Louis 14th king of France short biography. Louis XIV - biography, information, personal life

Duke Philippe d'Orléans (brother of Louis XIV) was one of the most controversial aristocratic figures in French history. Being second in line to the throne, he posed a serious threat to the monarchy, but even in the era of the Fronde and internal turmoil, Monsieur did not oppose the legitimate ruler. While remaining loyal to the crown, the Duke led a unique lifestyle. He regularly shocked the public, surrounded himself with many favorites, patronized the arts and, despite his effeminate image, periodically successfully led military campaigns.

King's brother

On September 21, 1640, Louis III and his wife Anne of Austria had a second son, the future Philippe d'Orléans. He was born at a residence in the Paris suburb of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. The boy was the younger brother of the monarch Louis XIV, who ascended the throne in 1643 after the death of their father.

The relationship between them was a big exception for royal families. There are many examples in history of how brothers (children of some ruler) hated each other and fought with each other for power. There were similar examples in France. For example, there is a theory that the penultimate monarch of Charles IX was poisoned by one of his younger brothers.

Monsieur

The hereditary principle, in which the eldest heir received everything, and the other remained in his shadow, was largely unfair. Despite this, Philip of Orleans never plotted against Louis. Warm relations have always been maintained between the brothers. This harmony became possible thanks to the efforts of mother Anna of Austria, who tried to do everything so that her children lived and were raised together in a friendly atmosphere.

In addition, the character of Philip himself affected. By nature, he was extravagant and hot-tempered, which, however, could not drown out his good nature and gentleness. All his life, Philip bore the titles “Only Brother of the King” and “Monsieur,” which emphasized his special position not only in the ruling dynasty, but throughout the country.

Childhood

The news that she had given birth to a second boy was received with enthusiasm at court. The omnipotent was especially pleased. He understood that Philip of Orleans - the brother of Louis 14 - was another legitimate support of the dynasty and its future in the event that something happened to the Dauphin. From early childhood, the boys were invariably raised together. Together they played, studied and misbehaved, which is why they were spanked together.

At that time, the Fronde was raging in France. Princes were secretly taken from Paris more than once and hidden in distant residences. Philippe d'Orléans, the brother of Louis 14, just like the Dauphin, experienced many hardships and hardships. He had to feel fear and defenselessness in front of an angry crowd of rioters. Sometimes the brothers' childhood pranks escalated into fights. Although Louis was older, he did not always emerge victorious in fights.

Like all children, they could quarrel over trifles - bowls of porridge, sharing beds new room etc. Philip was temperamental, loved to shock others, but at the same time had an easy character and quickly moved away from insults. But Louis, on the contrary, was stubborn and could sulk at those around him for a long time.

Relations with Mazarin

The very fact that Philippe Duke of Orleans was the younger brother of the all-powerful king made it inevitable that there would be many ill-wishers who did not like Monsieur. One of his most influential opponents was Mazarin. The cardinal was put in charge of the education of the previously poor student Louis and his younger brother. Mazarin did not like Philip because of his fear that he would become a threat to the throne as he grew up. Monsieur could repeat the fate of Gaston - his own uncle, who opposed the monarchy with his claims to power.

Mazarin had many superficial reasons to fear such a development of events. The all-powerful nobleman could not help but notice what an adventurous person Philippe d'Orléans grew up to be. The duke's future biography showed that he also grew into a good commander who could lead armies and achieve victories on the battlefield.

Upbringing

Some biographers, not without reason, noted in their works that Philip could have been deliberately instilled in feminine habits and instilled an interest in homosexuality. If this was really done for ambiguous reasons, then Mazarin could thus count, firstly, on the fact that the Duke would not have a normal family and heir, and secondly, on the fact that Monsieur would be despised at court. However, the cardinal did not even need to take the initiative into his own hands.

Philip's feminine habits were brought up by his mother Anna of Austria. She liked the gentle character of her youngest son much more than Louis' boring habits. Anna loved to dress up the child as a girl and let him play with the maids of honor. Today, when Philippe d'Orléans is mentioned, he is often confused with his namesake descendant, but the 19th-century King Louis-Philippe d'Orléans had little in common with the 17th-century duke. Their upbringings were markedly different. It is enough to give an example of how the brother of Louis XIV could be jokingly pulled into a lady's corset.

The ladies-in-waiting who lived at court also loved theater and often gave the child comic roles in their productions. Perhaps it was these impressions that instilled in Philip an interest in the stage. At the same time boy for a long time was left to his own devices. All the strength of his mother and Cardinal Mazarin was spent on Louis, from whom they made a king. What would happen to his younger brother was of much less interest to everyone. All that was required of him was not to interfere with the throne, not to make claims to power and not to repeat the path of the rebellious uncle Gaston.

Wives

In 1661, Gaston's younger brother, Duke of Orleans, died. After his death, the title passed to Philip. Before that he was Duke of Anjou. In the same year, Philip of Orleans married Henrietta Anne Stuart, daughter of Charles I of England.

Interestingly, the first wife Henrietta was supposed to marry Louis XIV himself. However, during their adolescence, the royal power in England was overthrown, and a marriage with the daughter of Charles Stuart in Versailles was considered unpromising. Wives were then chosen according to the position and prestige of the dynasty. While the Stuarts remained without a crown under Cromwell, the Bourbons did not want to become related to them. However, everything changed in 1660, when Henrietta's brother regained his father's throne. The girl’s status became higher, but Louis had already married by that time. Then the princess received an offer to marry the king's younger brother. Cardinal Mazarin was an opponent of this marriage, but on March 9, 1661, he died, and the last obstacle to the engagement disappeared.

It is not known exactly what she sincerely thought about her fiancé future wife Philip of Orleans. England heard conflicting rumors about Monsieur's hobbies and favorites. Nevertheless, Henrietta married him. After the wedding, Louis gave his brother the Palais Royal, which became the city residence of the couple. Philip, Duke of Orleans, according to him in my own words, was infatuated with his wife just two weeks after the wedding. Then everyday life set in, and he returned to the company of his favorites - the minions. The marriage was unhappy. In 1670, Henrietta died and Philip remarried. This time his chosen one was Elizabeth Charlotte, daughter of Karl Ludwig, Elector of the Palatinate. This marriage produced a son, Philip II, the future regent of France.

Favorites

Thanks to the surviving correspondence of the second wife, historians were able to collect a lot of evidence of the Duke’s homosexuality. Of his lovers, the most famous is Chevalier Philippe de Lorraine. He was a representative of the old aristocratic and influential family of Guise. Philippe d'Orléans and the Chevalier de Lorraine met at a young age. Later, both wives of the duke tried to remove the favorite from the court. He exerted a serious influence on Philip, which jeopardized family life the last one. Despite the efforts of Henrietta and Elizabeth, the Chevalier continued to remain close to the Duke of Orleans.

In 1670, the king tried to take control of the situation. Louis XIV imprisoned the Chevalier in the famous Prison If. However, the favorite's stay in prison was short-lived. Seeing his brother’s grief, Louis retreated and allowed the minion to first move to Rome and then return to the court of his patron. The relationship between Philippe d'Orléans and Philippe de Lorrain continued until the Duke's death in 1701 (the favorite survived him by only a year). When Louis buried his younger brother, he ordered all of Philip’s correspondence to be burned, fearing the publicity of his adventures and unsightly lifestyle.

Commander

Philip first distinguished himself as a military commander during the War of Devolution in 1667-1668, when France fought with Spain for influence in the Netherlands. In 1677 he returned to the army again. Then the war began against Holland, which was ruled by The conflict flared up on several fronts. In Flanders, Louis needed another commander, since all his usual commanders were already occupied. Then Philip 1 of Orleans went to this region. The duke's biography is an example of a faithful and loyal brother, who without wrangling carried out the orders of the monarch at the most crucial moment, when the fatherland was in danger.

The army under the command of Philip first captured Cambrai, and then began the siege of the city of Saint-Omer. Here the Duke learned that the main Dutch army was coming towards him from Ypres, led by King William III of Orange himself. Philip left a small part of his army under the walls of the besieged city, and he himself went to intercept the enemy. The armies clashed at the Battle of Kassel on April 11, 1677. The Duke headed the center of the army, in which the infantry stood. The cavalry positioned itself on the flanks. Success was ensured by a swift attack by dragoon units, which forced the enemy army to retreat.

The Dutch suffered a crushing defeat. They lost 8 thousand people killed and wounded, and another 3 thousand were captured. The French captured the enemy's camp, their banners, cannons and other equipment. Thanks to the victory, Philip was able to complete the siege of Saint-Omer and take control of the city. A radical change occurred in the war. This was the Duke's most significant success on the battlefield. After his triumph, he was recalled from the army. Louis XIV was clearly jealous and fearful of his brother's further victories. Although the king solemnly greeted Monsieur and publicly thanked him for defeating the enemy, he did not give him any more troops.

Philip and art

Thanks to his hobbies, Philippe d'Orleans was remembered by his contemporaries and descendants as the largest patron of the arts of his era. It was he who made the composer Jean-Baptiste Lully famous, and also supported the writer Moliere. The Duke had a significant collection of art and jewelry. His special passion was theater and satire.

Prince Philippe Duke of Orleans not only loved art, but later he himself became the hero of many works. His personality attracted a variety of writers, creators of musicals, directors, etc. For example, one of the most provocative images came from Roland Joffe in his 2000 film Vatel. In this painting, the Duke is depicted as an open homosexual and friend of the disgraced Condé. Philip's childhood is shown in another film - "The Child King", where the events of the Fronde unfold. The most famous French writer could not ignore the image of the Duke - In his novel “The Vicomte de Bragelonne, or Ten Years Later,” the author took liberties with historical facts. In the book, Philippe is not the only brother of Louis XIV. In addition to him, on the pages of the novel there is the twin of the monarch, who became a prisoner in an iron mask due to political expediency.

Last years

Thanks to successful marriages, both of Philip's daughters became queens. His namesake son had a distinguished military career during the War of the League of Augsburg. In 1692 he took part in the Battle of Steenkirk and the Siege of Namur. The successes of the children were Philip's special pride, so in his last years he could live peacefully on his estates and rejoice for his descendants.

At the same time, the relationship between the Duke and his crowned brother was not better times. On June 9, 1701, Prince Philippe d'Orléans died of an apoplexy that overtook him in Saint-Cloud after a long dispute with the king about the fate of his son. Louis tried in every possible way to limit his nephew, fearing the growth of his popularity in the army. This infuriated Philip. Another quarrel became fatal for him. Having become nervous, he survived the blow, which turned out to be fatal.

The body of 60-year-old Monsieur was buried in the Parisian Abbey of Saint-Denis. During the Great french revolution the grave was robbed. At court, the former favorite of the king, the Marquise de Montespan, grieved most of all about the death of the Duke.

It is interesting that the King of France, Louis-Philippe d'Orléans, who ruled the country in 1830-1848. and overthrown by the revolution, was a descendant of Monsieur. The ducal title was regularly passed on from descendant to descendant of Louis XIV's brother. Louis Philippe was his grandson in several generations. Although he did not belong to the previously reigning branch of the Bourbons, this did not prevent him from becoming king thanks to a bloodless coup. Louis-Philippe d'Orléans, although similar in name to his ancestor, actually had little in common with him.

The most long time On the throne of France was Louis XIV of Bourbon, who received the nickname “Sun King”. Louis was born in 1638 after 22 years of barren marriage between King Louis XIII and Anne of Austria, and five years later became king of France. After the death of his father, Louis and his mother lived in a rather ascetic environment in the Palais Royal.

Despite the fact that Anna of Austria was the regent of the state, the first minister, Cardinal Mazarin, had full power. In his early childhood, the young king had to go through a civil war - the struggle with the so-called Fronde, and only in 1652 was peace restored, however, despite the fact that Louis was already an adult, power remained with Mazarin. In 1659, Louis entered into a marriage alliance with the Spanish princess Maria Theresa. Finally, in 1661, after the death of Cardinal Mazarin, Louis was able to concentrate all power in his hands.

The king was poorly educated, did not read and write well, but had wonderful logic and common sense. The king's main negative trait was excessive selfishness, pride and selfishness. Thus, Louis considered that there was no palace in France that would emphasize its greatness, so in 1662, he began construction, which dragged on for fifty long years. Since 1982, the king almost never visited Paris; the entire royal court was located in Versailles. The new palace was extremely luxurious; the king spent four hundred million francs on its construction. The palace contained numerous galleries, salons and parks. The king loved playing cards, and the courtiers followed his example. Moliere's comedies were staged at Versailles, balls and receptions were held almost every evening, a new, strict ceremony was developed, which was to be performed to the smallest detail by each of the courtiers.

Even during his lifetime, Louis began to be called the Sun King due to the identification royal power with the heavenly body, and this has been going on since the 16th century. However, during the time of Louis XIV it reached its apogee. Louis loved all kinds of staged ballets, masquerades and carnivals and the main role they were, of course, assigned to the king. At these carnivals, the king appeared before his courtiers in the role of Apollo or the Rising Sun. The Tuileries Ballet of 1662 played a major role in the emergence of this nickname; at this carnival, the king appeared in the image of a Roman emperor, in whose hands was a shield with the image of the sun, as a symbol of the king, who illuminates all of France. It was after this equestrian ballet that Louis began to be called the Sun King.

There were always many beautiful women next to Louis, but the king never forgot his wife; six children were born in their marriage. The king also had more than ten illegitimate children, some of whom the king legitimized. It was under Louis that the concept of the “official favorite” - the king’s mistress - arose. The first was Louise de La Vallière, who bore him four children and ended her life in a monastery. The next famous mistress of the king was Atenais de Montespan, she was next to the king for about 15 years along with Queen Maria Theresa. The last favorite was Francoise de Maintenon. It was she who, after the death of Queen Maria Theresa in 1683, became the morganatic wife of the French king.

Louis completely subordinated all power to his will; in governing the state, the monarch was assisted by the Council of Ministers, the Council of Finance, the Postal Council, the Trade and Spiritual Councils, the Grand and State Councils. However, in resolving any issues the last word remained with the king. Louis introduced a new tax system, which was mainly reflected in an increase in taxes on peasants and the petty bourgeoisie to expand the financing of military needs, and in 1675 he even introduced a tax on stamp paper. The first confication of commercial law was introduced by the monarch, and the Commercial Code was adopted. Under Louis, the sale of government positions reached its apogee, in last years During his lifetime, two and a half thousand new positions were created to enrich the treasury, which brought 77 million livres to the treasury. For the final establishment of absolutism, he even wanted to achieve the creation of the French patriarchy, this would create the political independence of the clergy from the pope. Louis also revoked the Edict of Nantes and resumed the persecution of the Huguenots, which most likely was a consequence of the influence of his morganatic wife de Maintenon.

The era of the Sun King was marked in France by large-scale wars of conquest. Until 1681, France managed to capture Flanders, Alsace, Lorraine, Franche-Comté, Luxembourg, Kehl and lands in Belgium. Only in 1688, the aggressive policy of the French king began to fail, the huge costs of the war required a constant increase in taxes, the king often sent his silver furniture and various utensils to be melted down. Realizing that the war could cause great discontent among the people, Louis began to seek peace with the enemy, who at that time was the King of England, William of Orange. According to the concluded agreement, France lost Savoy, Catalonia, Luxembourg; in the end, only Strasbourg, which had been captured earlier, was saved.

In 1701, the already aging Louis unleashed new war for the Spanish crown. Louis' grandson Philip of Anjou claimed the Spanish throne, but it was necessary to comply with the condition of non-annexation of Spanish lands to France, but the French side retained Philip's rights to the throne, in addition, the French sent their troops to Belgium. England, Holland and Austria opposed this state of affairs. The war undermined the French economy every day, the treasury was completely empty, many French people were starving, all gold and silver dishes were melted down, even at the royal court, white bread was replaced with black bread. Peace was concluded in stages in 1713-14, the Spanish King Philip renounced his rights to the French throne.

The difficult foreign policy situation was aggravated by problems within the royal family. During 1711-1714, the monarch’s son, the Dauphin Louis, died of smallpox, a little later his grandson and his wife, and twenty days later their son, the king’s great-grandson, five-year-old Louis, also died of scarlet fever. The only heir was the king's great-grandson, who was destined to ascend the throne. The numerous deaths of children and grandchildren greatly weakened the old king, and in 1715 he practically did not get out of bed, and in August of the same year he died.

Louis 14 – the Sun King – is the most charismatic monarch of France. The era of his reign, which lasted 72 years, is called by historians the “Great Age”. The French king became the “hero” of numerous novels and films. Even during his lifetime, legends were made about him. And the monarch was worthy of them.

It was King Louis 14 who came up with the idea to build a grandiose palace complex on the site of a small hunting lodge. The majestic Versailles, which has amazed the imagination for centuries, became not just the residence of the monarch during his lifetime, here he accepted his death with dignity, as befits an august person.

The greatest of the Bourbon dynasty - “God-given” Louis 14

King Louis 14 de Bourbon is the long-awaited heir. That is why at birth he received the “iconic” name - Louis-Dieudonne - “God-given”. The era of his rule over France began when little Louis was barely five years old. The regents were Anna of Austria, the mother of the Sun King, and the well-known Cardinal Mazarin, who tried with all his might to connect his family with family ties with the Bourbons. Interestingly, the skillful strategist almost succeeded.

King Louis 14 inherited from his mother, a proud Spaniard, strength of character and enormous self-esteem. It is quite natural that the young monarch did not “share the throne” with the Italian cardinal for a long time. Although he was his godfather. Already at the age of 17, Louis first showed disobedience, expressing dissatisfaction in front of the entire French parliament. “The State is me” is a phrase that characterizes the entire era of the reign of King Louis 14.

Unsolved mysteries of the biography of Louis de Bourbon

The biggest mystery remains the very birth of King Louis 14. According to the legend, which many believed in that era, Anne of Austria gave birth to not one, but two Dauphins. Did Louis have a twin brother? Historians still doubt this. But in many novels and even chronicles there are references to the mysterious “Iron Mask” - a man who, by order of the king, was forever hidden from human eyes. This decision can be considered justified, because the twin heirs are the cause of political scandals and upheavals.

King Louis 14 did have a brother, but the younger one was Philippe. The Duke of Orleans did not lay claim to the throne and never tried to intrigue against the Sun King. On the contrary, he called him “my little daddy”, since Louis constantly tried to take care of him. Photos of portraits of two brothers give a clear idea of ​​their mutual sympathy.

Women in the life of Louis de Bourbon - favorites and wives

Cardinal Mazarin, having become the godfather of King Louis 14, wanted to get even closer to the Bourbon dynasty. The clever intriguer never forgot that he came from a rather seedy Italian family. It was one of the cardinal’s nieces, brown-eyed Maria Mancini, who became the first love of young Louis 14. The King of France was twenty at that time, his beloved was only two years younger than him. The court whispered that the monarch from the Bourbon dynasty would soon marry for love. But fate decreed otherwise.

Maria Mancini - the first love of King Louis 14

Maria and Louis had to separate simply because, for political reasons, King Louis 14 needed to marry Maria Theresa, the daughter of the Spanish king. Mazarin very quickly “attached” his niece, marrying her to an Italian prince. It was from the moment when the young monarch was forced to enter into a political marriage that his series of love affairs began.

Historians believe that King Louis 14 de Bourbon inherited his amorousness and ardent temperament from his grandfather, Henry 4. But the Sun King was more prudent in his hobbies: none of his favorites influenced the politics of France. Did the wife know about the monarch’s many love interests and his illegitimate children? Yes, but Maria Theresa was a proud Spaniard and the daughter of a king, so she remained unperturbed - Louis 14 did not hear any tears or reproaches from her.

Queen Maria Theresa - first wife of King Louis 14

The queen died much earlier than her husband. Literally a few months after her death, King Louis 14 entered into a second marriage. With whom? The chosen one was the governess of his illegitimate children born to the Marquise de Montespan, Françoise de Maintenon. The woman was older than Louis; before that, she was married to the then famous writer Paul Scarron. At court she was known only as “the Widow Scarron.” It was with Françoise that King Louis 14 “met old age,” it was she who became his last passion, and it was her few whims that he fulfilled throughout all the years of marriage.

Interesting facts from the biography of Louis 14 – the Sun King

The excellent appetite of Louis 14 was known not only to the entire court, even ordinary residents of Paris knew about it. The dishes that the monarch ate at dinner could feed not only all the queen's ladies-in-waiting, but also his retinue. And this meal was not the only one. The king constantly satisfied his hunger at night, but he did it alone; his valet secretly brought him food.

King Louis 14 almost always fulfilled the whims of his favorites, but with regard to his second wife, the king outdid himself. When Françoise wanted to ride a sleigh in summer heat, her loving husband fulfilled her whim. Literally the next morning, Versailles sparkled with “snow,” which was perfectly replaced by tons of salt and sugar.

King Louis 14 adored luxury. Historians believe that this was due to the fact that as a child his expenses were carefully controlled by Mazarin, and he grew up completely “not like a king.” When Louis became a "state", he was able to satisfy his passion. There were about 500 luxurious beds in the residences of the monarch. He had more than a thousand wigs, and his clothes were made by 40 of the best tailors in France.

In contact with

It is unlikely that anyone will argue with the statement that Louis XIV is the most famous and most brilliant of the entire galaxy of French monarchs. Among his ancestors and descendants were kings who surpassed him in terms of greatness, passion for luxury, abundance of love and warlike spirit. However, Louis combined all these features, as a result of which he remained in the people's memory as the “Sun King”.

The sovereign who became the embodiment of absolute monarchy.

The sovereign who built Versailles, who made the French court the most magnificent of the royal courts in Europe.

A sovereign who knew how to love his favorites so much that his love affairs excite the imagination of writers to this day. As well as the intrigues that took place at his court.

We can say that Louis XIV became the breadwinner and drinker of the authors of the most famous love and adventure novels: Alexandre Dumas, Anne and Serge Golon, Juliette Benzoni - these are just the loudest and most popular names in Russia of writers who built their works on the former glory and greatness of France of the era "Sun King" And of course, the Russian reader is especially interested in what is true and what is fiction in the books they reveled in in childhood and youth.

In our book we try to deal with the basic “questions of history and literature.” Unlike other authors who have taken on the biography of Louis XIV, we pay little attention to politics: as little as possible when telling the biography of a ruler. We are interested in the personal life of the king. And not only his relationships with his favorites, there were also many books on this topic. The main theme of this book is Louis XIV and his family. Relations with his mother, Queen Anne of Austria, and with Cardinal Mazarin, who replaced the king's father. Relationships with his brother, Philippe of Orleans, who was a very extraordinary person and whom writers so often choose to play the role of the main court villain of that era... Relationships with his wife, daughters-in-law, children and grandchildren.

Of course, we cannot completely exclude love stories, because lovers, like friends, are also an integral part of a person’s personal life, and if a person was as loving as the “sun king” and knew how to fall so passionately, desperately, madly in love, - then the favorites sometimes completely overshadow his family and the whole the world. Not for long, really. But it is enough for this particular part of the life of Louis XIV to become the most interesting for the authors works of art. Therefore, we will figure out what is true and what is fiction in the history of the relationship between the king and the cardinal’s nieces, Maria and Olympia Mancini, with Princess Henrietta of England and the “lovely lame woman” Louise de La Vallière, with the “warlock” Duchess de Montespan and the young beauty Angelica de Fontanges, and finally - with the main woman in his life: Françoise de Maintenon, who began the relationship with the king as his friend, continued as his lover, and ended as his secret wife.

So, dear reader, you will have to visit with us the king’s nursery, his study, his marital bedroom, the alcoves where he indulged in lovemaking, the chambers of his relatives, and finally, his deathbed. You will get to know all the people and events that influenced the personal life of Louis XIV. And understand why this particular king became the “sun” for his contemporaries.

The birth of Louis XIV was a real miracle. During their twenty-two years of marriage, the King and Queen of France had no children. Time was passing inexorably, foreshadowing tragic upheavals in the near future. What will happen if Louis XIII dies childless and his brother, the not particularly smart, absurd intriguer Gaston d'Orléans, ascends the throne? Will France kneel before Spain? There will be a new one Civil War? Will everything that was achieved through wise policies and at the cost of enormous efforts collapse? France had not yet had time to recover from the change of dynasties, it was tired of changes and was just beginning to taste the fruits of at least some kind of stability. Therefore, France fervently prayed for the sending of a son and heir to the king. There was little hope for this, all that was left was to wait for a miracle...

And they really expected a miracle, they believed in it. Reverend Mother Jeanne de Matel confidently predicted the birth of the Dauphin. The Augustinian hermit Fiacre saw the truth even more clearly: a prophecy about the birth of not only the king, but also his brother, was revealed to him. And Jesus himself appeared to the young, exalted Carmelite Margarita Arigo in the form of a baby and announced that the queen would soon give birth to a son. Two years after this, in mid-December 1637, the baby Jesus appeared to the girl again, delighting her with the news that the queen was already pregnant. Interestingly, Margarita Arigo learned this news even before the expectant mother.

The French prayed to heaven for a miracle. But most of all, the king himself, already middle-aged, in poor health, and sensing that he did not have much time left, begged for him most of all. On February 10, 1638, shortly after learning that his wife was once again in trouble, Louis XIII signed a charter transferring France under the protection of the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the “Blessed and Most Pure Virgin,” asking her for grace. And, who knows, maybe it was the favor of the Virgin Mary that preserved the long-awaited Son of France in the queen’s womb, because the king himself would later say to the envoy of Venice, lifting the curtain over the newborn’s cradle: “This is a miracle of the Lord’s mercy, for this is the only way to call such a beautiful child , born after my wife’s four unfortunate miscarriages.”

The queen's pregnancy did not proceed entirely well, which was expected, given her age and previous failures. In the first months, Anna was tormented by dizziness and nausea, and her physicians forbade her to move, even get out of bed. From the beginning of her pregnancy until her birth, the queen did not leave the Palace of Saint-Germain. She was carried from the bed to the chair, carried from room to room and then returned back to the bed. The Queen loved to eat heavily and by the time she gave birth she had become quite plump. The courtiers noted that she simply had a huge belly, and were seriously afraid whether she would be able to give birth safely. Anna of Austria was no longer young, she was almost thirty-seven years old - in those days this age was considered quite advanced for the birth of a first child. Younger and stronger women often died in childbirth, and infant mortality was simply catastrophically high. So there was something to worry about.

Nevertheless, the queen safely carried the child, and from the end of August France lived in anticipation of the birth of its future sovereign. Prayers for Her Majesty’s safe release from the burden followed one after another.

Exciting preparations were also underway in the palace. According to the rules of etiquette, the most noble persons who would be present at this significant event - the princes and princesses from the House of Bourbon - had to be notified in advance of the upcoming birth. First of all, this is the king's brother Gaston d'Orléans, the Princess de Condé and the Countess de Soissons. As a special favor, the king allowed the Duchess of Vendôme to be present at the birth. In addition to them, next to the queen there should have been a number of people completely useless in obstetric care: the governess of the future heir, Madame de Lansac, the ladies of state de Senesay and de Flotte, two chamber-jungfers, and the nurse Madame Lagiroudière, ready to immediately begin performing her duties.

In the room adjacent to the one where the queen was, an altar was specially built, in front of which the bishops of Liege, Meos and Beauvais were supposed to read prayers until the queen gave birth.

In the queen's large study, also adjacent to the room where her majesty was to give birth, were the Princess Gimenet, the Duchess of Tremouille and de Bouillon, Madames Ville-aux-Clercs, de Mortsmart, de Liancourt, the Dukes of Vendôme, Chevreuse and Montbazon, Messrs. yes de Liancourt, de Ville-aux-Clercs, de Brion, de Chavigny, archbishops of Bourg, Chalons, Mans and other senior court chips.

31.05.2011 - 16:48

Every person, regardless of gender, religion, social status dreams of being loved. There are no exceptions to this rule - even kings suffered from loneliness and were looking for a soul mate. But, as you know, no king can marry for love - politics is much more important than human feelings. True, sometimes fate gives monarchs the gift of true love...

Marriage of convenience

When the young King Louis XIV married the Spanish Infanta Maria Theresa, his heart and thoughts were occupied by another Maria - Mancini, the niece of Cardinal Mazarin. This girl could very well end up next to the king, but, alas, politics is stronger than love...

The marriage of Louis XIV with Maria Theresa was beneficial from all points of view - the long-awaited peace with Spain, the strengthening of necessary ties, and a good dowry...

What will a marriage with Maria Mancini give to France? Nothing, except perhaps the strengthening of the power of Cardinal Mazarin. The choice of the king's mother, Anna of Austria, is clear - only the Spanish infanta! And Mazarin had to negotiate with the Spanish court about the marriage of Louis and Maria Theresa.

The young king gave in and refused to marry the cardinal’s much-desired niece. Maria was forced to leave Paris. But politics is politics, and love is love. The image of a black-eyed beauty with a tear-stained face, her tender words and farewell kisses lived in the heart of the king for a long time...

Unhappy lame leg

After the wedding with unloved wife the king threw himself into the whirlpool of love affairs. The most beautiful women France is ready to give in to Louis' wishes, and he meets the second true love of his life. Modest, ugly, lame Louise de La Valliere suddenly won the heart of the king.

Alexandre Dumas described the girl dear to Louis’s heart in this way: “She was a blonde with brown expressive eyes, with white wide teeth; her mouth was quite large; some traces of smallpox remained on her face; she had neither beautiful breasts nor beautiful shoulders; her hands were thin and ugly; Moreover, she limped a little due to a dislocation that occurred and was poorly corrected in the seventh or eighth year, when she jumped to the ground from a pile of firewood. However, they said that she was very kind and sincere; at court she did not have a single admirer, except for the young Guiche, who, however, did not succeed in anything”...

But the king sincerely fell in love with the ugly Louise. They say that his love began with the fact that one day the king, as in a fairy tale, overheard the conversations of several court ladies-in-waiting discussing yesterday's ball and the beauty of the gentlemen present. And Louise suddenly said: “How can you talk about someone if the king himself was at the festival?!”...

Touched to the depths of his soul by such love and devotion, Louis reciprocated the girl’s feelings and began showering her with gifts. But the maid of honor only needed Louis himself and his love. She did not at all strive, like everyone else, to extract money and jewelry from Louis. Louise dreamed of only one thing - to become the legal wife of the king, give birth to his children and be close to her any man...

The king was deeply touched by such a sincere feeling. Once, when a young man and his lover were caught in the rain, Louis covered Louise with his hat for two hours... For a woman, such an act proves a man’s love much more strongly than all the jewelry and gifts. But Louis did not skimp on them either. A whole palace was bought for Louise, in which the favorite was waiting for her king...

But Louis was bound by family ties, duty, and considerations of public policy. Louise gave birth to his children, but the little ones were taken from her - why compromise the unfortunate maid of honor once again... The king’s heart was breaking from the torment of poor Louise, but what could he do? And Louis began to take out his anger on Louise, and she only cried bitterly in response...

Black mass

The queen's maid of honor, the intelligent and treacherous Françoise Athenaïs de Montespan, noticed that not all was well in the king's relationship with Louise, and decided that her time had come. She is going to fight for Louis's heart in earnest - both ordinary feminine tricks and insidious intrigues are used.

Louise was lost, sobbing, and did not know how to behave under such cruel persecution. She became more and more pious and found solace only in religion... The king was increasingly bored next to his mistress, and the witty and lively Francoise loomed nearby as a tasty morsel...

Soon Louis fell before the ardent charms of the beauty, and Louise had no choice but to retire to the Carmelite monastery, where she prayed for the king and his soul...

But intrigues against Louise do not bring happiness to the Marquise. She receives rich gifts from the king, but her happiness seems so fragile. No such touching stories were told about Louis’s love for Françoise as about the king’s feelings for the lame Louise. No, the king was now constantly surrounded by beauties, and he showed signs of attention to each of them.

Montespan was angry and filled with hatred for the whole world. But if Louise de La Valliere sought solace in God, then the Marquise turned to the devil for help... All of Paris spoke in whispers about her passion for black magic, about the witchcraft means with which she drove poor Louise away from the king, about terrible bloody masses with the killing of infants...

They say that Françoise has not a single crime on her conscience, that it was she who poisoned the beautiful red-haired maiden Fontage, to whom the king was at one time partial... It is unknown how it all really happened, but Louis is gradually moving away from Françoise de Montespan...

Wise woman

...When the king's age approached 40, Louis ceased to be seduced by constant easy connections and frivolous beauties. He was tired of women's tears, intrigues, accusations, quarrels between favorites and random lovers...

More and more often he repeats his famous words: “It would be easier for me to reconcile all of Europe than a few women”...

He wanted only one thing - love and peace, a reliable girlfriend, one who would help him and share with him all the difficulties and doubts. And such a woman was soon found...

The enlightened, intelligent, mature Madame Françoise Scarron, the widow of the famous poet Paul Scarron, has long been close to the king - but as a governess to his children. The king loved his offspring very much - both those born in a legal marriage and bastards from favorites. After Françoise Scarron took up their upbringing, he notices that the children are becoming more and more intelligent and educated.

Louis became interested in their teacher. Long hours of conversations showed him that in front of him was a woman of extraordinary intelligence. Heart-to-heart conversations grew into a real feeling - last love Louis... To strengthen the position in society of his new favorite, he granted her the estate of Maintenon and the title of marquise.

Françoise compares favorably with the frivolous coquettes surrounding Louis. Madame de Maintenon stands out for her high morality, religiosity and condemns the morals of the court. She wrote: “I see the most varied passions, betrayal, baseness, immeasurable ambitions, on the one hand, and on the other, the terrible envy of people who have rage in their hearts and who think only about destroying everyone. The women of our time are intolerable to me, their clothes are immodest, their tobacco, their wine, their rudeness, their laziness - I cannot stand all this.”

In 1683, the king's legal wife, Maria Theresa, died. The king will say after her death: “This is the only worry in my life that she caused me”...

Finding himself a widower, Louis some time later secretly marries Madame Maintenon, but is still afraid to officially proclaim her queen. But the position of Louis’s new wife is more than advantageous - no woman before her had such influence on the king of his affairs. All historians note how, under the influence of Madame de Mentonon, the politics of France, the life of the court, and the king himself changed - gradually he became a completely different person...

Louis began to read religious books, talk with preachers, think about punishment for sins and Last Judgment... But even in this world, God sends him one test after another. A son died, then a grandson and a great-grandson... The Bourbon dynasty is in danger of extinction, and Louis has lost the people dearest to him...

Diseases begin to consume the king, and France is practically ruled by Madame Maintenon. In the early morning of September 1, 1715, Louis XIV died. Faithful Françoise de Maintenon hears his last words: “Why are you crying? Did you really think that I would live forever?”... It is unknown what the king was thinking about in his last minutes, did he remember all the women who passed through his life in succession - or did he see only one of them shedding tears on the face of the king - his last love and affection, Francoise de Maintenon...

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