1589-1792 Bourbons
1589-1610 Henri IV
1610-1643 Louis XIII
1643-1715 Louis XIV
1715-1774 Louis XV
1774-1792 Louis XVI
King Henri IV r.1589-1610
Henri IV (Henri de Navarre, Henri de Bourbon), 1553-1610, first Bourbon king of
France, was the son of Antoine de Bourbon and Jeanne d'Albret. On her death he
succeeded to the kingdom of Navarre (1572). He took leadership of the Huguenot
(Protestant) party in 1569. His marriage in 1572 with Marguerite de Valois was
the occasion for the massacre of St. Bartholomew's Day. Henri saved his life by
abjuring Protestantism, but in 1576 he escaped from his virtual imprisonment at
court and returned to Protestantism. When in 1584 Henri III named him heir
presumptive, the Catholic League, headed by Henri 3rd Duc de Guise refused to
recognize him and persuaded Henri III to send an army to force his conversion.
In the resulting "War of the Three Henries," Henry de Navarre defeated Henri III
at Coutras (1587) but came to the king's support in the troubles of 1588, and
after Henri III's death (1589) defeated the League forces at Arques (1589) and
Ivrey (1590); he was unable to enter Paris until 1594, after he had abjured
Protestantism -- allegedly with the remark, "Paris is well worth a Mass." His
war with Spain, the ally of the League, ended in 1598 with the Treaty of
Vervins. In 1598 he also established religious toleration through the Edict of
Nantes. With his minister Sully he spent the rest of his reign restoring order,
industry, and trade. His slogan, "A chicken in every peasant's pot every
Sunday," has remained famous. In 1600 he married Marie de' Medici, having had
his earlier marriage annulled. His gallantry and wit, his concern for the common
people, and his exploits with the ladies have become legendary.
--Columbia-Viking desk encyclopedia, 1953
King Louis XIII r.1610-1643
Louis XIII, 1601–43, king of France (1610–43). He succeeded his father, Henry IV, under the regency of his mother,
Marie de' Medici. He married Anne of Austria in 1615. Even after being declared of age in 1614, he was excluded
from affairs of state by his domineering mother. In 1617 he caused the assassination of her minister Concino Concini,
with the aid of his own favorite, Charles d'Albert, duc de Luynes, and Marie de' Medici was forced into retirement.
He was reconciled to her in 1622 and entrusted (1624) the government to her protégé, Cardinal Richelieu. In 1630,
urged by his mother to discharge Richelieu, he instead sent his mother again into exile. Melancholy and retiring
by nature, Louis thenceforth gave full support to Richelieu and his successor, Cardinal Mazarin. Richelieu strengthened
royal authority and centralized government control. Louis's reign was remarkable for the establishment of the French
Academy and for the work of St. Francis of Sales and St. Vincent de Paul in religion, René Descartes in philosophy,
and Pierre Corneille in literature.King Louis XIV r.1643-1715, the queen of Kings
Louis, ruled his country, principally from his
great palace at Versailles, during one of France's
most brilliant periods. He remains the symbol of absolute monarchy of
the classical age. He boasted the longest reign in European history
(1643-1715). Internationally, in a series of wars between 1667 and 1697, he extended France's eastern borders
at the expense of the Habsburgs and then, in the War of the Spanish
Succession (1701- 14), engaged a hostile European coalition in order to
secure the Spanish throne for his grandson, Louis XVI.Louis' idea of politics: Abosutism. If there ever was a motto for micro-management he wrote it:
"Up to this moment I have been pleased to entrust the government of my affairs to the late Cardinal. It is now time that I govern them myself. You [secretaries and ministers of state] will assist me with your counsels when I ask for them. I request and order you to seal no orders except by my command, . . . I order you not to sign anything, not even a passport . . . without my command; to render account to me personally each day and to favor no one."
King Louis XV r.1715-1774
» Louis XV Bio
An orphan from age 3, Louis succeeded to the throne on the death of his great-grandfather Louis XIV (1715),
under the regency of Philippe II, duc d'Orléans (1674–1723). His marriage to Princess Marie Leszczynska of Poland
(1703–1768) in 1725 led to France's involvement in the War of the Polish Succession (1733–38). He chose Andre-Hercule
de Fleury as his chief minister in 1726, and his own influence became perceptible only after Fleury's death in 1744.
Louis's mistresses, particularly Madame de Pompadour, held considerable political influence. Louis brought France into
the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–48) and the Seven Years' War (1756–63), by which France lost to Britain almost
all its colonial possessions. As the crown's moral and political authority declined, the Parlements gained in power,
preventing fiscal reform. The king died hated by his subjects.King Louis XVI r.1774-1792
» The French Revolution
» Louis XVI Before and After Revolution
» Timeline: Louis XVI
Louis XVI became King of France on May 20, 1774. Prior to the French
Revolution, the most noteworthy act of his reign was the assistance France
rendered to the American colonies in their war for independence from Great
Britain.;
At first, the King was greeted as a popular reformer who agreed to
a constitutional framework of government,;
Accelerating radicalism, rumors of his opposition to revolutionary
principles, and a host of scurrilous pamphlets purportedly describing his
personal habits and those of his wife diminished his popularity as the
revolution progressed. His fate was sealed when the royal family was
arrested in Varennes during an attempt to flee France.;
After much debate the Convention declared royalty abolished and
tried the King for treason against the nation in January of 1793.;
The King was found guilty and executed January 21, 1793. After the execution of the King,
his wife Queen Marie-Antoinette was kept in
prison and finally on October 14, 1793 she was brought to trial and
found guilty of treason. However, despite the king and queens execusions the French Revolution continued long after
samedi, 06 mars 2004