Summary

Portrait of Louis XIV of France

Louis XIV (1638 – 1715), known as Louis the Great (Louis le Grand) or the Sun King (le Roi-Soleil), was a monarch of the House of Bourbon who ruled as King of France from 1643 until his death. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the longest of any monarch of a major country in European history.  Louis began his personal rule of France in 1661 after the death of his chief minister, the Italian Cardinal Mazarin.

Louis became one of the most powerful French monarchs and consolidated a system of absolute monarchical rule in France that endured until the French Revolution.

Relatives

Father: Louis XIII of France
Mother: Anne of Austria
Spouse: Maria Theresa of Spain (not in diary), Françoise d’Aubigné (not in diary)

Referring entries

Further reading

Sources

  • Wikipedia for background, portrait.