La reine est morte, vive Marie-Thérèse Charlotte de Bourbon ? Repenser la reine en France (1795-1825)

The reign of Louis XV was characterized by an increased presence of royal princesses at the French court. Their status as filles de France gave them a special place in monarchical ceremonies and tended to make them special figures, by virtue of their unique kinship with the king, their father. In spite of being women, they took precedence over all the princes of the blood. The daughter of Louis XVI enjoyed the same recognition. Even though she was not in the line of succession, the events of the Revolution led to a rethinking of the place of princesses within the French monarchy. Theories emerged that placed birth and direct descent from the king above gender. The deaths of Louis XVI and then Louis XVII led to further questioning of this idea of legitimacy. Louis XVIII, who restored the monarchy in 1814, used his niece Marie-Thérèse Charlotte of France not to place her on the throne, but to strengthen it. Her status as a fille de France and daughter of Louis XVI gave her the legitimacy of blood and misfortune, and allowed her to occupy a unique place within the restored monarchy, that of an almost queen.