Summary
Highlights
Louis XIV became king at age four, with his mother, Anne of Austria, and Mazarin initially governing. Mazarin's manipulative rule and an uprising called the Fronde, which forced Louis to flee Paris, shaped his distrust of the nobility. After his coronation in 1654, Louis sought to strip power from the traditional nobility and chose to live outside Paris.
In 1660, Louis XIV married Maria Theresa of Spain, treating her with respect while openly keeping mistresses. Upon Mazarin's death in 1661, Louis surprised France by taking personal control of the government, centralizing the legal system and military. He also began the construction of the extravagant Palace of Versailles, using French manufacturers and architects.
Louis XIV's ambition for war heavily drained France's treasury. On his deathbed, he admitted to his great-grandson, Louis XV, that he had engaged in war too lightly and for vanity. In 1685, he revoked the Edict of Nantes, which had allowed Protestants to practice their faith, leading to the emigration of hundreds of thousands of French Protestants and causing severe economic and cultural devastation for France.
In 1700, Louis XIV's grandson, Philip of Anjou, became heir to the Spanish throne, raising fears across Europe of a unified Franco-Spanish superpower. This led to the War of the Spanish Succession, which deeply indebted France. After 13 years, Philip renounced his claim to the French crown. Louis XIV outlived four of his heirs due to illness, leaving the throne to his great-great-grandson upon his death in 1715.
Louis XIV died on September 1st, 1715, leaving the crown to his great-great-grandson. He is remembered as a tragic figure whose early love for war left France broken, exhausted, and bankrupt.