Louis xiv interesting facts
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Louis XIV ()
Louis XIV, c ©Louis XIV, the 'Sun King', was king of France from to and widely held to be the greatest monarch of his age.
Louis was born on 5 September at St Germain-en-Laye. He became king at the age of four on the death of his father, Louis XIII. While Louis was a child, his mother, Anne of Austria, served as regent, assisted by Louis XIII's chief minister, Cardinal Mazarin.
Louis's early years were marked by a series of rebellions against his mother and Mazarin, which were known as the 'Fronde'. These created in him a lifelong fear of rebellion, and a dislike of Paris, prompting him to spend more and more time in Versailles, southwest of Paris. In , he married Maria Theresa, daughter of Philip IV of Spain.
When Mazarin died in , the year-old Louis decided to rule without a chief minister. He regarded himself as an absolute monarch, with his power coming directly from God. He carefully cultivated his image and took the sun as his emblem. Between and , he
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5 Facts You May Not Know About King Louis XIV of France
If you have ever had the chance to visit The Palace of Versailles in France, you probably have an idea of the amount of influence King Louis XIV carried. As the longest reigning monarch in European history, King Louis XIV ruled France from until his death in Also known as the “Sun King” and “Louis the Great,” Louis XVI was a lover of art, literature, music, theater, and sport. He is remembered for his eccentric personality and his extraordinary impact on French history. Learning about significant historical figures can give French language learners rich talking points and material to apply to their language practice. Here are some interesting facts about Louis XIV for French language learners or anyone interested in impressing their friends!
1. Louis’ Mother Served as His Regent
After Louis XIII’s death, Louis XIV became king at the tender age of 4. It would have been custom for Louis XIV’s mother, Anne of Austria, t
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1. Few monarchs have ruled for longer.
Born in , Louis XIV became king at age 4 following the death of his father, Louis XIII, and remained on the throne for the next 72 years. This marks him as both the longest-reigning French monarch in history and the longest-reigning monarch of any extant European nation.
2. Louis’ mother served as his regent.
In his will, Louis XIII arranged for a regency council to rule on his young son’s behalf. But his Habsburg wife, Anne of Austria, orchestrated an annulment of the council and took over as sole regent. In that capacity, she and her chief minister, Italian-born Cardinal Jules Mazarin, ran afoul of the country’s nobles and judges, who rose up against the crown in a series of rebellions from to Mazarin was eventually able to crush the dissenters, but not before Louis XIV suffered numerous perceived humiliations, including twice having to flee Paris. From then on, Louis XIV distrusted not only aristocrats and commoners alike, but also Paris