How a Royal Affair Changed the Course of French Politics Louis XV inherited a crown before he reached adulthood. At fifteen, he married twenty-two-year-old Maria Leszczyńska in 1725. The marriage began with genuine warmth. The young king remained faithful through the early years, and the royal couple produced children at a staggering pace. Between 1727 and 1737, the queen endured ten pregnancies, including the birth of the Dauphin and several daughters. Court celebrations acc