Louis Joseph Xavier
Duke of Burgundy
Portrait byJean-Martial Frédou, 1760
Born	(1751-09-13)13 September 1751 Palace of Versailles,Kingdom of France
Died	22 March 1761(1761-03-22) (aged 9) Palace of Versailles, Kingdom of France
Burial	Basilica of Saint-Denis
House	Bourbon
Father	Louis, Dauphin of France
Mother	Duchess Maria Josepha of Saxony

Louis Joseph Xavier, Duke of Burgundy (13 September 1751 – 22 March 1761), was a French prince of theHouse of Bourbon, and as such was second-in-line to the throne of France, ranking behind his father, theDauphin Louis, himself the son ofLouis XV and his popular Queen,Marie Leszczyńska. Although Louis was his parents' first son to be born alive, he died of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis at the young age of nine. As a result of his untimely death, all three of his younger brothers -Louis Auguste,Louis Stanislas, andCharles Philippe - becamekings of France.

Louis Joseph Xavier, styledduke of Burgundy from birth, was born at thePalace of Versailles on September 13 1751.^[1][2] He was the second surviving child and eldest son ofLouis, Dauphin of France andMaria Josepha of Saxony,^[3] and was thus the oldest brother to the future kingsLouis XVI,Louis XVIII andCharles X.^[4] ATe Deum was performed inNotre-Dame to celebrate his birth.^[2][5]

Regarded as the most capable of his brothers,^[6][7] the Duke was the favorite child of his parents.^[8][9][10] He was said to be handsome and bright.^[8][11][12]

Like his siblings, he was cared for byMadame de Marsan, theGoverness of the Children of France.^[13] Later, the Duke of Vauguyon was named his governor.^[14][15] He was much loved by those who were close to him, especially his older sisterMarie Zéphyrine,^[16] who died at the age of five in 1755.^[4] It is unknown if the Duke, who was not even four years old yet, was affected by this.

Around 1760, the young Duke developed a limp and it was presumed that he fell, but he refused to reveal how.^[14] He later confessed that he was pushed by one of his playmates but did not tell anyone to prevent his friend from getting into any trouble.^[17] After the incident, an abscess emerged and the Duke's health began to deteriorate quickly.^[18] He underwent painful surgery but his condition did not improve.^[19][20]

Knowing that he would die, the Dauphin had him baptised on 29 November 1760 as Louis Xavier Charles Prince of France, with Louis XV andMarie Leszczyńska, his grandparents, as his godparents. Until that moment, he had been known just as "Burgundy". By 1761, the Duke was bound to his bed, unable to move his legs, with what was diagnosed asextra pulmonary tuberculosis of the bone.^[19][21] His younger brother, the futureLouis XVI, served as his companion in the last few months of his life.^[19][20] After "excruciating suffering",^[22] the Duke died on 22 March 1761 at 9 years old.^[8][23][24]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toLouis Joseph Xavier of France.

• Algrant, Christine Pevitt (2002).Madame de Pompadour: Mistress of France. New York: Grove Press.ISBN 978-0802140357.
• Broglie, Emmanuel de (1877).Le fils de Louis XV, Louis, dauphin de France, 1729-1765 (in French). E. Plon.
• Cronin, Vincent (1975).Louis and Antoinette. New York: William Morrow & Company, Inc.ISBN 978-0-688-00331-9.
• Faÿ, Bernard (1968).Louis XVI or The End of a World. Translated by Patrick O'Brian. Chicago: Henry Regnery Company.ISBN 978-0-491-00040-6.

• 1751 births
• 1761 deaths
• 18th-century deaths from tuberculosis
• 18th-century French people
• Burials at the Basilica of Saint-Denis
• House of Bourbon
• Royalty from Versailles
• Princes of France (Bourbon)
• Courtesy dukes
• Knights of the Golden Fleece of Spain
• Tuberculosis deaths in France
• French royalty who died as children

• CS1 French-language sources (fr)
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Commons category link from Wikidata