Paris, 1830. King Charles X unwillingly signs the final document of his reign—his abdication. This clears the path for his son and heir, Louis XIX, to ascend the throne and usher in a new era of prosperity, wisdom, and dignified leadership for the Kingdom of France.

Twenty minutes later, it's over.

House of The Onion presents the untold and (mostly) true story of history's shortest-reigning monarch. A young king inherits a nation in crisis. Does he have what it takes? Absolutely not. Does anyone tell him this? Also no.

What follows is a glorious disaster. Advisors nod along. Courtiers applaud. Someone suggests a war. Someone else suggests two wars. Things escalate with remarkable incompetence - the kind reserved for real monarchs.

It is a tale of spectacular confidence and enthusiastic inadequacy. Sometimes history is written by the victors. Sometimes it’s written frantically, while looking for an exit unoccupied by citizens with pitchforks.