the monarchy by divine right with the democratic spirit produced in the wake of the French Revolution.

The fifth son of the dauphin Louis and Maria Josepha of Saxony, Charles was given the title of comte d’Artois. He spent his early life in scandalous dissipation; his service with the French army at the siege of Gibraltar in 1782 was undertaken for distraction rather than from serious concern with a military career. Eventually he abandoned his libertine lifestyle and directed his talents toward politics. In the events leading up to the French Revolution, he emerged as an opponent of concessions to the Third Estate.

Storming of the BastilleThe storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, undated colored engraving.

Ordered by his brother Louis XVI to leave France soon after the fall of the Bastille (July 14, 1789), Charles went first to the Austrian Netherlands and then to Turin in Piedmont, thus becoming the first member of the royal family to go into exile, in which he was not joined by his brother the comte de Provence (later Louis XVIII) until 1791.

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Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon in Coronation Robes or Napoleon I Emperor of France, 1804 by Baron Francois Gerard or Baron Francois-Pascal-Simon Gerard, from the Musee National, Chateau de Versailles.

Britannica Quiz

Kings and Emperors (Part III) Quiz

When the comte de Provence became titular king, he made Charles lieutenant general of the kingdom. Until the Bourbon Restoration in 1814, Charles traveled to Austria, Prussia, Russia, and England. During this period he made an unsuccessful attempt to land in the Vendée to lead the royalist rising there. Upon returning to France in 1814, he became the leader of the ultras, the party of extreme reaction during Louis XVIII’s reign.

Upon Louis XVIII’s death in 1824, Charles became king as Charles X. His popularity waned as his reign passed through three reactionary ministries. During the first, former émigrés were compensated for their nationalized lands, largely at the expense of bourgeois holders of government bonds; greater power was granted to the clergy; and the death penalty was imposed for certain “sacrileges.”

The second government, though more moderate, lasted only from January 1828 to August 1829, when liberals joined with the extreme right to defeat it. Charles, losing patience and ignoring public opinion, called upon an extreme clericalist reactionary, the highly unpopular prince Jules de Polignac, to form a government. A formidable agitation sprang up, in response to which the king grew only more obstinate, and culminated in the July Revolution of 1830.

In March 1830, when liberals in the Chamber of Deputies objected to the Polignac ministry, Charles dissolved the Chamber. The May elections to the Chamber returned a majority unfavourable to the king. On July 26 he issued four ordinances which, through their repressive measures, provoked revolution by the Paris radicals. Unprepared for such an outbreak, Charles fled first to Versailles and then to Rambouillet, where he learned to his surprise that the insurrection could not be resisted. On August 1 he appointed Louis-Philippe, duc d’Orléans, lieutenant general of the kingdom and on August 2 abdicated in favour of his grandson, the duc de Bordeaux. However, Louis-Philippe gained the crown, and Charles withdrew to England and then to Scotland. He eventually established himself at Prague, where he resided until shortly before his death.

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