King Louis Xiv Research Paper

King Louis XIV was born in France in 1638, to King Louis XIII and Anne of Austria, a Habsburg. His father died while Louis and his brother Philippe were young. At age 4, he inherited the throne and his mother Anne was the regent until Louis XIV took over at the age of 23. The year before, Louis married Marie-Therese and had 6 children; however, he had many mistresses and illegitimate children during his reign.
Louis had a tumultuous childhood filled with revolts and violence against his family and negligence from his mother (History.com). Before Louis took over the crown, his mother attempted to centralize France’s power within the royal family, which angered the nobility and aristocracy. Louis ascended to a country filled with unrest because of the instability during his father’s reign and the actions of his mother. The status and power of the French royal family changed dramatically when Louis exerted his power and control.
During Louis’ reign, France became a powerful and economically strong country due to Louis’ policies of absolute control and his doctrines of being the center of the state. He famously said “I am the State”, to show how France revolved around him. While some of Louis’ focus was on France and having as much power as possible, he also started wars …show more content…
It is within his divine right as king to make policies that he felt were necessary to protect France. The taxation of the 3rd Estate was justified due to the economic crisis plaguing France. When Louis ascended to the throne, he inherited France’s economic problems and acted accordingly. His actions eventually boosted France’s economy and promoted growth (“Louis XIV”). His extravagant lifestyle was not funded by the taxation of the 3rd Estate, but rather by the wealth handed down from his family. His life at Versailles also provided housing for nobles and entertainment for the