On his restoration to power in 1814, Louis XVIII issued a constitution, the Charte Constitutionnelle. In his Preamble, he wrote that the Charte was his response his subjects’ changed outlook and their wish for a new constitution. He declared also that he was granting the Charte as King by divine right, and purely by his royal authority; in short, he claimed to be using his God-given sovereignty. He also undertook, for himself and on behalf of his successors, to maintain this settlement permanently (Rials, 48-49). However, while the Preamble reasserts Louis’s sovereignty, the detailed provisions of the Charte (articles 13-56) institute a parliament which in practice would make …
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Citation: Morrison, Ian. "French Charte Constitutionnelle [Constitutional Charter] of 1814". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 12 December 2022 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=13747, accessed 25 November 2024.]