Louis, Grand Dauphin

Once upon a time, in France, there was a very important prince named Louis. He was the son of the super famous King Louis XIV, who was called the Sun King! Louis was the oldest son, which meant he was supposed to be the next king. He was born a long, long time ago, in 1661. He was like the heir to a giant castle and a whole country!

Prince Louis had a special nickname: the Grand Dauphin. This means 'Big Prince'. He got this name after he had his own son, who was also named Louis! To tell them apart, the older one was the 'Grand' Dauphin, and the younger one was the 'Petit' Dauphin, which means 'Little Prince'. It’s like having two Johns in your class, so you call one 'Big John' and the other 'Little John'!

Even though Louis was next in line to be king, he never actually became king. This is a bit sad, but it's true! He and his son both passed away before his father, King Louis XIV.

So, when the Sun King eventually died, it wasn't Louis who took the throne. Instead, it was Louis's grandson, who became King Louis XV. It’s like being the first person in line for a toy, but the toy is given to someone else before it’s your turn.

Louis's family was super important! His dad was King Louis XIV, and his mom was Maria Theresa. He had children, and one of his sons became the father of a future king. Another son, Philip, became the king of Spain! So, even though Louis didn't become king of France, his family became kings and queens in other places too. His grandson eventually became the King of France!