Louis XIV, The Sun King

Why Was Louis XIV Called The Sun King ~~~ One Day in the Sun King's Life ~~~ Louis XIV's Morning Work ~~~ Louis XIV's Afternoon Activities ~~~ Louis XIV's Public Life ~~~ Louis XIV & Women ~~~ Louis XIV's Wife ~~~ The Sun King's First Love ~~~ La Valliere, Louis XIV's romance ~~~ La Montespan, the Sun King's Mistress ~~~ Madame de Maintenon, Kingdom's Secret Queen ~~~ Louis XIV's Artists ~~~ The Sun King's Famous Quote ~~~ The Sun King's Gardens... ~~~ Louis XIV's Guestbook

Louis Xiv's Apartments at Versailles, the Chef's Birthday
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So, if you ask me why was Louis XIV called the Sun King, the answer is very simple. Louis XIV's was known as the Sun King because, just like our solar system is tightly tied to the Sun, everything in France was bond to the King, more than with any other king before him. He was considered as a God, just before God himself and particularly by himself. Louis XIV had a highly favorable opinion of himself.

Louis XIV had prestigious ancestors who were first Kings and Queens of Navarre and, with Henri IV, Kings of France, this might explain his future behaviors and his high respect of himself.

Louis XIV has always known exactly what he wanted and, as an anecdote, when his father was ill and about to die, he wanted that his child received the baptism and thus, his different names. When the fresh Louis went to see his father after the ceremony, Louis XIII asked: "What is your name, my son?"

Louis Dieudonne replied: "Louis XIV, Daddy".

Louis XIII who was dying replied to his son: "I did not die yet, my son..."

In reality, during the baptism, the child received only his first names: Louis Dieudonne and wasn't attributed any number, since his father was still alive. But the anecdote proves that Louis XIV lacked patience and the future tells us that, indeed, he was a very impatient individual.

Louis Xiv Gets in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles
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Seven o'clock AM

The Sun King is sleeping. The First valet de Chambre is waking up, prepares the ceremony that takes place invariably at 8 o'clock. Many gentlemen work in the room: those who open the curtains, those that give the King his shirt or his wig, etc. The largest part of them are nobles.

Eight o'clock AM

Until the year 1683, Louis XIV did not live in Versailles. So, the ritual of the Sun King's rising occurred in one of the following palates: the Louvre, Saint-Germain, Chambord or Fontainebleau...

8:00 AM, the Sun King opens his eyes. The first person who enters Louis XIV's private bedroom early in the morning wasn't his mother. Actually it was his nurse. Members of aristocracy did not raise their children nor did feed them even when they were babies. They paid nurses who used to feed the babies. This strongly tied those people. The children of these nurses were called "foster brother and sister".

After the visit of the nurse and the doctor as well as a first short prayer, the Sun King leaves his bed in order to "rise" in his official bedroom where the "Grand Lever" (Grand Rising) will take place.

Eight Thirty AM

It's the "Grand Lever". There is a multitude of spectators, both living in the castle and coming from the province who hope getting noticed by the Sun King and receive any benefit.

Those people hope to have the chance to talk to him. Indeed, Louis XIV offers the aristrocrats a precious document called "business patent". The business patent allows gentlemen the authorization to talk to the King - do not think this license enables the gentleman to do business with the King ; this is something completely different! It's only a way to ask for a privilege.

Those conversations take place in a special room; the lavatory where the king is sitting on his "business chair" (= doing his bodily needs). Our ancestors had less decency than we have and invited people to talk with them when they sat on this chair.

The next century will adopt the English lavatories and will also create a brand new room in the house: the dining room. But in the 17th century, people used to have conversations while doing their their bodily needs and used to eat in their bedroom.

Nine o'clock AM

The Sun King is having breakfast. Here's Louis XIV breakfast: bread, wine and broth. It's also time for his servants to shave and dress the King. Once dressed, he is going to have a short prayer, the second of the day.

Ten o'clock AM

The Sun King is working with his ministers. Louis works each day, including Sundays. Toussaint Rose takes note of every subject covered during the Council. What does Louis do during those daily Councils? He decides on the future of France, creates new taxes, he governs alone, the ministers being simple puppets.

Billiards, as Played by Louis Xiv at Versailles
Pat Nicolle
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Noon

Louis goes to the Mass. He will never fail at this task! When the monarchy is definitively settled in Versailles, the mass will be held in a temporary chapel until the construction of the magnificent chapel in the 1700s and will take place at 10 o'clock in the morning instead of noon.

However, before the settlement in Versailles and during the early years of his reign, the mass takes place in the most convenient area or in the closest church; for example when the King is installed in the Palace of Louvre, he attends the mass in the church of Saint-Germain (the Louvre has no chapel). It was also a big ceremony as the King had to leave the castle.

One o'clock PM

After the mass, the King dines alone in front of courtiers who look at him. At that time, the different meals were: breakfast (in the morning), dinner (at noon) and supper (in the evening).

It is a huge ceremony with a big number of different characters: guards, officers of mouth, etc. The most noble person has the right to give the King his towel in order for the King to clean his hand before eating. Six gentlemen serve the King and some of them have useless activities.

Because of the length of the ceremony the King always ate cold food.

Two o'clock PM

We know few things about the program of the King in the afternoon. Let's suppose he's in Madame de Montespan's apartment (or the one of any other royal mistress).

Three or four o'clock PM

King goes hunting. He loves outdoor activities as he's a man of action. And he likes hunting like any member of the aristocracy does.

When he doesn't go hunting, the king dances. In the 17th century, dance is not an entertainment; it is an art which is entire part of the aristocracy lifestyle. He also plays some roles in several "comedy-ballets" created by Moliere and Lully. Theatre is also an extremely "serious" activity in the Royal court of France.

Six o'clock PM

The evening program in Versailles will be fixed for years to come - for example: "apartment" every Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. "Apartment" means playing cards or billiard. Before the court is definitively fixed in Versailles, it is hard to have an accurate estimation of his activities; which might be whether he studied the plans of Versailles with his architects, visited his mistresses, listened to some music or went to the ball, etc.

Ten o'clock PM

The King has supper with the Queen and the princesses.

11 PM or Midnight, he is going to sleep and the ceremonies of the morning are repeated in the reverse order.

Celebration of the Marriage of Louis XIV and
Maria Theresa of Austria, 9th June 1660
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Maria Theresa Wife of Louis XIV, with Her Son the Dauphin Louis of France after 1661
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The year 1662, Louis XIV crossed the Bidassoa (border river between France and Spain) and married to Maria Theresa of Austria, Princess of Spain, his cousin. The Royal union was, as usual, a means to secure peace between France and Spain.

The Queen of France never learned French nor got integrated into the French society. She spent her life into the reduced Spanish world she created in her apartments, just having contacts with her Spanish camarera mayor and some religious zealots, drinking hot chocolate, eating garlic and playing with her dwarfs.

Although he didn't love her, Louis XIV used to sleep each and every night in her bed.

The most naive queen in the history had 6 children. Only one survived: the Great Dauphin, Louis who would become the father of Philippe 5, King of Spain and the great grand father of Louis XV, King of France.

She died in July of 1683, leaving almost almost no memories in the history of France except her selfishness, her refusal to get integrated into the French society and her childish character.

Louise De La Valliere a Mistress of Louis XIV
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In the beginning of their relationship, Louise de La Baume Le Blanc de la Valliere was a kind of "alibi" as Louis XIV had a flirtation with his sister-in-law, Henrietta of England, Duchess of Orleans.

However, the alibi became a true love story and the King started the great works of Versailles for her.

Mademoiselle de la Valliere got four children with Louis XIV: two girls and two boys. Out of those four children only two survived, one daughter who was one of the most beautiful woman in France became Princess of Conti and one son entered the army but died at 14.

Louis slowly abandoned her in favor of Madame de Montespan and made her Duchess de Vaujour, a gift from a King to a former mistress.

Mademoiselle de la Valliere felt guilty of this relationship and would enter a convent; which is what she did in the 1670s. When Madame de Montespan asked her whether she felt at "ease" with her new position, the nun replied: "No madam, I do not feel at ease, I am satisfied". She died in the year 1710.

Portrait of Madame de Montespan
Reclining in Front of Gallery of
the Chateau de Clagny
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Born the year 1638 into the House of Rochechouart, one of the oldest noble families of France, Madame de Montespan was also called "the Sultana-Queen".

She was "demoiselle d'honneur" (maid-of-honor) to Henrietta of England before becoming lady-in-waiting to the Queen Maria Theresa of Austria. She became the mistress of Louis XIV during the war of Flanders.

Madame de Montespan had nine children: two with her husband, the Marquess de Montespan and seven with the Sun King. Those last ones were considered having for father Louis XIV but officially had no mother.

Over those seven children, only four survived. One of them, a daugther, became Duchess of Orleans and is the ancestor of the actual Count of Paris.

Another one, the Duke of Maine, became Mrs. de Maintenon's favorite child and didn't want to have contact with his mother.

Her two first children never wanted to get in touch with their mother and lived with their father in Gascogne. However, while her elder daughter died early, Madame de Montespan tried to help her elder son in his military career as much as she could and as much as he agreed.

After the Poison Affair, she retired in the Abbey of Fontevrault where a sister of hers was Abbess. She died the year 1707 in Bourbon l'Archambauld.

Francoise d'Aubigne - Madame de Maintenon
Widow of the Poet Scarron and Second Wife of Louis XIV
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Born in the prison of Niort, Francoise d'Aubigne spent her early years in her uncle's castle in Mursay, lived in the Carribeans for two years, came back to France and got married to the poet Paul Scarron.

When she became widow, she worked for some ladies and was introduced to Madame de Montespan.

The Sultana-Queen asked her to secretly raise the children she had from the King and as time went by, Madame Scarron tied strong relations with the Sun King as unlike Madame de Montespan, she loved the children as much as he did. After she bought the Castle of Maintenon, the Sun King ennobled her. She thus became the Marchioness of Maintenon.

The king went away from Madam de Montespan during the Poison Affair in which she was involved and got closer to the Marchioness de Maintenon. However, she was already his mistress.

After the death of the queen, they got married secretly - Louis XIV loved secrets and it all began as a game - but in private Mrs de Maintenon got the respect due to a queen and was called "Majesty" by the staff of the royal castles. In reality, the Marchioness of Maintenon was the secret queen of France.

Louis XIV agreed that Mrs de Maintenon (his wife) beared the Royal Ermine for the painting above and said: "Saint Francoise's worth it".

Actually, the Sun King was really in love with Mrs de Maintenon. He loved her like any other person would love someone and not like a King was supposed to "love" his wife. He chose her and spent 30 years of his life with her; until death separated them.

Mrs de Maintenon founded the Royal school of Saint-Cyr - a school for the poor girls of the aristocracy. Saint-Cyr is nowadays the French Military Academy.

The Meeting of Philip IV of Spain and
Louis XIV on the Island of Pheasants
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Louis Xiv of...
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Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, also known as "Moliere"

He is Louis' favorite theatre author. The great and famous Moliere entered the king's bedroom, at the moment called "First Entries", since many years before being famous. He was in reality "Room-Tapestry" servant and had the privilege to draw and smooth the royal cover. This is also why he described the walk of a gentleman to the rising of the king so well in his novel "Thanks To The King".

Jean-Baptiste de Lully

Lulli was a talented Italian musician and became Louis XIV's favorite music composer. He spent his entire career in the French royal court. Lully had also become a French subject and was ennobled.

Jean Racine

Racine raised in Port-Royal and was noticed by Henrietta of England as a wonderful tragedian. He wrote several successful tragedies for the theatre as well as two others for Saint-Cyr, a school founded by Mrs of maintenon for the poor girls of the aristocracy. He also became the personal and official historian of Louis XIV.

Louis Le Vau - or Le Veau

Le Vau was noticed by Louis XIV at the time he worked on redesigning Fouquet's castle. Once Fouquet in prison, Louis hired Le Vau to redesign some Royal castles. Le Vau started the building of Versailles but died long before the end of the works.

Jules Hardouin-Mansart

While working at redesigning some different Royal castles as well as the Castle of Clagny (Madame de Montespan's castle near Versailles), Hardouin-Mansart also replaced Le Vau in the building of Versailles. His great-uncle created the "mansard roof".

Andre Le Notre

Le Notre was Louis XIV's landscape architect as well as personal gardener. He designed the gardens of Versailles and created a new kind of culture for the kitchen garden: "wall bars". However, his career started like the one of Le Vau: in Vaux-le-Vicomte, Fouquet's castle.

Thomas de Francine

Tommaso Francini was a hydraulic engineer and, shortly after his arrival in France with his family, was hired by Louis XIV to design the fountains, grottoes and other waterworks of Versailles. The Francini family was ennobled by Louis XIV and their name was gallicized in "de Francine".

Promenade of Louis XIV in the Gardens of the Grand Trianon, 1713
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Louis XIV loved his gardens a lot. He designed the gardens of Versailles and hired the best building architects, landcape architects and hydraulic engineers in Europe.

In the 17th century there was no notion or difference between a gardener and a lanscape architect. Any person able to build a house would become architect as well as any person able to design a garden would become an architect.

After his marriage to Mrs de Maintenon, Louis XIV wrote a guide "Method To Show the Gardens of Versailles".

His passion for his gardens led him to appreciate his second sister in law, Elisabeth of Bavaria as she loved the gardens as well.

Louis Dieudonne de Bourbon's Portrait ~~~ One Day in the Sun King's Life ~~~ Louis XIV's Morning Work ~~~ Louis XIV's Afternoon Activities ~~~ Louis XIV's Public Life ~~~ Louis XIV & Women ~~~ Louis XIV's Wife ~~~ The Sun King's First Love ~~~ La Valliere, Louis XIV's romance ~~~ La Montespan, the Sun King's Mistress ~~~ Madame de Maintenon, Kingdom's Secret Queen ~~~ Louis XIV's Artists ~~~ The Sun King's Famous Quote ~~~ The Sun King's Gardens...