King Louis XIV: The Biography

History Hub presents a brief biography of King Louis XIV from beginning to end, whose remarkable story impacts our lives even today. 

King Louis XIV, known as the longest-reigning monarch in history, was born on September 5, 1638. He died only a few days away from his 77th birthday on September 1, 1715. Louis XIV was born to King Louis XIII and Queen Anne of Austria after 23 years of marriage. This was the reason why they named him Louis Dieudonné, which meant God-given. He then became the King of France before turning five years old. As a young king, his mother became the sole regent while he learned history, arts, and, most significantly, politics from Cardinal Jules Mazarin, his godfather. He got married in 1660 to Maria Therese of Austria, his cousin, as a political move to stop the ongoing war between France and Spain. Cardinal Mazarin died a year after and King Louis XIV established himself as the chief minister of France. In 1661, Queen Maria Therese gave birth to their first son, Louis or le Grand Dauphin, who did not inherit the throne due to his early death.

King Louis XIV reigned for 72 years and 110 days﹘the longest recorded monarchical rule in the European empire's history. His personal reign began in 1661﹘a tumultuous period when France’s fiscal standing was nearing bankruptcy. To solve this, he reformed the country’s unstructured taxation system. However, his efforts in restoring France’s economic stability were thwarted by the wars he raged against his enemies. These left his people in poverty that was aggravated by a famine that ravaged the country.  On his deathbed, he was jeered upon for draining his empire’s financial resources.

Discover in this short yet concise biography the remarkable story of a life that impacted future generations. This book also contains 30 questions for an in-depth discussion into the life of King Louis XIV.

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