Louis XIV, the Sun King
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{ 300 YEARS AGO } On 1st September 1715, King Louis XIV (14th) died. Also known as the Sun King, he was 76 years old and had Special reigned over France since before his 5th birthday – edition that meant he was king for a record 72 years! His 2015-2016 death ended an important chapter in French history. { INTERNET } For all the info about the “The King is dead” exhibition, go to Le Petit Journal du Grand Roi: www.leroiestmort.com/en ISSN 1258 - 6447 Learning every day A special edition in collaboration with the Palace of Versailles www.monquotidien.fr © - Château de C. Versailles Fouin Portrait Portrait on horseback CHRONOLOGY Discover the key dates in the history of Louis XIV’s reign. p. II p. II , Antoine Benoist, 1706 © - Château de C. Versailles Fouin The King is dead 2,500 The number The last days of people who followed the Sun King’s funeral of Louis XIV procession. Wax sculpture of Louis Wax XIV aged 68 This paper was made using recycled fibres. DISCOVERY Louis XIV, the Sun King (1638-1715) Louis XIV is probably the most famous king in France’s history. Because he was so confident of his own power, he compared himself to the mightiest, brightest star – the Sun. 1661: Taking power When his chief minister, Mazarin, died, Louis XIV took personal control of the government. Under his reign, royal power became absolute – the king made all the decisions after listening to the advice of his loyal ministers. 1658: the Battle of the Dunes Louis XIV was passionate about war. As a child, he went to various battles. He was 20 years old when he won the Battle of the Dunes at Dunkirk. He sent France to war against other European kings for 33 of the 54 years of his reign in the hope of enlarging the kingdom of France. But war is very expensive and he had to increase taxes to pay for it. The court of Louis XIV The most important people in the kingdom were part of Louis XIV’s court and they met at Versailles. They wanted to win Louis XIV’s favor. Visiting the king as he got 1643: The child king up in the morning or during his Louis XIV was nearly 5 years old mealtimes was a great privilege. when his father, Louis XIII (13th), died. Some noblemen tried to seize power, but his mother, Queen Regent Anne of Austria, protected the little boy. Protestant 1682: Moving into Versailles 1685: The Edict of Fontainebleau A Christian who follows The Palace of Versailles was Louis XIV wanted to unite all the people a faith known as quite small at the time, so Louis XIV of his kingdom by making them all Catholic. Protestantism. Unlike extended it. He hired the greatest He persecuted Protestants and cancelled Catholics, Protestants artists of the time to make it a truly the Edict of Nantes, a law made by th do not recognise the Pope exceptional palace. He held vast a previous king, Henri IV (4 ), which gave as the head of the Church. parties and entertainments there. Protestants a certain amount of freedom. Edict A law made by a king. Texts: Isabelle Nicolazzi / Illustration: Frédéric Kucia Frédéric / Illustration: Isabelle Nicolazzi Texts: page II - Mon Quotidien - www.playbacpresse.fr Download other articles and resources at www.chateauversailles.fr TOP STORY { CONTEXT } Immortal I By the time Louis XIV Many people had lived and died to a new sovereign. died, the French people while he was still on the throne. Heir I Philippe of Orléans governed had grown tired of this king Power I When the king died, until his cousin and heir to the who seemed to be immortal. power had to be handed over throne, Louis XV (15th), was 13. The Death of Louis XIV at the Palace of Versailles, T.-J. Barke, circa 1835-1840. © Saint-Quentin (Aisne), musée Antoine-Lécuyer GOOD The last days { TO KNOW } The king’s farewell of Louis XIV to court During the 2 days which followed t was 10th August and The king is dead, long live King Louis XV! Saint Louis’ day he had just come back ‘ ’ celebrations on August 25, I from the Château de Marly The grand chamberlain’s official the king felt he was (another of his pleasure palaces, close to death. He said located near Versailles, now announcement that the king had died. farewell to all the princes, destroyed) when Louis XIV felt cardinals, court officers an intense pain in his leg On Saturday 24th August, the king collapsed. Cardinal and princesses, and summoned his doctors. his doctor, Fagon, realised de Rohan performed the rite and to his successor His condition got worse very that the king had gangrene. of extreme unction. Three days (his great-grandson, quickly. Within a few days, Louis XIV knew that he was later, he was given a remedy Louis XV, aged 5) he was no longer able to get up, seriously ill and that he was to drink by a man from and his secret wife, stroll in the Trianon gardens, going to die. He confessed Marseille who claimed he could Madame de Maintenon. attend his huge public meals or to a priest, Le Tellier – cure the king. An hour passed go to mass at the royal Chapel. he admitted the mistakes and the king felt better. Gangrene he had made and the wrong But it did not last long. A disease which rots By 17th August, he was he had done so God would part of the body then spending all day in bed. forgive him. By Saturday 31st August, contaminates it completely The pain was getting worse the king was dying. if proper treatment is not and the remedies he was given On Sunday 25th August, there Most of the time he was given quickly. were not working. Medicine was a grand party at Versailles unconscious. He died at 8.15 Extreme unction was still not very advanced to celebrate Saint Louis’ day. the following morning, A rite performed by in those days, even for kings! As the day was ending, on Sunday 1st September. a priest for dying people, to ease their suffering Where did the grand chamberlain announce the king’s death? and gain strength from From a balcony at the Palace of Versailles. of Palace the at balcony a From Christ. You can read Mon Quotidien in French every day at monquotidien.fr www.playbacpresse.fr - Mon Quotidien - page III CLOSE UP MOURNING Careful preparations RITUALS }{ to preserve the king’s body Degrees of mourning he day after Louis XIV and surgeons embalmed 25 died, his body was the body. The number of different moved into another plants used to embalm T room of the Palace Embalming stops Louis XIV’s body. of Versailles, the Bull’s the body from rotting Eye Salon. and helps to preserve it. Surgical instruments This was necessary In keeping with tradition, because Louis XIV’s body Louis XIV’s coffin physicians opened up would not be buried in the Mercury Salon the king’s body so for another 7 weeks. at Versailles. © Musée national des châteaux de Versailles de Versailles des châteaux © Musée national et de Trianon they could do an autopsy. When a body is embalmed, de Versailles © Château After a king had died, By studying his corpse, it is filled with odoriferous court had to be they could tell what caused powdered herbs (such as The king’s body lies in mourning for a year, his death. They wanted bay leaves, basil, lavender which was split into to be sure that the king and lemon peel) which in state at Versailles 2 stages – deep mourning had not been poisoned. also dry it out. It is then and half-mourning. sewn up and wrapped hree days after The king’s heart was placed There were certain Once the autopsy was in bandages before his death, Louis XIV’s in a gold box on top of the traditions to follow finished, his heart and being placed in its coffin. coffin was placed in coffin. The viscera were placed for both. During deep © Paris, musée de l’École de médecine musée de l’École © Paris, T When they were doing viscera were removed the Mercury Salon in the King’s in a lead cask at the foot mourning, for instance, the autopsy on so they could be buried We still know exactly Grand Apartment to lie in state of the bed. performances and games the king’s body in a different place from what happened, because for 1 week. Masses were offered were banned at court. and embalming it, the rest of his body. lots of people who were up constantly, both with and In many European countries doctors used scalpels This was known as there wrote their own without music. The room was at this time, court could Royal purple to cut the skin, scissors, ‘tripartition’ (read below). eye-witness accounts. kept under guard. come to pray in front of saws and then needles His heart was locked Doctors wrote reports an open coffin or a wax effigy and thread to sew it all in a box and his viscera and the grand officers The coffin was put on a bed of the king. This tradition back up. were put in a separate of the court copied them Stages of surgery, 1707. and covered with several was supposed to prolong coffin. Then the doctors down in the kingdom’s records. BIU santé © Paris, cloths. The top one was the deceased person’s life Plants and products gold-coloured and decorated artificially.