Coronation of the French monarch King of Italy at Milan with the Iron Crown of Lombardy. Emperor Napoleon III chose not to have a coronation ceremony. Nevertheless, a small consort's crown was fabricated for his wife, Empress Eugenie, which remains in the possession of the French government. The last French royal coronation was that of Charles X, in 1825 by Jean-Baptiste de Latil in Rheims cathedral. Charles' decision to be crowned, in contrast to his predecessor, Louis XVIII, proved unpopular with the French public, and Charles was ultimately overthrown in a revolution in 1830. His successor, Louis Philippe, opted not to have a coronation. The
The king is dead, long live the king! dates back to 1272, when Henry III died while his son, Edward I, was fighting in the Crusades. To avoid any chance of a civil war erupting over the order of succession, the Royal Council proclaimed: "The throne shall never be empty; the country shall never be without a monarch." Thus, Edward was declared king immediately, and he reigned "in absentia" until news of his father's death reached him and he returned to England. Another example is among the French royalty. In France, Louis XV was the predecessor of Louis XVI. Upon Louis XV's death at around 11:00 pm on