Do some further research on Louis XIV using the link below or other sites. Comment on the life of Louis XIV and anything you find interesting about the life and reign of Louis XIV. You may also read/skim through the Man in the Iron Mask story and comment on this historical mystery.
In my opinion, a main cause for Louis’ attitude and control is the fault of his mother spoiling him and favouring him over his younger sibling, Phillipe. The fact that he was raised as a child to rule as King may have forced him to become a natural leader, but a good leader iws a humble leader. Louis was never humbled as a child as he was raised as royalty and knew nothing else.
I agree with you amanda. His mother treating him like this is probalby the reason for why he went through so many women. lol even though he did treat them well. I think it was stupid of him to have revoked the edict of Nantes, discontinuing protestants’ their right to believe in what they wanted. this weekend the economy in which he was king.
I found Louis’s love life to be very interesting and complicated. It seems as though his mother did not allow him to be with who he wanted to be as in that era social status came above love and many people weren’t able to choose who they wished to marry and were rather forced into marriage. King Louis had fallen in love with Marie Mancini, a niece of Cardinal Mazarin. Louis’s mother refused to allow the match. Marie Mancini was sent off to Italy, and Louis was basically forced to agree to a political marriage with Maria Theresa, the daughter of the king of Spain.
Since Louis truly didn’t love this girl I feel as though this could be a reason for him being an unfaithful husband. Also Louis had a lot of power and how you treated your wife was a minor issue in society compared to how it would be today. His love life must have had an impact on his other political and military affairs as it would be a huge distraction to him.
I also found Louis’ love life very interesting, but complicated. It makes me wonder if he was truly in love with all of these women. First he was in love with Marie Mancini, but was forced to leave her and marry Queen Marie. He then fell for his brothers wife, Madame, who he had to see in secret because his mother disapproved of the relationship. Then he fell in love with Louise de la Valliere, who he, at first, “pretended” to be in love with so that he could be with Madame, and then he actually fell for her. And then it goes on to another lover. I also have to agree with Amanda, I think one of the big reasons that Louis was such a womanizer was because his relationship with his mother growing up and how he was spoiled rotten. I also believe that his parents hating each other had a role in how he turned out as well. I think this because watching your parents hate each other, and fight and stuff cannot be good for you. Especially as a child because you learn by watching your parents and how they do things.
I found it interesting that Louis was on the throne for 72 years. He must have been very loved by his poeple because mosts Kings and Queens upset the people and then are attaked by there own people for example Marrie Antoinette. Also he must have lived for a long time! Which is really amazing considering he started his raine when he was in his 20′s. People never used to live so long its really cool. I also agree with Jordan and MacKenzie his love life was very interesting. He jumped from woman to woman and the one he was married to he didn’t even want to be with! His wife knew abou tthese women but she kept sending women near him! It all sounds pretty crazy!
I found Louis’ comment “L’etat c’est moi” to be very intresting. In his time this was certainly true, in the political system of an absolute monarchy the king would be the state, as his word is law he truly is the state. Without him his country is nothing, but without his country he is nothing. This is an interesting concept for a number of reasons.
I found that it was very intresting that King Louis the 14th was able to rule for 72 years because most people back then didn’t live to 72. The age expectence during 1422 was around 40 years of age, so i found it quite intresting that he was able just to live for that long. I also agree with Erika about how he must of been loved alot to rule for that long of a period. I also found it werid how King Louis mother made sure that Louis’s brother stayed in his place because she knew that Philippe would of properly made a better King then Louis did if he was given the chance.
I found the life of Louis to be very interesting. The information I read in the above article was very factual and it surprised me, especially the information about Louis’ love life. I was suprised over all the mistress’s he went through. I feel that his life was ran by his mother. She forced him to leave the girl that he truly loved to marry someone that she thought that was more proper for him. I think that is why he was so unfaithful. I think he was trying to find the love he once had.
Jason, I agree that it was interesting that he ruled for 72 years. He defiently knew what he was doing because he was raised to do rule. But it is no suprise that he lived so long. By the sounds of the Palace of Versailles, he would have had an easy life and would have been safer from sickness because he is not with the lower class.
I found this to be a particularly interesting read in comparison to the other blogs that I’ve read thus far. It was interesting to learn about King Louis’ exciting and eventful life.
Learning about his multiple love partners that he had (many of which were very stealthily kept in secrecy) his luxurious life style and his life in general.
I believe that Louis pursued multiple love parters partially because of his mentality, despite Louis being an adult, he psychologically did not meet some of the requisities of an adult. I believe that because of his mother attempting to restrict or control his love partners just resulted in Louis attempting to rebel against his mother`s wishes.
It was impressive to discover that Louis reigned as king for a remarkable 72 years which is quite the accomplishment and reflects his admiration/popularity among his servants/kingdom as well as being kept in power because of his wise political decisions .
However, in my opinion the imbalance/favouring that his mother had toward him in comparison to his sibling counter part Phillipe was quite cruel. It was evident that at this time it appeared that homosexuality was a lot less socially accepted in comparision to today’s society–there was an evident bias.
I believe that Louis’ immense desire for control and power was created in response to Louis’ spoiling/luxurious lifestyle that he was exposed to (and became a norm to him) at a very young age which resulted in an egotistical and self absorbed personality.
I found it very shocking that so many of Louis’ family had passed away in such a small time window, this must have been a very difficult time for him.
It’s interesting to examine the evolutionary technology that we have nowadays, our medical knowledge has expanded so significantly that we can prevent/slow the process of illness in most cases.
–Landon
Louis XIV was baptised as Louis Dieudonne which means Gift of God. His father, Louis XIII, and mother, Anne of Austria (a Spanish born princess) did not have a child for 23 years of marriage. The fact that they did not have a child for so long was crushing. When Louis XIV was born he was a gift from God. A miraculously born child, a boy to take the throne should King Louis XIII die. Louis XIV was baptised at four years old, three years earlier than he was supposed to be because his father was near death.
I think its pretty cool how Louis XIV was able to rule for 72 years, its kind of surprising that he managed to even live that long because of how life was back then. He would have needed lots of support and people liking him to be able to rule that long.
I think it is interesting that one the reasons his mother shunned Phillipe was because he was a good military leader and she saw him as a threat to Louis XIV throne. I doubt that if Phillipe had not had any leadership characteristics Louis’ mother would have continued to behave in the way she had, but because Phillipe was a homosexual, he still would have been criticized and shunned by his family.
Also, the reason Louis XIV was able to rule for 72 years was that he was put into the role of king at the age of 4. This also explains why his mother would want to control every move he made because she was his regent.
I think that the building of the Palace of Versailles was a horrible waste of a countries money, it should have been spent on the country as a whole and not just a select group of high class people. This is one of the reasons, among many others, that King Louis XIV is said to have such a great ego.
I like how Louis’s nick-name was “The Sun King”- I think it represents how his parents were very proud of him and thought he was a really special baby, but also has some relation to the topic of absolutism that we discussed, where kings thought ( or people thought) that kings had the “right” to rule and be in charge of people.
It sounds like he was a pretty lazy guy, given that he had tons of servants to help him do everything that normal people seem to be able to take care of by themselves just fine. Also, I think it’s kind of interesting that he wanted to make France “Religiously united” by winning over the Catholic church and attacking the French Protestants, but then he also was very supportive of war.
Louis knew how to control his land. Making his own religion just to get an hier. He was a very lavish guy and am interested on where he got his ideas from, but to have the lords of the surronding area give up thier land to him just to live lavishly was probably one of his strongest strategies. With gaining the land the gold and the work force King Louis ruled for a very long time. Most of the common folk of the period wouldn’t even live half that time.
I think it’s pretty interesting and a little arrogant of a four year old kid to call himself “Louis XIV” when he’s not even king yet. Although it is a little arrogant, it’s still cool that he had the guts to do that. This can probably be attributed to the fact that Louis was treated as a miracle because he was considered a gift from God, and was aptly named Louis Dieudonne, or “Gift of God”.
Louis XIV was a very interesting character, It is very interesting that he lived to rule for 72 years, but does not come as a surprise to me as you can see the life style he lived giving himself all of the finiest possesions and food. He was also kept away from the vast majority of the population with his palace he built. This would have allowed him to stay away from disease and whatnot increasing his chance to live longer. I feel asthough the way Louis XIV ruled, worked back then (obviously) as he was able to be one of the greatest rulers of time, but if he was put in a society of today, his ruling methods would not be as effective even though they were extremyl effective in his time. Louis XIV was a great ruler in his time and deffinatly contributed to the world the way it is today.
It was interesting that he ruled with an iron first, Also that he ruled for 72 years. He also had way to many love partners but is think this is just because of the way his mother treated him, like other said before me. Its sad that he is forced to leave the girl he truly loved, because of his mother. Thats why he went through so many mistress’ he wanted to find what he had with that one speical girl, but he could never find it in anyone else
STEVEE DIVER
Wow, this guy is super awesome. I think it’s absolutely amazing that he could rule for over 50 years by himself and make France a great world power. I never would have thought this possible under an absolute rule. I would have thought he would disappoint enough of his people with his choices that wars would break out within France, but Louis seemed to do everything right… On a Political scale. As a person I bet he was a scumbag, especially with his many women, like everyone else has been commenting on. But at least he lived in style! “lavish gardens, sculptures, terraces, a lake, a zoo, and 1,500 fountains”! Sounds good to me!
As for the man in the iron mask story, it gives me shivers. Who would Louis imprison that it would be so important to keep his identity hidden that, “the man must have eaten and slept in the mask”. Apparently the mouth piece was held by springs so that he was able to eat and guards were on constant watch to ensure he didn’t take the mask off. Whoever this man was must have been very important or made Louis very upset as only people that got on his bad side were imprisoned… Let alone forced to wear a mask. One theory is that Louis had a twin brother who he kept the identity of hidden, because the man looked very similar to Louis and was around the same age, but I think this is unlikely. It sounds too Hollywood. Perhaps, like the website suggests, it was his Queen’s lover. Maybe, since Louis himself was with so many other partners he was appalled at his wife being able to do the same and it made him feel less important somehow.
In any case I definitely want to watch “The Man in the Iron Mask” (Even though it stars Leonardo DeCaprio…).
Louis XIV was definitely an interesting ruler and his brother seemed very interesting as well. I enjoyed learning a bit more about them.
Read more at Suite101: The Man in the Iron Mask: A Historical Mystery | Suite101.com http://deanna-proach.suite101.com/the-man-in-the-iron-mask-a104088#ixzz1old13MDx
I’m surprised that Louis even lived as long as he did. Back then you didn’t live very long. What suprised me the most was that he was on the throne for seventy-two years. After he built the Palace of Versailles and made it a party place which, in turn toke most of France’s money I thought that the people would for sure kick him off the throne.
King Louis seems like a very intelligent and selfish man. And mean. I think all of his political tactics such as remaining in war to bring the country together and to distract them from rebelling was a very intelligent tactic, but I don’t agree with It at all because I think that war is just stupid and pointless, especially in this case. Even though things like this worked, I think it would have been better if they had rebelled and someone else became ruler because less people would be killed.
I think that building the palace of versailles was a very unintelligent and selfish move because he could have used that money for something important, other then his own pleasures, which is completely unnessasary.
I think that this is because he is so used to being spoiled by his mother. I also think that his ego was definately a result of his mother overlooking his brother and acting like he doesnt matter therefore making Louis think he is better then most.
Louis XIV was a brilliant leader he used the Palace of Versailles as a way to maintain his absolute power over the country. He used the lure of luxury to convince people to give up all their power in order to live in the palace. This was a genius tactic that helped him maintain his reign for 72 years the longest of any European ruler. It all came at a cost though the palace it self cost 66 million livres plus in order to maintainthe palace it consumed half of France’s yearly revenue. It paid of though he ruled longer than any other European leader and the life of luxury helped him live far pat the average life expectancy of his time.
I find the life of Louis XIV to be very interesting, most of all though that he of the few Kings to reign for over 70 years. Especially in a time of disease and a lot of murder and deceit in the royal families it is quite surprising that he managed to live such a long life.
I found that it was very intresting that King Louis the XIV was able to rule for 72 years because most the life span in the age was not even that long. Creating the Palace of Versailles was not a very smart thing to do though because it totaled in half of France’s revenue. It seperated the rich from the poor, and almost everyone not in the Palace was living in poverty. He seemed like a very selfish man. although he stayed in powr for so long.