StanisĆaw LeszczyĆski (1677â1766), King of Poland, Duke of Lorraine and Bar, 1711
Artist: David von Krafft (German-Swedish, 1655â1724)
Collection: National Museum / Gripsholm Castle, Stockholm, Sweden
StanisĆaw LeszczyĆski (1677â1766) was an 18th-century nobleman who served as the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania for two non-consecutive terms (1704â1709 and 1733). Caught between the geopolitical ambitions of Sweden, Russia, and Saxony, his life pivoted to France where he became an Enlightenment-era Duke of Lorraine.
Born into a powerful magnate family, LeszczyĆski was placed on the Polish throne by King Charles XII of Sweden, who had invaded the Commonwealth and deposed Augustus II. His reign ended abruptly when the Swedish forces were defeated by Russia at the Battle of Poltava in 1709. Augustus II reclaimed the throne, and StanisĆaw was forced into exile.
LeszczyĆski settled in France. His fortunes changed dramatically when his daughter, Maria, married King Louis XV of France in 1725, making StanisĆaw the father-in-law of the French king.
Upon the death of Augustus II, StanisĆaw returned to Poland to reclaim the throne with French backing. However, Russia and Austria intervened, backing Augustus III, which sparked the War of the Polish Succession. Besieged in GdaĆsk and unsupported, StanisĆaw abdicated his claims in 1736.
As compensation for his abdication, he was granted the Duchy of Lorraine and Bar for life. There, he became a celebrated patron of the arts, sciences, and architecture, turning the region into a cultural hub.
After his death, his remains were eventually laid to rest in the royal crypt at Wawel Cathedral in KrakĂłw.