King Louis XIV

Louis XIV became king in 1643 at age four and died in 1715, producing a reign of more than 72 years. His mother, Anne of Austria, governed as regent during his childhood with Cardinal Mazarin as chief minister.

In 1682, Louis made Versailles the principal seat of the royal court and government. Keeping leading nobles near the monarch helped him distribute status and patronage while closely supervising court politics.

The Edict of Fontainebleau in 1685 revoked protections previously granted to French Protestants by the Edict of Nantes. Protestant worship was suppressed, and many Huguenots fled France despite restrictions on emigration.

Louis adopted the sun and the classical god Apollo as symbols of order, magnificence, and royal centrality. His performances, imagery, and architecture presented the monarch as the source around which court life revolved.