Decadent Facts About The French Monarchy
It's hard to say what the French Monarchy is more famous for: its legendary decadence or its brutal and violent end.
From the days of the extravagant and powerful Sun King, to the French Revolution that saw the centuries-old institution fall, the history of the kings and queens of France is filled with drama, intrigue, warfare, and death.
Read on to discover more about the scandalous French Monarchy.
1. Salute the Sun
Louis XIV (1638-1715) was King of France for a whopping 72 years. As his sobriquet, “the Sun King,” suggests, Louis came to symbolize the big, bright, magnetic pomp of the French monarchy at its peak.
2. The Preschooler King
Louis inherited the French throne when he was only four years old. That’s why his reign is so long; he got a head start on rulership.
3. OTP: Me x The Crown
For a guy with serious commitment issues when it came to romance, Louis was truly married to the throne for the long-haul. At 72 years and 110 days, his reign is the longest of any monarch of a sovereign state in European history.
4. Better Late & Great Than Never
Anne of Austria, Louis' mother, gave birth to her eldest son later in life—she was 37 when Louis was born and had suffered stillbirths before him.
Louis' improbable survival inspired Anne and others to believe that he was truly ordained by God to flourish and rule.
