How did Louis the 14th get gangrene?
All the documented evidence indicates Louis XIV died of gangrene on his leg caused by diabetes. The year was 1715, without modern medicine; he died a painful, horrible death surrounded by physicians who were perplexed by his condition.
Was king Louis the 14th a good king?
Louis XIV's reign was important in French history not just because it lasted so long but because he was a strong-willed ruler who was determined to make his subjects obey him and to make his kingdom the predominant power in Europe.
How did Louis the 14th reign end?
After a week of agonising pain, four days before his 77th birthday, Louis XIV died in Versailles just after 8.15 am on 1 September. He had been king for 72 years, the longest reign in the history of France.
Why did Louis XIV run away?
2. Factors behind the king's decision to flee included his lack of faith in the revolution and the Constitution of 1791, his personal religious beliefs, advice from Mirabeau and urging from his wife.
Did slaves built Versailles?
Versailles may not have been built with slave labour, but Louis was heedless of the lives and safety of his workmen. In the bitter winter of 1685 there were almost forty thousand men working on the site, despite the terrible cold and the ravages of disease and many of them died.
Who was the greatest French king?
Louis XIVLouis XIV, king of France (1643–1715), ruled his country, principally from his great palace at Versailles, during one of the country's most brilliant periods. Today he remains the symbol of absolute monarchy of the classical age.
Who is the current King of France?
Louis Alphonse de Bourbon (Spanish: Luis Alfonso Gonzalo Víctor Manuel Marco de Borbón y Martínez-Bordiú; French: Louis Alphonse Gonzalve Victor Emmanuel Marc de Bourbon; born 25 April 1974) is the head of the House of Bourbon by primogeniture.
Who was the last King of France?
Louis XVIRead a brief summary of this topic Louis XVI, also called (until 1774) Louis-Auguste, duc de Berry, (born August 23, 1754, Versailles, France—died January 21, 1793, Paris), the last king of France (1774–92) in the line of Bourbon monarchs preceding the French Revolution of 1789.
Does France still have a king?
France is a Republic, and there's no current royal family recognized by the French state.
Why were Louis and Marie executed?
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed for treason. Louis had failed to address France's financial problems, instigating the French Revolution that eventually descended upon him.
Did the French watch the king poop?
At the grand couvert, the king dined with his family - and nobles literally sat on stools to watch them. Visitors to Versailles often viewed the ceremony, as well.
What drugs were used at Versailles?
Tobacco, herbs and possibly opium in lauanum - snuff and coffee, though coffee was very expensive. Coca leaves didn't travel well and were not used. The sniffing of that white stuff was fantasy.
What is Louis XIV known for?
Louis XIV, king of France (1643–1715), ruled his country, principally from his great palace at Versailles, during one of the country’s most brillia...
How old was Louis XIV when he acceded to the throne?
Louis XIV succeeded his father as king of France on May 14, 1643, at the age of four years eight months. According to the laws of the kingdom, he b...
How did Louis XIV die?
Louis XIV died in 1715, four days shy of his 77th birthday, from gangrene associated with an infection in his leg.
Where did Louis XIV rule?
Louis XIV, king of France (1643–1715), ruled his country, principally from his great palace at Versailles, during one of the country’s most brilliant periods. Today he remains the symbol of absolute monarchy of the classical age.
How old was Louis XIV when he acceded to the throne?
How old was Louis XIV when he acceded to the throne? Louis XIV succeeded his father as king of France on May 14, 1643, at the age of four years eight months. According to the laws of the kingdom, he became not only the master but the owner of the bodies and property of 19 million subjects.
Why did Louis XIV marry Marie-Thérèse?
He finally submitted to the exigencies of politics and in 1660 married Marie-Thérèse of Austria, daughter of King Philip IV of Spain, in order to ratify peace between their two countries. The childhood of Louis XIV was at an end, but no one believed him capable of seizing the reins of power.
What was Louis the Great's love for Mazarin's niece?
In 1658 Louis faced the great conflict between love and duty, a familiar one for princes of that period. He struggled with himself for two years over his love for Mazarin’s niece, Marie Mancini.
Who was the king of France in 1653?
In 1653 Mazarin was victorious over the rebels and then proceeded to construct an extraordinary administrative apparatus with Louis as his pupil. The young king also acquired Mazarin ’s partiality for the arts, elegance, and display.
Who was Louis the XIII?
Louis was the son of Louis XIII and his Spanish queen, Anne of Austria. He succeeded his father on May 14, 1643. At the age of four years and eight months, he was, according to the laws of the kingdom, not only the master but the owner of the bodies and property of 19 million subjects.
Who was the Cardinal who never forgiven Paris?
He would never forgive either Paris, the nobles, or the common people. Jules Cardinal Mazarin. Jules Cardinal Mazarin, detail of a portrait by Philippe de Champaigne; in the Musée Condé, Chantilly, France. Courtesy of the Musée Condé, Chantilly, Fr.; photograph, Giraudon/Art Resource, New York.
How did Louis XIV influence the world?
By the early 1680s, Louis had greatly augmented French influence in the world. Domestically, he successfully increased the influence of the crown and its authority over the church and aristocracy, thus consolidating absolute monarchy in France.
Where was Louis XIV born?
Louis XIV was born on 5 September 1638 in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, to Louis XIII and Anne of Austria. He was named Louis Dieudonné (Louis the God-given) and bore the traditional title of French heirs apparent: Dauphin. At the time of his birth, his parents had been married for 23 years.
What was the name of the war that ended in France?
As the Thirty Years' War came to an end, a civil war known as the Fronde (after the slings used to smash windows) erupted in France. It effectively checked France's ability to exploit the Peace of Westphalia. Anne and Mazarin had largely pursued the policies of Cardinal Richelieu, augmenting the Crown's power at the expense of the nobility and the Parlements. Anne interfered much more in internal policy than foreign affairs; she was a very proud queen who insisted on the divine rights of the King of France.
What happened to Queen Anne in 1643?
On 14 May 1643, with Louis XIII dead, Queen Anne had her husband's will annulled by the Parlement de Paris (a judicial body comprising mostly nobles and high clergymen). This action abolished the regency council and made Anne sole Regent of France. Anne exiled some of her husband's ministers (Chavigny, Bouthilier), and she nominated Brienne as her minister of foreign affairs.
How many statues did Louis XIV have?
In addition to portraits, Louis commissioned at least 20 statues of himself in the 1680s, to stand in Paris and provincial towns as physical manifestations of his rule. He also commissioned "war artists" to follow him on campaigns to document his military triumphs. To remind the people of these triumphs, Louis erected permanent triumphal arches in Paris and the provinces for the first time since the decline of the Roman Empire .
What was Louis's foreign policy?
Warfare defined Louis's foreign policy and his personality shaped his approach. Impelled by "a mix of commerce, revenge, and pique", he sensed that war was the ideal way to enhance his glory. In peacetime he concentrated on preparing for the next war.
What religion was Louis XIV?
Religion. Roman Catholicism ( Gallican Rite) Signature. Louis XIV (Louis Dieudonné; 5 September 1638 – 1 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great ( Louis le Grand) or the Sun King ( le Roi Soleil ), was King of France from 14 May 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the longest recorded of any monarch ...
What did Louis XIV control?
Louis XIV Assumes Control of France. The Arts and the Royal Court Under Louis XIV. Louis XIV and Foreign Policy. Louis XIV and Religion. Death of Louis XIV. The reign of France’s Louis XIV (1638-1715), known as the Sun King, lasted for 72 years, longer than that of any other known European sovereign. In that time, he transformed the monarchy, ...
When was Louis XIV born?
Early Life and Reign of Louis XIV. Born on September 5, 1638, to King Louis XIII of France (1601-1643) and his Habsburg queen, Anne of Austria (1601-1666), the future Louis XIV was his parents’ first child after 23 years of marriage; in recognition of this apparent miracle, he was christened Louis-Dieudonné, meaning “gift of God.”.
What was the first war of devolution?
In 1667 Louis XIV launched the War of Devolution (1667-1668), the first in a series of military conflicts that characterized his aggressive approach to foreign policy, by invading the Spanish Netherlands, which he claimed as his wife’s inheritance. Under pressure from the English, Swedish and especially the Dutch, France retreated and returned the region to Spain, gaining only some frontier towns in Flanders. This unsatisfactory outcome led to the Franco-Dutch War (1672-1678), in which France acquired more territory in Flanders as well as the Franche-Comté. Now at the height of his powers and influence, Louis established “chambers of reunion” to annex disputed cities and towns along France’s border through quasi-legal means.
What did Louis XIV appreciate?
A hard-working and meticulous ruler who oversaw his programs down to the last detail, Louis XIV nevertheless appreciated art, literature, music, theater and sports.
What was the most disastrous war of Louis XIV?
More disastrous for Louis XIV was the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714) , in which the aging king defended his grandson Philip V’s inheritance of Spain and its empire. The long conflict plunged a famine-ridden France into massive debt, turning public opinion against the crown.
What was Louis XIV's foreign policy?
In 1667 Louis XIV launched the War of Devolution (1667-1668), the first in a series of military conflicts that characterized his aggressive approach to foreign policy, by invading the Spanish Netherlands, which he claimed as his wife’s inheritance.
How many children did Louis XIV have?
A diplomatic necessity more than anything else, the union produced six children, of whom only one, Louis (1661-1711), survived to adulthood. (A number of illegitimate offspring resulted from Louis XIV’s affairs with a string of official and unofficial mistresses.) READ MORE: 9 Things You May Not Know About Louis XIV.
When did Louis XIV die?
After a week of agonising pain, four days before his 77th birthday, Louis XIV died in Versailles just after 8.15 am on 1 September. ...
What was Louis XIV's illness?
Fagon, his doctor, diagnosed sciatica.
What did the Camisards do?
The Camisards were revolting against the campaign of persecution of Protestants and coerced conversion that had gone on since Louis XIV declared Protestantism illegal in 1685. Thousands of Huguenots, including many businessmen and skilled workers, fled to England, the Dutch Republic and Prussia.
How long was Louis XIV king?
After a week of agonising pain, four days before his 77th birthday, Louis XIV died in Versailles just after 8.15 am on 1 September. He had been king for 72 years, the longest reign in the history of France. Sponsored by YieldStreet.
Why did Louis XIV issue the Edict of Fontambleau?
Louis’ issuing of the Edict of Fontambleau in 1685 was a culmination of things. Louis wanted religious unity in his Kingdom, and for him, it was necessary to drive out all religious minorities. He also probably wanted to appease the Catholic Church, whom he had fallen out of favor with.
How old was Louis XV when he became king?
But since Louis XV was also 5 when he became king, his uncle Philippe (another Philippe, not the Ki. He died old, 4 days before his 77th birthday, of senile gangrene (a blood infection) on 1 September 1715 in Versailles. Since he became king at 5 , his reign is the longest of any monarch not only in France but in Europe.
What was the war of religion in France?
The Wars of Religion had plagued France, and had turned into a nearly foreign war. England and the Dutch supported the Protestants, while the Pope and Spain funded the Catholics. Internal strife was dominant in France. Henry III sought to encourage religious harmony, and was assassinated by a Catholic fanatic for this in 1589.
When did Louis XIII die?
When France’s King Louis XIII died at the age of 41 on May 14, 1643, the monarchy passed to his eldest child, Louis XIV, who was just four years and eight months old.
How long did Louis XIV rule?
In the latter years of his 72-year rule, however, the succession of wars launched by the king ultimately took their toll on France and resulted in battlefield defeats, crippling debt, and famine. Citizens grew so disgruntled that they even jeered the diseased Louis XIV during his funeral procession.
How many children did Louis XIV have?
Louis XIV, however, had a healthy libido and fathered more than a dozen illegitimate children with a number of mistresses. Mistress Louise de La Vallière bore five of the king’s children, only two of which survived infancy, while her rival Madame de Montespan, who eventually became the king’s chief mistress, gave birth to seven of the monarch’s children. Louis XIV eventually legitimized most of his children born to mistresses in the years following their births.
What did Louis XIV believe?
By the 1680s, however, the devoutly Catholic Louis XIV believed his faith should be the sole religion of his country. After years of persecuting Protestants and constricting their rights, the Catholic king revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685 through his issuance of the Edict of Fontainebleau, which ordered the destruction of Protestant churches, ...
How old was Louis XIV when he was crowned?
Louis XIV was 15 years old at the time of his coronation in 1654, but he did not wield absolute power over France until seven years later when Mazarin died. (After the death of Louis XIV, history repeated itself as his five-year-old great-grandson, Louis XV, succeeded him.)
What did Louis dieudonné mean?
So relieved were the royal couple to have a direct heir to the throne that they christened the boy Louis-Dieudonné, meaning “gift of God. ”. If the name alone didn’t give Louis XIV an inflated sense of himself, Mazarin also instilled in the boy the notion that kings are divinely chosen.
What was the name of the king of France who died in 1715?
Inside the walls of the opulent Palace of Versailles, France’s King Louis XIV died of gangrene on September 1, 1715, just four days short of his 77th birthday. Known as the “Sun King,” Louis XIV centralized power in the monarchy and reigned over a period of unprecedented prosperity in which France became the dominant power in Europe ...
When did Louis XIV die?
In 1688, he led a war between France and the Grand Alliance. By the 1680s, Louis XIV generated public hostility. He died in Versailles, France, on September 1, 1715. 2.
How old was Louis XIV when his father died?
On May 14, 1643, when Louis XIV was just 4 and a half years old, his father passed away. Not much more than a toddler, Louis XIV succeeded his father to the throne, becoming the leader of 19 million French subjects and a highly unstable government.
What was the name of the war that Louis XIV waged against his supporters?
In an attempt to overthrow the crown, they waged a civil war, called the Fronde, against its supporters. Throughout the long war, Louis XIV suffered many hardships, including poverty and starvation. To Louis XIV's relief, Mazarin finally achieved victory over the rebels in 1653.
What did Louis XIV do to the French government?
In implementing administrative reforms toward a more orderly and stable French government, Louis XIV forced provincial nobles to relinquish their former political influence. In so doing, he constructed a more centralized administration with the bourgeoisie, or middle class, as its foundation.
What was Louis XIV's foreign policy?
Louis XIV is notorious for his overbearing approach to foreign policy. In 1667, he launched the invasion of the Spanish Netherlands, deeming it his wife's rightful inheritance. The War of Devolution, as the conflict was named, lasted a year and ended when the French surrendered and gave the land back to Spain. France's only conquest was to occupy a few towns in Flanders.
Why did Louis XIV want to defend his country?
In this conflict, Louis XIV appeared to many of his subjects to place his personal interests above his country's, as his goal was to defend the right of his grandson, Philip V, to inherit the Spanish Empire. The long war was so costly for France that it prompted famine and placed the country deep in debt.
Which king revoked the Edict of Nantes?
King Louis XIV of France led an absolute monarchy during France’s classical age. He revoked the Edict of Nantes and is known for his aggressive foreign policy.
What was the relationship between Maria Theresa and Louis XIV?
Maria Theresa and Louis XIV – A Marriage to Unite Countries. The negotiations between Spain and France resulted in the Treaty of the Pyrenees, which included an arrangement for marriage between Maria Theresa and Louis XIV of France, who were double first cousins. These negotiations were complicated and one of the issues ...
Where did Louis XIV marry Maria Theresa?
In June 1660, Maria Theresa and Louis XIV were married in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, in the south-western part of France. Although Louis XIV was faithful to his wife at the beginning of the marriage, the Sun King soon began having affairs with other women. In 1661, for instance, Louise de La Vallerie became the king’s first official mistress.
What was the war between Spain and France?
In the meantime, a war was being fought between Spain and France. This war began when the latter entered the Thirty Years War on the side of the Protestants in 1635. Spain, on the other hand, supported the Catholics. Although the Thirty Years War ended in 1648, the conflict between Spain and France continued until 1659.
Who was the heir presumptive of the Spanish throne?
Following the death of her brother, Balthasar, Maria Theresa held the title of heir presumptive, which she retained until the birth of her half-brother Philip Prospero in 1657. Under the Treaty of the Pyrenees, Maria Theresa was forced to renounce all her claims on the Spanish throne prior to her marriage.
Who was the Queen of France in 17th century?
Maria Theresa of Spain: Betrayal, Incest, and Black Baby Rumors. Read Later. Print. Maria Theresa of Spain was an infanta (meaning ‘princess’) of the Spanish Empire who lived during the 17 th century. She belonged to the Spanish branch of the House of Habsburg , and is best-known for being the Queen of France as a result ...
Where is Marie Theresa buried?
Marie Theresa of Spain’s burial site at the Basilica of Saint Denis. (Krischnig / Public Domain ) Top image: Meeting on the Isle of Pheasants, June 1660; Maria Theresa is handed over to the French and her husband by proxy, Louis XIV. Photo source: (alteesses.eu / Public Domain ) By Wu Mingren.
How old was Louis XV when he died?
Death of Louis XV, 1774. Louis XV died, aged 64 , on 10 May 1774, in the bedchamber of his Private Apartment. His passing brought to an end a reign of 59 years, the longest in the history of France after that of Louis XIV.
What happened to Louis the Beloved?
Against all expectations, Louis “the Beloved” died an unpopular king. On 26 April the king went to the Petit Trianon with Mme Du Barry and a few members of his close circle. The following day he felt unwell when he woke, suffering aches and pains and a headache, but he nevertheless intended to keep to the planned hunting trip.
Why did La Martinière move to Versailles?
On the 28th La Martinière, his First Surgeon, was summoned, and ordered him to be moved to Versailles on the pretext that “Versailles is the place in which to be ill”.
How to take part in the history of the Palace of Versailles?
Take part in the history of the palace of Versailles by supporting a project that suits you: adopt a linden tree, contribute to the missions of the Palace or participate in the refurnishing of the royal apartments.
Overview
Louis XIV (Louis Dieudonné; 5 September 1638 – 1 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great (Louis le Grand) or the Sun King (le Roi Soleil), was King of France from 14 May 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the longest recorded of any monarch of a sovereign country in history. Although Louis XIV's France was emblematic of the age of absolutism i…
Early years
Louis XIV was born on 5 September 1638 in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, to Louis XIII and Anne of Austria. He was named Louis Dieudonné (Louis the God-given) and bore the traditional title of French heirs apparent: Dauphin. At the time of his birth, his parents had been married for 23 years. His mother had experienced four stillbirths between 1619 and 1631. Leading contemporaries thus regarded him as a divine gift and his birth a miracle of God.
Minority and the Fronde
Sensing imminent death, Louis XIII decided to put his affairs in order in the spring of 1643, when Louis XIV was four years old. In defiance of custom, which would have made Queen Anne the sole Regent of France, the king decreed that a regency council would rule on his son's behalf. His lack of faith in Queen Anne's political abilities was his primary rationale. He did, however, make the concess…
Personal reign and reforms
Louis XIV was declared to have reached the age of majority on 7 September 1651. On the death of Mazarin, in March 1661, Louis assumed personal control of the reins of government and astonished his court by declaring that he would rule without a chief minister: "Up to this moment I have been pleased to entrust the government of my affairs to the late Cardinal. It is now time that I govern t…
Early wars in the Low Countries
The death of his maternal uncle King Philip IV of Spain, in 1665, precipitated the War of Devolution. In 1660, Louis had married Philip IV's eldest daughter, Maria Theresa, as one of the provisions of the 1659 Treaty of the Pyrenees. The marriage treaty specified that Maria Theresa was to renounce all claims to Spanish territory for herself and all her descendants. Mazarin and Lionne, howe…
Height of power
By the early 1680s, Louis had greatly augmented French influence in the world. Domestically, he successfully increased the influence of the crown and its authority over the church and aristocracy, thus consolidating absolute monarchy in France.
Louis initially supported traditional Gallicanism, which limited papal authority in …
Revocation of the Edict of Nantes
Louis decided to persecute Protestants and revoke the 1598 Edict of Nantes, which awarded Huguenots political and religious freedom. He saw the persistence of Protestantism as a disgraceful reminder of royal powerlessness. After all, the Edict was the pragmatic concession of his grandfather Henry IV to end the longstanding French Wars of Religion. An additional factor in Louis' thi…
League of Augsburg
The War of the League of Augsburg, which lasted from 1688 to 1697, initiated a period of decline in Louis's political and diplomatic fortunes. It arose from two events in the Rhineland. First, in 1685, the Elector Palatine Charles II died. All that remained of his immediate family was Louis's sister-in-law, Elizabeth Charlotte. German law ostensibly barred her from succeeding to her brother's lands and …