What is francis iii duke of brittany?

Francis III, Duke of Brittany (1708-1757), was the last independent Duke of Brittany. He was born on June 14, 1708, and was the only surviving son of Duke Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, who died when he was nine years old.

In 1725, Francis III married Princess Charlotte Aglaé of Orléans, a daughter of the Regent of France. They had six children, only three of whom survived infancy.

As Duke of Brittany, Francis III was a popular ruler who tried to modernize the duchy. He encouraged agriculture and industry, supported the arts and sciences, and introduced new laws to protect the poor and disadvantaged.

However, his political ambitions were frustrated by the French government, which wanted to integrate Brittany into France. In 1746, Francis III was forced to sign the Treaty of Fontainebleau, which guaranteed the rights and privileges of the Breton nobility but abolished the autonomy of the duchy.

Francis III died on March 26, 1757, and was buried in the Cathedral of Saint-Pierre in Nantes. His son, Louis-Stanislas-Xavier, who later became King Louis XVI of France, succeeded him as Duke of Brittany.