Editing Louis XVIII (section)

==Youth==
'''Louis Stanislas Xavier''', styled Count of Provence from birth, was born on 17 November 1755 in the [[Palace of Versailles]], a younger son of [[Louis, Dauphin of France (1729–1765)|Louis Ferdinand, Dauphin of France]], and his wife [[Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony (1731–1767)|Maria Josepha of Saxony]]. He was the grandson of the reigning King [[Louis XV]]. As a son of the Dauphin, he was a ''[[Fils de France]]''. He was christened Louis Stanislas Xavier six months after his birth, in accordance with Bourbon family tradition, being nameless before his [[baptism]]. By this act, he also became a Knight of the [[Order of the Holy Spirit]].
The name of ''Louis'' was bestowed because it was typical of a prince of France; Stanislas was chosen to honour his great-grandfather King [[Stanislaus I of Poland]] who was still alive at the time; and Xavier was chosen for Saint [[Francis Xavier]], whom his mother's family held as one of their patron saints.{{sfn|Mansel|1999|p=10}}

[[Image:François hubert drouais - duque berry conde provença.jpg|left|thumb|The Count of Provence and his brother Louis Auguste, Duke of Berry (later [[Louis XVI]]), depicted in 1757 by [[François-Hubert Drouais]]]]
At the time of his birth, Louis Stanislas was fourth in line to the throne of France, behind his [[Louis, Dauphin of France (1729–1765)|father]] and his two elder brothers: [[Louis, Duke of Burgundy (1751–1761)|the Duke of Burgundy]], and [[Louis XVI|the Duke of Berry]]. The former died in 1761, leaving Louis Auguste as heir to their father until the Dauphin's own premature death in 1765. The two deaths elevated Louis Stanislas to second in the line of succession, while his brother Louis Auguste acquired the title of Dauphin.{{sfn|Fraser|2002|p=41}}

Louis Stanislas found comfort in his governess, [[Marie Louise de Rohan|Madame de Marsan]], [[Governess of the Children of France]], as he was her favourite among his siblings.{{sfn|Mansel|1999|p=11}} Louis Stanislas was taken away from his governess when he turned seven, the age at which the education of boys of royal blood and of the nobility was turned over to men. {{ill|Antoine de Quélen de Stuer de Caussade|fr|lt=Antoine de Quélen de Stuer de Caussade, Duke of La Vauguyon}}, a friend of his father, was named as his governor.

Louis Stanislas was an intelligent boy, excelling in the classics. His education was of the same quality and consistency as that of his older brother, Louis Auguste, despite the fact that Louis Auguste was heir and Louis Stanislas was not.{{sfn|Mansel|1999|p=11}} Louis Stanislas's education was quite religious in nature; several of his teachers were priests, such as [[Jean-Gilles du Coëtlosquet]], Bishop of Limoges; the Abbé [[Jean-Antoine Nollet]]; and the Jesuit [[Guillaume-François Berthier]].<ref>{{Cite book |first=Louis Victor |last=Flamand-Grétry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gs5SAAAAcAAJ&pg=RA1-PA218 |title=Itinéraire historique, géographique, topographique, statistique, pittoresque et bibliographique de la vallée de Montmorency, a partir de la porte Saint-Denis a Pontoise inclusivement: Contenant la description complète de la ville de St.-Denis ... : suivie de la biographie des rois, reines, princes ... |date=1840 |publisher=Bertrand |location=Paris |page=218 |language=fr}}</ref> [[Paul François de Quelen de la Vauguyon|La Vauguyon]] drilled into young Louis Stanislas and his brothers the way he thought princes should "know how to withdraw themselves, to like to work," and "to know how to reason correctly".

In April 1771, when he was 15, Louis Stanislas's education was formally concluded, and his own independent household was established,{{sfn|Mansel|1999|p=12}} which astounded contemporaries with its extravagance: in 1773, the number of his servants reached 390{{sfn|Mansel|1999|p=20}} In the same month his household was founded, Louis was granted several titles by his grandfather, Louis XV: Duke of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Perche, and Count of Senoches.{{sfn|Mansel|1999|p=24}} During this period of his life he was often known by the title '''Count of Provence.'''

On 17 December 1773, he was inaugurated as a Grand Master of the [[Order of St. Lazarus]].{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}