King Louis the XIV: The Sun King

June 3, 2022

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Written by Hannah Maxwell

France has a long and interesting history surrounding its royals, but certainly, the one who turned around France in its time of need was Louis XIV. Louis was not a normal monarch-- in fact, it was a miracle he was born at all. His parents had been married for 23 whole years, and still had yet to produce an heir. This wasn’t just a preference for the royals-- it was a secure throne and country on the line. Indeed, in times where no clear heir surfaced, most European countries had the potential of being thrown into complete chaos, and may have had years of wars and murders before a long-lasting monarch even surfaced. So when a son finally came along on September 5, 1638, Louis was named the gift from God himself. As it would turn out, he arrived none too soon. 

The death of Louis XIII was sudden and ill-planned for. The heir, of course, was Louis XIV, but this father’s will had stipulated that another political official take the reins until his son was of age. Perhaps it was a good strategy-- Louis XIV was only four when his father died. However, his mother was sure that she would make a better regent, and so had her husband’s last will nullified and became the in-between for her son. 

Once he began his reign, King Louis XIV was controlling, specific, and determined. He ended many internal conflicts in France, including multiple civil wars during his time. One of his methods included having the would-be rebels live in his palace, and get accustomed to his way of life. This persuaded many to stay on the good side of the king, and ended many conflicts. Louis XIV strove for peace, and made sure to diligently pay attention to any detail that could give him an edge. Truly, he was a monarch who knew the importance of details. 

His eye for details, indeed, led to other fascinations. In between his usual day-to-day duties as king, Louis XIV was known for his love of the arts. He dedicated large sums to the artistic communities. His palace was also a show of the finer things-- the new Palace of Versailles was covered in fine metalworking, fabrics, and mirrors. Louis XIV was a big-time contributor to the era of artistic ability he lived in.

He was also very engrossed in religious affairs. As a Catholic nation, France had long been allies with other Catholic states. However, France had not been persecuting Protestants during the reign of Louis’s father. Louis XIV was determined to change that, and began enacting laws that directly persecuted Protestants all over France. For the Catholic church, keeping order was a very important thing. Religion represented allyship and political power, so if Catholics were to lose hold of the Protestants in the area, eventually the country could switch religions and have to change its political standing in the world. This was the motive many royals like Louis XIV had when ordering prosecution, and led to the deaths of hundreds over time as Europe was gripped by the changing ideals for religion.
Louis XIV marked a turn for France, into an artistically flowing, peace-bringing, and yet persecuting new age. He was like many royals at his time, born into affluence to try and effect a world that was quickly changing for the average man. And with careful timed iron fists and open pockets alike, he secured France as a strong nation for decades to come. 

 

Works Cited

History.com Editors. 2018. “Louis XIV.” History. A&E Television Networks. August 21, 2018. https://www.history.com/topics/france/louis-xiv.

“Louis XIV.” 2016. Palace of Versailles. October 27, 2016. https://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/history/great-characters/louis-xiv#the-royal-family