French Royalty. The eldest son of Louis, Le Grand Dauphin, and his wife Duchess Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria, he was born in the Palace of Versailles. As the eldest son, he was known as "Le Petit Dauphin." He received the title Duke of Burgundy at birth, and was second in the line of succession to the throne. At age 15, Louis married his second cousin Marie Adélaïde of Savoy. The marriage of the duke and the princess took place in 1697 at the Palace of Versailles. The two were in love, unusual in royal alliances at the time. His wife died of measles on February 12, 1712. Louis, reluctant to leave her side, contracted the disease as well, and died six days later at the Château de Marly. Their two surviving sons also contracted it, with the elder dying in March of that year. The younger survived to become King Louis XV of France.
Bio by: Anne Philbrick