How old was Louis XIV when he became king?
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Louis XIV, nicknamed the Sun King, ascended the throne of France on May 14, 1643, at the age of 5 years and 8 months, on the death of his father, Louis XIII. His reign, which lasted over 72 years, was one of the longest in European history, and marked the apogee of absolute monarchy in France.
Because of his young age, Louis XIV was not in a position to exercise power immediately. His mother, Anne of Austria, assumed the regency, supported by Cardinal Jules Mazarin, the kingdom’s principal minister. This period was marked by many difficulties, notably the Fronde, a series of revolts led by the nobility and the Parliament of Paris between 1648 and 1653, in reaction to Mazarin’s tax reforms and authority.
The Fronde had a profound impact on the young Louis XIV. Forced to flee Paris on several occasions, he developed a lasting distrust of the nobility and Parliament, which would influence his future policy of centralizing power.
Although Louis XIV had officially been king since 1643, he did not really take power until 1661, at the age of 22, on the death of Mazarin. Unlike his predecessors, he decided to govern without a prime minister, thus asserting his absolute authority over the state. This decision marked the beginning of absolute monarchy in France, illustrated by his famous declaration: I am the State.
During his reign, he strengthened royal power by weakening the nobility, developed a centralized state and encouraged the arts and culture. He also built the Château de Versailles, a symbol of the prestige and power of the French monarchy.
With a reign of 72 years, from 1643 to 1715, Louis XIV holds the record for the longest reign by a monarch in Europe. He died in 1715, leaving the crown to his great-grandson, Louis XV, then aged 5, thus repeating the pattern of his own accession.
Louis XIV became king at the age of 5, but his personal reign didn’t really begin until he was 22, on the death of Mazarin. This childhood of political instability had a profound influence on his vision of power, leading him to embody royal absolutism and make France a great European power.
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How old was Louis XIV when he became king?
Answer
Louis XIV became King of France at the age of 5, in 1643, on the death of his father, Louis XIII. His mother, Anne of Austria, assumed the regency.