Biography of LouisXIV

Louis the Fourteenth was a very unique ruler, and also a great king of France.

Louis expressed his unique and great side in many ways, but the main ways are through

the path of his early years in which we watch young Louis grow into a unique but great

king. His greatness also shines through during his prime years where Louis does many

wonderful things. We also experience the wonders of Louis the Fourteenth by his work

on the Versailles. Let's learn about Louis!

Louis became king at the early age of four when his father, Louis XII died on May

14th, 1643. The will of Louis' father stated that the care of young Louis was to be divided

between his Mother, Anne of Austria, and his uncle, Gaston d'Orleans. Anne challenged

the will and ended up the sole regent. Louis' upbringing shaped the king that he was to

[Portrait of Louis Armstrong and Jack Teagarden, b...

[Slim Sallee & Jack Bliss?, St. Louis NL (baseball...

Jean-Baptiste Lully, the "Father of French Opera"

become. Louis and his brother Philippe endured poverty, hunger, misfortune, fear, and

humiliation throughout their childhood, as their mother and the French Parliament

squabbled over the control of the Royal Treasury, and other kinds of power. On two

occasions the royal family was driven out of Paris, and at one point Louis and his mother

were held under house arrest. Louis learned early on that weakness, indecisiveness,

unwise choice of allies and too much trust was a concoction for disaster. Louis came of

age at thirteen, and was crowned three years later at the age of sixteen. Louis did in fact

take an interest in matters of state, even early on, yet he was content to leave the

government in the hands of Mazarin, the Prime Minister, and his mother, until Mazarin'

death. During this time Louis became interested in music and dance, in which Louis

encountered Jean- Baptiste Lully.