Orbiting the Sun King

Although Louis XIV was keen to rule alone, he had a genius for surrounding himself with talented people

1 Anne of Austria, Queen of France (1601-1666)

Daughter of King Philip III of Spain, Anne of Austria married Louis XIII of France in 1615, but the couple did not have their first child, Louis, until 1638. After her husband’s death in 1643, Anne became regent for their young son and worked tirelessly to protect him and his rights. When she died in 1666, he was devastated.

2 Philippe de France, Duc d’orléans (1640-1701)

As the birth of his elder brother Louis was hailed as a miracle after so many years of childless marriage, everyone was surprised when a second child, Philippe, was born two years later in 1640. Although the brothers frequently quarrelled, they were also extremely close, and Louis came to depend upon Philippe’s support and loyalty over the years.

3 Françoise-athénaïs de Mortemart, Marquise de Montespan ((1640-1707)

Born into one of the oldest and most prestigious aristocratic families in France, Françoise de Mortemart was the perfect choice of mistress for the young Louis XIV. Ambitious, beautiful, sensual and extremely intelligent, she was a driving force in the creation of his magnificent court at Versailles.

4 Françoise d’aubigné, Madame de Maintenon (1635-1719)

Born into an impoverished noble family, Françoise had few prospects when, at the age of 17, she married the poet Paul Scarron, who introduced her to the intellectual circles of Paris. She became friends with Madame de Montespan, who also befriended Françoise – to the extent that she would usurp Montespan’s position and become his second wife.

5 François Le Tellier, Marquis de Louvois (1641-1691)

The eldest son of the venerable statesman, Michel Le Tellier, Louvois succeeded his father as Secretary of State for War in 1662, and became one of Louis XIV’S most trusted ministers thanks to his great success in building France’s military strength and curbing the power of the nobility. He is now considered one of greatest ministers of war in French history.

6 Jean-baptiste Colbert (1619-1683)

Although Louis XIV was inclined to distrust those who had been closely associated with Cardinal Mazarin, he made an exception for Colbert, who took charge of the Cardinal’s affairs during his exile. After Mazarin’s death, Colbert was repeatedly promoted, becoming Minister of Finances in 1661 and acquiring some level of power in almost every department.

7 Jules Hardouin-mansart (1646-1708)

Perhaps the most outstanding achievement of Louis XIV’S reign was his palace at Versailles, a masterpiece of Baroque architecture. Although Louis had a lot of input into the his palace’s design, the man that brought his vision to life was architect and builder Hardouin-mansart, whose major works include the Place des Victoires and Place Vendôme in Paris.

8 André Le Nôtre (1613-1700)

Le Nôtre was a close associate of Louis XIV’S court painter Charles Le Brun and the architect Mansart before he was hired to design the gardens at Fouquet’s country estate, Vaux le Vicomte. After Fouquet’s fall, Le Nôtre was hired by Louis XIV to design the gardens surrounding Versailles. Le Nôtre’s work is now considered to be a masterpiece of Baroque garden design.