Louis Xiii

Louis XIII (1610-1643) was a king of France, perhaps best remembered as the monarch in Alexander Dumas' The Three Musketeers and father of the Sun King, Louis XIV. Louis XIII was still a boy when his father, Henry IV, died, and the early part of his reign was dominated by his mother, Marie di Medici. Mismanagement of the kingdom forced Louis to take control in 1617, exiling his mother, but for much of his reign he relied on Cardinal Richelieu. Louis XIII research papers have been written by our history experts. We can produce a custom written world history project following your guidelines.

Louis XIII Becomes King

Upon the assassination of Henry VI, eight-year-old Louis became the second Bourbon king of France. His actual reign began in 1617, when he staged a coup d'etat against his mother. A year later the Thirty Years' War broke out, plunging much of Europe into conflict. At the same time, Louis XIII initiated military action against French Huguenots, revoking their religious freedom.

Louis XIII and Marriage

Under the guidance of Cardinal Richelieu, Louis XIII became the model of a European absolute monarch. Louis XIII's personal life was a mess:

• He was married to Anne of Austria and produced two surviving sons
• There is speculation that Louis XIII was homosexual
• Louis XIII had affairs with several men

Louis XIII was also instrumental in setting European fashion, and introduced the wearing of wigs in 1624, a style that would remain essential in Europe until the French Revolution. Louis XIII died at the age of 41 from complications from tuberculosis.