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Louis-Joseph, dauphin of France, is born on 22 October 1781 as Marie-Antoinette’s first surviving son

Versailles and Britannica print 22 October 1781 as the birth of Louis-Joseph-Xavier-François, the dauphin. In the causal graph this event strengthens Democratic Resilience, a driver that strengthens Having a say in government — an improving welfare path.

Sources: [1][2]

Read the full account

Versailles and Britannica print 22 October 1781 as the birth of Louis-Joseph-Xavier-François, the dauphin. Physicians and household officers share the medical-court record.

Context

Marie-Thérèse’s 1778 birth and Louis-Charles’s 1785 birth are neighbouring child rows.

Marie-Antoinette’s documented role is bounded by other offices and collaborators named in the sources below.

Bourbon succession anxiety after years without a dauphin; court and European diplomats treated the birth as public news.

Why it matters

A documented royal heir birth is a dynastic continuity path under the democratic-resilience driver as succession stability, not a modern election.

Who was responsible

Contribution type and responsibility level for each recorded actor — not sole-author shorthand.

  • Marie-Antoinette

    Person

    Direct responsibility

    responsibility level 0.4 · verified

    Named mother of the dauphin. Accoucheurs and the king share the birth household.

What changed

Fact → Driver → Indicator. Relationship strength orders the paths; it is not the observed indicator movement.

    1. FactLouis-Joseph, dauphin of France, is born on 22 October 1781 as Marie-Antoinette’s first surviving son
    2. strengthensDriverDemocratic Resilience
    3. strengthensIndicators (3)Having a say in government
    Improving path

    impact weight 0.45 · Effect from 22 October 1781 · verified

    • Having a say in government

      via Democratic Resilience

      Better

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.32 (weight 0.45 × strength 0.7)

      Observed

      29.8% of population aged 16-65 years · 8.13 below the normal line (2023)

      Worse than normal

      Two readings: 30.2% of population aged 16-65 years (2021) and 29.8% of population aged 16-65 years (2023).

      20212023

      Above normal = better

    • Clean elections index

      via Democratic Resilience

      Better

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.2 (weight 0.45 × strength 0.45)

      Observed

      0.53 score from 0 to 1 · 0.34 below the normal line (2024)

      Worse than normal

      125 readings, 1900–2024: rose from 0.17 score from 0 to 1 to 0.53 score from 0 to 1.

      Above normal = better

    • WJP Rule of Law Index (global)

      via Democratic Resilience

      Better

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.2 (weight 0.45 × strength 0.45)

      Observed

      0.55 index score (0-1) · 0.26 below the normal line (2024)

      Worse than normal

      Above normal = better

Evidence

The sources behind this fact and its verification state.

Verified2 sources on file
  1. 1.Britannica — Marie-AntoinetteEncyclopaedia Britannica · High credibility · verified
  2. 2.Château de Versailles — Marie-AntoinetteÉtablissement public du château, du musée et du domaine national de Versailles · High credibility · verified
What the sources establish

Château de Versailles and Britannica independently date the dauphin’s 1781 birth.

Established: 22 October 1781 birth in the palace/encyclopedia file. Not established: unique welfare coefficients for later France.

Marie-Antoinette did not file a later UNESCO form, a later Loeb colophon, or a later museum label as a personal act.

Causal path

How this event connects to drivers and indicators in the graph.

  1. ActorMarie-Antoinette
  2. contributed toFactLouis-Joseph, dauphin of France, is born on 22 October 1781 as Marie-Antoinette’s first surviving son
  3. strengthensDriverDemocratic Resilience
  4. strengthensIndicatorHaving a say in government

Cite this page

Factrail. (2026). Louis-Joseph, dauphin of France, is born on 22 October 1781 as Marie-Antoinette’s first surviving son. Factrail. https://factrail.ai/facts/ma-louis-joseph-birth-1781

https://factrail.ai/facts/ma-louis-joseph-birth-1781

Accessed 17 October 2026.

By the · Method: how we source and score · Last reviewed

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