How was the Charter of 1814 changed under Louis-Philippe?

Under the July Monarchy, the Charter of 1814 was retained but underwent significant revisions to reflect a shift from divine right to popular sovereignty. Rather than being a royal gift, the document was revised by the Chamber of Deputies and imposed upon the king.1

Key changes included:

• Political Status: The monarchy was redefined, and the Tricolor was restored as the national flag.1
• Suffrage: The voting age was lowered to 25, and property qualifications were reduced, effectively doubling the number of eligible voters from approximately 90,000 to nearly 200,000.1
• Civil Liberties: Censorship was abolished, and the National Guard was resuscitated.1
• Religion: Roman Catholicism was no longer the state religion but was instead declared the religion of the majority of Frenchmen.1

These amendments transformed the charter into a framework for a more bourgeois-centered constitutional system, though the regime remained marked by ambiguity regarding the extent of the king's actual governing authority.1