Editing Dauphin of France (section)

==History==
{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2017}}
[[Guigues IV of Albon|Guigues IV]], Count of [[Vienne, Isère|Vienne]], had a [[dolphin]] on his [[coat of arms]] and was nicknamed ''le Dauphin''. The title of [[Dauphin de Viennois]] descended in his family until 1349, when [[Humbert II of Viennois|Humbert II]] sold his [[Manorialism|seigneury]], called the [[Dauphiné]], to King [[Philip VI of France|Philippe VI]] on condition that the heir of France assume the title of ''le Dauphin''. The wife of the Dauphin was known as ''la Dauphine''.

The first French prince called ''le Dauphin'' was Charles the Wise, later ascending to the throne as [[Charles V of France]]. The title was roughly equivalent to the Spanish ''[[Prince of Asturias]]'', the Portuguese ''[[Prince of Brazil]]'', the English (thence British) ''[[Prince of Wales]]'', the Dutch ''[[Prince of Orange]]'', and the Scottish ''[[Duke of Rothesay]]''. The official style of a Dauphin of France, prior to 1461, was ''par la grâce de Dieu, dauphin de Viennois, comte de Valentinois et de Diois'' ("By the Grace of God, Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois"). A Dauphin of France united the coat of arms of the Dauphiné, which featured dolphins, with the French [[fleurs-de-lis]], and might, where appropriate, further unite that with other arms (e.g. [[Francis, Dauphin of France (1518-1536)|Francis]], son of [[Francis I of France|Francis I]], was ruling [[Duke of Brittany]], so united the arms of that province with the typical arms of a Dauphin; [[Francis II of France|Francis II]], while Dauphin, was also King of Scots by marriage to [[Mary, Queen of Scots|Mary I]], and added the arms of the [[Kingdom of Scotland]] to those of the Dauphin).

Originally the Dauphin was personally responsible for the rule of the [[Dauphiné]], which was legally part of the [[Holy Roman Empire]], and which the emperors, in giving the rule of the province to the French heirs, had stipulated must never be united with France. Because of this, the Dauphiné suffered from anarchy in the 14th and 15th centuries, since the Dauphins were frequently minors or concerned with other matters.

During his period as Dauphin, Louis, son of [[Charles VII of France|Charles VII]], defied his father by remaining in the province longer than the king permitted and by engaging in personal politics more beneficial to the Dauphiné than to France. For example, he married [[Charlotte of Savoy]] against his father's wishes. [[Duchy of Savoy|Savoy]] was a traditional ally of the Dauphiné, and Louis wished to reaffirm that alliance to stamp out rebels and robbers in the province. Louis was driven out of the Dauphiné by Charles VII's soldiers in 1456, leaving the region to fall back into disorder. After his succession as [[Louis XI]] of France in 1461, Louis united the Dauphiné with France, bringing it under royal control.

The title was automatically conferred upon the next heir apparent to the throne in the direct line upon birth, accession of the parent to the throne or death of the previous Dauphin, unlike the British title ''Prince of Wales'', which has always been in the gift of the monarch (traditionally conferred upon the heir's 21st birthday).

The sons of the King of France held the style and rank of ''[[fils de France]]'' (son of France), while male-line grandsons were given the style and rank of ''petits-enfants de France'' (Grandson of France). The sons and grandsons of the Dauphin ranked higher than their cousins, being treated as the king's children and grandchildren respectively. The sons of the Dauphin, though grandsons of the king, were ranked as Sons of France, and the grandsons of the Dauphin ranked as Grandsons of France; other great-grandsons of the king ranked merely as [[Prince du sang|princes of the blood]].

The title was abolished by the [[French Constitution of 1791|Constitution of 1791]], which made France a constitutional monarchy. Under the constitution the heir-apparent to the throne (Dauphin [[Louis XVII|Louis-Charles]] at that time) was restyled ''Prince Royal'' (a ''Prince of the Blood'' retitled ''prince français''), taking effect from the inception of the [[Legislative Assembly (France)|Legislative Assembly]] on 1 October 1791. The title was restored ''in potentia'' under the [[Bourbon Restoration in France|Bourbon Restoration]] of [[Louis XVIII]], but there would not be another Dauphin until after his death. With the accession of his brother [[Charles X of France|Charles X]], Charles' son and heir [[Louis-Antoine, Duke of Angoulême]] automatically became Dauphin.

With the removal of the [[House of Bourbon|Bourbons]] the title fell into disuse, the heirs of [[Louis-Philippe I|Louis-Philippe]] being titled ''Prince Royal''. After the death of [[Henri, comte de Chambord]], [[Carlos, Duke of Madrid]], the heir of the [[legitimists|legitimist]] claimant, [[Juan, Count of Montizón]], made use of the title in [[Pretender|pretense]], as have the Spanish legitimist claimants since.