Parents: Louis XIII, king of France, and Anne of Austria
House: Bourbon
Spouse(s): (1) Maria Theresa, daughter of Philip IV, king of Spain & Portugal, and Elisabeth of France, then (2) Françoise, daughter of Constant d'Aubigné and Jeanne de Cardillac
Predecessor: Louis XIII
Reign: 1643 – 1715
Summary: The longest-reigning monarch in European history, Louis XIV began his rule as a five-year-old child, leaving the management of the state to various regents. Anne of Austria, his mother, served as the chief regent, with Cardinal Mazarin as the prime minister. In 1648, the Thirty Years' War ended with Dutch independence from Spain formalized. As the war ended, the Fronde, a French civil war, erupted. It was led by dissatisfied aristocrats who feared a centralized French monarchy. Anne fled Paris with her sons and some courtiers until the French army returned and reestablished order in the kingdom. A second Fronde, this time led by many members of the royal family, broke out, but ended when Louis came of age.
Mazarin's death in 1661 began Louis' formal rule in France. Although he had been of age for three years already, he chose to allow his prime minister to rule. In 1665, Louis chose Jean-Baptiste Colbert as his controller of finances in a role that he would one day regret. Over the next few years, Louis attempted to gather all the varied legal codes from throughout France into one tome that was later known as the Code Louis. As a patron, Louis expanded many of his palaces and supported all forms of art. At Versailles, he built a new chateau to rival all of those of Europe. He remodeled Paris as well, demolishing city walls and expanding boulevards. Most of Louis' reign was frought with war, many that he started or maintained. The War of Devolution in the Spanish Netherlands began in 1665 and acted as a prelude to the War of the Spanish Succession in 1700. The Franco-Dutch War in 1672 helped bring William of Orange to power in the Netherlands and also brought enmity between the two monarchs. Outside of Europe, France expanded its holdings to nearly every habitable continent, especially America and India. Louis famously began requiring all his nobles attend him at court in Versailles on a regular basis, a means to control the aristocracy. He included military nobles in this game to ensure the loyalty of the army and navy. Religion, though, was something he had little control over. In 1685, he revoked the Edict of Nantes and began to actively persecute non-Catholics living in France. Up to 200,000 Huguenots fled France in the ensuing years. The War of the League of Augsburg began in 1688 and was a direct response to French aggression in Germany. Piggybacking off this war, the Glorious Revolution in France deposed the French-friendly Stuarts with the Dutchman William of Orange, who had been hurt by France before. Louis funded Irish revolt and backed the deposed English king James II, but to no avail. The Augsburg War ended in 1697 with France having the upper hand. Another war, this time over the Spanish Succession, consumed the remainder of Louis' reign. His grandson, Philip of Anjou, was the declared heir of the dying King Charles II of Spain. When the king died, Louis went to war over Philip's claim. Attempts to avoid war failed and world war followed, with theaters in Europe, Asia, and the Americas (Queen Anne's War). The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 ended the war, with the Treaty of Rastatt ending the conflict between France and Austria. Philip retained his new throne as Philip V of Spain, while Austria gained the Austrian Netherlands and parts of Italy. Louis died of gangrene at Versailles in 1715, only days before his 77th birthday. His son, the Grand Dauphin, his grandson, the Petit Dauphin, and his great-grandson, the Duke of Brittany, had all predeceased him. A brother of the duke of Brittany, Louis, Duke of Anjou, therefore, became his successor as Louis XV.
Date of Death: 1 September 1715Mazarin's death in 1661 began Louis' formal rule in France. Although he had been of age for three years already, he chose to allow his prime minister to rule. In 1665, Louis chose Jean-Baptiste Colbert as his controller of finances in a role that he would one day regret. Over the next few years, Louis attempted to gather all the varied legal codes from throughout France into one tome that was later known as the Code Louis. As a patron, Louis expanded many of his palaces and supported all forms of art. At Versailles, he built a new chateau to rival all of those of Europe. He remodeled Paris as well, demolishing city walls and expanding boulevards. Most of Louis' reign was frought with war, many that he started or maintained. The War of Devolution in the Spanish Netherlands began in 1665 and acted as a prelude to the War of the Spanish Succession in 1700. The Franco-Dutch War in 1672 helped bring William of Orange to power in the Netherlands and also brought enmity between the two monarchs. Outside of Europe, France expanded its holdings to nearly every habitable continent, especially America and India. Louis famously began requiring all his nobles attend him at court in Versailles on a regular basis, a means to control the aristocracy. He included military nobles in this game to ensure the loyalty of the army and navy. Religion, though, was something he had little control over. In 1685, he revoked the Edict of Nantes and began to actively persecute non-Catholics living in France. Up to 200,000 Huguenots fled France in the ensuing years. The War of the League of Augsburg began in 1688 and was a direct response to French aggression in Germany. Piggybacking off this war, the Glorious Revolution in France deposed the French-friendly Stuarts with the Dutchman William of Orange, who had been hurt by France before. Louis funded Irish revolt and backed the deposed English king James II, but to no avail. The Augsburg War ended in 1697 with France having the upper hand. Another war, this time over the Spanish Succession, consumed the remainder of Louis' reign. His grandson, Philip of Anjou, was the declared heir of the dying King Charles II of Spain. When the king died, Louis went to war over Philip's claim. Attempts to avoid war failed and world war followed, with theaters in Europe, Asia, and the Americas (Queen Anne's War). The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 ended the war, with the Treaty of Rastatt ending the conflict between France and Austria. Philip retained his new throne as Philip V of Spain, while Austria gained the Austrian Netherlands and parts of Italy. Louis died of gangrene at Versailles in 1715, only days before his 77th birthday. His son, the Grand Dauphin, his grandson, the Petit Dauphin, and his great-grandson, the Duke of Brittany, had all predeceased him. A brother of the duke of Brittany, Louis, Duke of Anjou, therefore, became his successor as Louis XV.
Successor: Louis XV
Other Monarchs Who Died Today:
- Baldwin V, count of Flanders (1067)
- Adrian IV, pope of Rome (1159)
- Kujo Yoritsune, shogun of Japan (1256)
- Guru Ram Das, Sikh Guru (1581)
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