MovieChat Forums > Sharpe's Revenge (2006) Discussion > Louis XVIII and Louis-Philippe

Louis XVIII and Louis-Philippe


This is something that has bothered me on several occasions while rewatching the series, and more especially during Revenge where I think they say one then the other. Now from what I've been taught at school, Louis XVIII became King of France in 1814. He was one of Louis XVI's younger brothers and was succeeded by Charles X, the youngest of the three. Louis-Philippe only became King of the French in 1830, and he was an Orléans, a cousin of the Bourbons'. I find it hard to believe that Bernard Cornwell would get confused between two kings which have different names and different reign dates. So what is this all about?
Did the scriptwriters do a lousy job and think Louis XVIII and Louis-Philippe were one and the same (they happen to misspell "Philippe" on one occasion, so why not...)?
Does this refer to something which is developed in the novels, but not in the series? Such as the hesitation and political strife that went on between Légitimistes and Orléanistes before Louis XVIII became the one and only King?
Thank you all of you Cornwell readers.

I'm a Sidekick and proud of it.

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I haven't read the books so I can't say if the mistake originated with Cornwell. But yes, it annoyed me too, that they would mention Louis-Philippe. In one episode, a French comte who had supposedly betrayed France to work with the English (but was in reality a staunch Napoleon supporter) was said to be a supporter of the Bourbons, and working to help the English seat Louis-Philippe on the throne. Not a single mention of the then Comte de Provence, younger brother of Louis XVI and, from Sharpe's point of view, the man who would become king only a few years later.

Provence was succeeded, as you say, by his younger brother the Comte de Artois, who came to be known as Charles X. Louis-Philippe was a distant cousin of the family and before Louis XVIII sat on the throne, there was very little chance of him doing the same. It's a massive mistake and I'm very surprised that the historical advisors for the show did not catch and correct it. It's a special level of incompetence when they mention Louis XVIII and Louis-Philippe as the next king/king on the throne in the same episode!

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Thank you! I was beginning to think I was crazy to be the only one having a problem with that. ;)

"Sometimes I'm callous and strange."

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