The
French Kingdom , commonly known as the
July Monarchy , was a
liberal constitutional monarchy in France under
Louis Philippe I, starting with the
July Revolution of 1830 (also known as the
Three Glorious Days) and ending with the
Revolution of 1848. It began with the overthrow of the conservative government of
Charles X and the
House of Bourbon. Louis Philippe, a member of the traditionally more liberal
Orléans branch of the
House of Bourbon, proclaimed himself
Roi des Français ("
King of the French") rather than "King of France", emphasizing the popular origins of his reign. The king promised to follow the "juste milieu", or the middle-of-the-road, avoiding the extremes of the conservative supporters of Charles X and radicals on the left. The July Monarchy was dominated by wealthy
bourgeoisie and numerous former
Napoleonic officials. It followed conservative policies, especially under the influence (1840–48) of
François Guizot. The king promoted friendship with Britain and sponsored colonial expansion, notably the conquest of Algeria. By 1848,
a year in which many European states had a revolution, the king's popularity had collapsed and he was overthrown.