King Louis XIV

  • Drowned (Nearly!!)

    When Louis was 4 years old he almost drowned in a pond! Nobody really paid attention to him. As you can see, he was neglected when he was a child.
  • Love vs Duty

    Love vs Duty
    He loved Cardinal Mazarin's niece, Marie Mancini, but he had to marry Marie-Thérèse of Austria (King Philip IV's daughter)
  • Love affair

    Love affair
    Louis had a secret love affair with Louise de La Valliére.
  • Ballet

    Louis danced in a ballet called "The Sun King" which was a ballet about himself.
  • Replaced

    Replaced
    Marquise de Montespan had replaced Mme de La Vallière as Louis’s mistress.
  • Scandal!

    Marquise de Montespan was implicated in the Affair of the Poisons, and Louis, scared of what it would do to his reputation, dismissed her.
  • Gambling

    Louis gambled a lot and he had lots of entertainment during this time
  • Married in secret

    Married in secret
    After the queen died, Louis secretly married Marquise de Maintenon. She gained political influence, and was one of the king's most trusted adviser.
  • Loss

    Loss
    Almost simultaneously, Louis lost his son, the grand dauphin; two of his grandsons, the dukes de Bourgogne and Berry; his great grandson, the duke de Bretagne; and his granddaughter-in-law, the duchess de Bourgogne,
  • 72 years!!

    Louis reigned for 72 long years, and was considered one of greatest rulers of Europe. He restored power to France and expanded its territory.