Louis XIV

Louis XIV (September 5, 1638 - September 1, 1715) reigned as king of France from May 14, 1643 to September 1, 1715.

His birth at Saint-Germain-en-Laye appeared miraculous, occurring twenty-three years after the childless marriage of his parents, Louis XIII and Anne of Austria. At the age of 5 (1643, Louis became King. France was essentially ruled by Cardinal Mazarin until his death, in 1661, Louis then began to assert his power.

Also known as the "Sun King", Louis solidified the absolutist monarchical regime in France epitomized by his famous statement: "L'état c'est moi!" [I am the State]. During his reign, more and more restrictions were placed on the Protestant population until 1685 when King Louis XIV revoked King Henri IV's Edict of Nantes.

Drawing from the successes of Cardinal Richelieu who all but ruled France during the reign of the weak Louis XIII, Louis XIV created a France that served only himself. He weakened the nobility by forcing them to serve as members of his court rather than governing minor fiefs in their castles throughout France. To this end, he built Versailles, the lavish palace outside Paris which has become a symbol of the heights of aristocratic indulgences, and the series of residences opposite the Louvre on the Rue de Rivoli, where the courtiers lived when the King was in Paris.

Louis XIV's reign was characterized by French global cultural dominance. In 1674, the island of Martinique was purchased by the French government from the private French business concern who had acquired it in 1635. French was the language of culture in the 17th century in the way that English is today the global language of business.

Louis moved his court to Versailles on May 6, 1682.

In 1689, King Louis passed the "Code Noir," allowing the full use of slaves in France's colonies.

Louis XIV remains beloved in France for his vigorous promotion of French greatness. However, his continued waging of war bankrupted the state, forcing him to continually levy high taxes on the peasantry. According to the French historian Alexis de Tocqueville, Louis XIV's weakening of the nobility coupled with his oppression of the peasantry contributed to the political, social and economic instabilities that eventually led to the French Revolution.

King Louis XIV died on September 1, 1715 and is buried in Saint Denis Basilica. He outlived his son, the dauphin Louis, and he was succeeded by his great-grandson who became King Louis XV of France, and who spent his minority under the regency of Philippe of Orleans.

Preceded by:
(Anne of Austria, regent following Louis XIII's reign )

List of French monarchs

Succeeded by:
(Philippe of Orleans, regent for Louis XV)