Life of Louis 13. Kings and Queens of France. Bourbon dynasty. Louis XIII. Interests of Louis XIII
Philippe de CHAMPAIN (1602-1674). Portrait of Louis XIII. 1665.
Reproduction from http://lj.rossia.org/users/john_petrov/?skip=20
Louis XIII (27.IX.1601 - 14.V.1643) - king since 1610, from the Bourbon dynasty, son Henry IV and Marie de Medici (regent until 1614). The beginning of the reign of Louis XIII was marked by unrest of the feudal nobility, who took advantage of the king's infancy. Since 1624, Cardinal Richelieu (the first minister of Louis XIII in 1624-1642) became the de facto ruler of France, under whom absolutism in France was further strengthened. Weak-willed Louis XIII in state affairs was limited to supporting politics Richelieu .
Soviet historical encyclopedia. In 16 volumes. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1973-1982. Volume 8, KOSHALA - MALTA. 1965.
Literature: Lyublinskaya A.D., France at the beginning. XVII century., L., 1959; Romain Gh., Louis XIII. Un grand roi méconnu (1601-1643), (p.), 1934; Tapie V., La France de Louis XIII et de Richelieu, (p.), 1952.
Louis XIII.
Louis XIII, King of France.
Louis II, King of Navarre
Louis XIII the Just
Louis XIII le Juste
Years of life: September 27, 1601 - May 14, 1643
Reigned: France: May 14, 1610 - May 14, 1643
Navarre: 14 May 1610 - 1620
Father: Henry IV
Mother: Marie de Medici
Wife: Anna of Austria
Sons: Louis, Philip
Louis was left early without his father, who fell at the hands of a murderer. The mother was not at all involved in the upbringing and education of her son. The only person close to Louis was Albert de Luigne, who, however, entertained the young king more with dog training and hunting falcons than taught the sciences and art of government. Louis grew up pious and melancholic, he loved manual labor: he weaved nets, repaired rifle locks and forged whole guns, knew how to cook and shaved well. He is credited with the invention of a special "royal" wedge beard. At the same time, he had a callous soul, was cruel and ungrateful. Also in early childhood he tore off the wings of butterflies and plucked the feathers of birds caught in the garden. After becoming king, he was ruthless to his enemies and the enemies of Cardinal Richelieu, sending many French aristocrats to the scaffold.
Until Louis came of age, France was ruled by his mother Maria Medici and her favorite Conchito Concini, also known as Marshal d'Ancre. All power passed to de Luyne, and after his death in 1621, Cardinal Richelieu rose very quickly.
In his policy, Richelieu pursued two main goals: to crush the power of the nobility and to pacify the Huguenots. And there, and there he achieved the same success. In 1628, La Rochelle, the main fortress of the Protestants, was captured, and the plans of the Huguenots to create an independent state in the south of France were finally destroyed. In the fight against the nobility, Richelieu did not disdain any methods: denunciations, espionage, outright forgeries - everything went into action. Richelieu jokingly destroyed the conspiracies directed against him, while many brilliant representatives of the French aristocracy suffered from his intrigues.
In 1620, Lower Navarre officially became part of France, ceasing to exist as formally independent state, although until 1830 the French kings, among other titles, retained the title of kings of Navarre.
In 1612, Louis was betrothed to Infanta Anna of the Spanish-Austrian House of Habsburg. Since they were both still children, the wedding took place only three years later, and the performance of marital duties was postponed for another two years. Ludovik was never seen to be particularly fond of women. With his wife, he was also very cold, preferring hunting and music to her society. During the entire marriage, the king and queen were close a few times. It is all the more surprising that after 23 years of marriage, Anna still gave birth to an heir.
Shortly after this event, Louis began to have an inflammation of the stomach and he died while still a young man.
Used material from the site http://monarchy.nm.ru/
Louis XIII.
Reproduction from the website http://monarchy.nm.ru/
Louis XIII (1601-1643) - King of France from the dynasty Bourbon , who ruled in 1610-1643. Son of Henry IV and Marie de Medici.
According to contemporaries, Louis from childhood showed bad inclinations that were not characteristic of either his father or mother. His main shortcomings were spiritual callousness and hardness of heart. In early childhood, while hunting in the palace garden, the Dauphin caught butterflies to tear them apart, and plucked the feathers from the caught birds or broke the wings. Once, the pitiful Henry IV caught his son in such a game and whipped him with his own hands.
Louis was eight years old when his father was killed by an assassin. The affairs of government passed to the mother, Maria Medici, and her favorite, the Italian Concino Concini, known in history under the name of Marshal d "Ancre. Mother almost did not take care of the young king and did not give him any education. The only person close to Louis remained for many his uncle Albert de Luignes was especially pleased with the Dauphin by his deep knowledge of training dogs and falcons for hunting. Louis was so attached to him that he could not let go of him even for a minute. but even after that, power remained in the hands of Maria Medici and her favorite. The king, not knowing how to get rid of the hated D "Ankr, decided, on the advice of Luyin, to kill the marshal. The execution of the plan was entrusted to the guards captain Vitry. On the morning of April 24, 1617, Vitry with three accomplices met the favorite in one of the Louvre corridors and shot him point-blank with a pistol. There is a legend that, having learned about this, Louis joyfully exclaimed: “Here is the first day of my real dominion!” He told his mother to convey that, as a good son, he would continue to respect her, but from now on he would rule the state himself. Marie de Medici retired to Blois. In reality, the king had neither the mind nor the desire to deal with the affairs of government himself. From d "Ancre, power passed to de Luyne. His death in 1621 opened the way to the throne for Cardinal Richelieu, who at first was a simple member royal council, but then very quickly moved to the post of first minister.
In his policy, Richelieu pursued two main goals: he tried to crush the power of the nobility and calm the Huguenots. And here and there he achieved complete success. In 1628, La Rochelle, which had been considered the backbone of their power for many decades, was taken from the Protestants, and other fortifications were destroyed. Thus, the separatist aspirations of the Huguenots and their dreams of creating their own republic independent of the king came to an end forever. In the same way, the nobility found in the face of the cardinal a terrible and ruthless opponent. In the fight against his enemies, he did not disdain anything: denunciations, espionage, gross forgeries, previously unheard-of deceit - everything went into action. Richelieu jokingly destroyed the plots drawn up against him, while his own intrigues usually ended in the execution of one or more of his enemies. Many brilliant representatives of the French aristocracy ended their lives on the scaffold in those years, and all the prayers to the king for their pardon remained unanswered. In general, Louis knew how to hate strongly, but he always loved cautiously. He was cruel by nature and, more than many other monarchs, suffered from the usual royal vice - ingratitude. The aristocracy trembled with horror and indignation, but in the end had to bow before the power of the cardinal. In private life, Louis showed little inclination for pleasure - nature made him pious and melancholic. Like many Bourbons, he loved manual labor: he weaved a net, repaired rifle locks and even forged whole guns, masterfully minted medals and coins, bred early green peas in a greenhouse and sent them to sell to the market, knew how to cook some dishes and shaved well (once, amused by the barber's skill over the beards of officers on duty, he came up with later fashionable royal beards). Women never played a big role in his life. Back in 1612, after the conclusion of a friendly treaty with Spain, Maria Medici and Philip III agreed to seal the union by marriage between the two royal families. Then Louis was betrothed to the Infanta Anna, although both he and she were still children. The wedding took place in November 1615. Due to the youth of the spouses, their matrimonial duties were postponed for two years. Anna of Austria soon realized that her marriage would not be happy. Sullen and silent, Louis stubbornly preferred hunting and music to her society. He spent whole days either with a gun or with a lute in his hands. The young queen, who went to Paris with the hope of a cheerful and joyful life, instead found boredom, monotony and sad loneliness. After an unsuccessful wedding night, the king only after four years decided to get close to his wife again. This time, his experience was successful, but several pregnancies ended in miscarriages. Louis again began to neglect the queen. For some time it seemed that he would not leave an heir. But then almost a miracle happened, and in 1638 Anna of Austria, to the great joy of her subjects, gave birth to the Dauphin Louis (the future Louis XIV). This is an important event was at the end of the reign. Five years later, the king began to suffer from inflammation of the stomach and died still a relatively young man.
All the monarchs of the world. Western Europe. Konstantin Ryzhov. Moscow, 1999.
Read further:
France in the 17th century (chronological table).
Historical persons of France (rulers).
Literature:
Lyublinskaya A.D., France at the beginning. XVII century., L., 1959;
Romain Gh., Louis XIII. Un grand roi méconnu (1601-1643), (p.), 1934;
Tapie V., La France de Louis XIII et de Richelieu, (p.), 1952.
Louis XIII of Bourbon - (born September 27, 1601 - death May 14, 1643) - King of France and Navarre, Louis 13, nicknamed the Just, ruled from 1610 to 1643. Son of Henry IV (the first king of the Bourbon dynasty) and Marie de Medici.
young king
After his father Henry IV was assassinated, Louis ascended the throne at the age of eight. The board passed to the mother, Marie de Medici as regent, and her favorite, the Italian Concino Concini, who is known in history as Marshal de Ancre. Maria paid little attention to the young king and gave him no education.
Only person who remained close to Louis for many years was his uncle Albert de Luyne. He especially pleased the Dauphin with his extensive knowledge of the training of dogs and the training of falcons for hunting. Louis was so attached to him that he would not let go of him even for a minute.
End of the reign of Marie de' Medici
1614 - the king was declared of age, however, even after that, power remained in the hands of Maria Medici and her favorite. The young monarch, not knowing how to get rid of the hated dAncre, on the advice of Luyin, decided to kill the marshal. The assassination was entrusted to the captain of the guard Vitry. On the morning of April 24, 1617, Vitry and three other accomplices met the favorite in one of the Louvre corridors and shot him point-blank with a pistol. A legend has come down to our days that, having learned about this, the king joyfully exclaimed: “Here is the first day of my real dominion!”
He ordered Mary Medici to convey that, as a good son, he would continue to respect her, but from now on he would rule the country himself. Mother retired to Blois. In fact, the king had neither the mind nor the desire to deal with state affairs himself. From dAncre, power passed to de Luyne. His death in 1621 opened the way to the throne, which at first was a simple member of the royal council, but then very quickly was able to advance to the post of first minister.
The reign of Cardinal Richelieu. intrigue
In his policy, Richelieu pursued 2 main goals: he tried to crush the power of the nobility and calm down the Huguenots. And here and there he was able to achieve complete success. 1628 - La Rochelle, which for many decades was considered the mainstay of their power, was taken from the Protestants, and other fortifications were destroyed. Thus, the separatist aspirations of the Huguenots and their dreams of creating their own republic independent of the monarch came to an end forever.
In the same way, the nobility received in the person of Richelieu a terrible and ruthless opponent. Waging a fight with his enemies, he did not disdain anything: denunciations, espionage, gross forgeries, deceit unheard of in former times - everything went into action. The cardinal effortlessly destroyed plots against him, while his personal intrigues usually ended in the execution of one or more of his enemies.
Many brilliant representatives of the French aristocracy ended their lives on the scaffold at that time, and all the prayers before Louis for their pardon remained unanswered. In general, the king knew how to hate strongly, but he always loved carefully. He was cruel by nature and, more than many other rulers, suffered from the usual royal vice - ingratitude. The aristocracy trembled with horror and indignation, but in the end they had to bow before the power of the cardinal.
The king's mother and some of his brothers plotted against Richelieu and the king himself. 1631 - Richelieu managed to uncover a conspiracy against the monarch. The goal of the conspirators was to kill Louis and seize power. After that, the monarch began to unconditionally trust the cardinal, giving him complete freedom of action.
Interests of Louis XIII
AT privacy the king showed no particular inclination for pleasure - nature made him pious and melancholic. Like many Bourbons, he loved manual labor: he weaved a net, repaired rifle locks and even forged whole guns, masterfully minted medals and coins, bred early green peas in a greenhouse and sent them to trade in the market, knew how to cook some dishes and shaved well ( once, having fun with the barber's skill over the beards of duty officers, he invented fashionable later royal beards).
Not every European monarch could say about himself: "The state is me." However…
Women in the life of the monarch never played a big role. Back in 1612, after concluding a friendly treaty with Spain, Marie de Medici and Philip III agreed to seal the union by marriage between the two royal dynasties. Then Louis was betrothed to the Infanta Anna, although both he and she were still children. 1615, November - the wedding took place. Due to the youth of the spouses, their performance of marital duties was postponed for 2 years. Anna of Austria soon realized that her marriage would not be happy. Sullen and silent, Louis stubbornly preferred hunting and music to her society. He spent whole days either with a gun or with a lute in his hands.
The young queen, who went to Paris with the hope of a cheerful and joyful life, instead found boredom, monotony and sad loneliness. After an unsuccessful wedding night, Louis only after 4 years decided to get close to his wife again. This time his experience was successful, but several pregnancies ended in miscarriages. The king began to neglect the queen again. For a time it seemed that he would leave no heir. However, after that almost a miracle happened, and in 1638 Anna of Austria, to the great joy of her subjects, gave birth to the Dauphin Louis (the future). This important event fell already at the end of the reign. After 5 years, Louis began to suffer from inflammation of the stomach and died as a relatively young man.
Despite the many beautiful seductive women, the king…
According to the testimonies of contemporaries, from childhood, Louis showed bad inclinations that were not characteristic of either his father or mother. His main shortcomings were spiritual callousness and hardness of heart. As a child, playing hunting in the palace garden, the Dauphin liked to catch butterflies in order to tear them apart, and pluck the feathers or break the wings of the caught birds. Once, the compassionate Henry IV caught his son in such a fun and personally whipped him.
The young monarch did not fulfill his marital duties. According to Robert de Montesquieu, the king's associates came up with a trick, deciding to show Louis what the process of love is. They led the young man into a secret room, in which his sister, the Duchess of Vendôme, and her husband made a visual demonstration. While the king watched, his doctor and confessor were next to him. After the doctor ascertained the physical changes in the state of the young king caused by this performance, he immediately sent Louis to bed, where the duly prepared Anna of Austria was waiting for him. The performance was a success, which was very strange in view of the fact that all the "conspirators" were present in the royal bedroom, observing the correctness of his actions.
Kings and Queens of France | Bourbon dynasty | Louis XIII
Louis XIII the Just
(fr. Louis XIII le Juste, 1601-1643) King of France and Navarre from May 14, 1610.
From the Bourbon dynasty
Son of Henry IV and Marie de Medici, was born in Fontainebleau on September 27, 1601. After Henry was killed by a religious fanatic on May 14, 1610, Louis ascended the throne (at the age of eight), but before he came of age, the business of government passed to his mother, Marie de Medici, and her favorite, the Italian Concino Concini, known in history under in the name of Marshal d'Ankra.
According to contemporaries, Louis from childhood showed bad inclinations that were not characteristic of either his father or mother. His main shortcomings were spiritual callousness and hardness of heart. In early childhood, while hunting in the palace garden, the Dauphin caught butterflies to tear them apart, and plucked the feathers from the caught birds or broke the wings.
Once, the pitiful Henry IV caught his son in such a game and whipped him with his own hands.
The youth of the king passed in an atmosphere of intrigue and even betrayal. Mother almost did not take care of the young king and did not give him any education. The only person close to Louis remained for many years his uncle Albert de Luyne, who had a strong influence on the young king.
In 1614, the king was declared of age, but even after that, power remained in the hands of Maria Medici and her favorite. The king, not knowing how to get rid of the hated d "Ankra and the constant guardianship of his mother, decided, on the advice of Luyin, to kill the marshal. The execution of the plan was entrusted to the guards captain Vitry. On the morning of April 24, 1617, Vitry with three accomplices met a favorite in one of the Louvre corridors and shot him at point-blank range with a pistol.Tradition has been preserved that, having learned about this, Louis joyfully exclaimed: "Here is the first day of my real dominion!"
He told his mother to convey that, as a good son, he would continue to respect her, but from now on he would rule the state himself. Marie de Medici retired to Blois.
The death of Albert de Luyne in 1621 opened the way to the throne for Cardinal Richelieu, who at first was a simple member of the royal council, but then very quickly moved to the post of first minister. From then until his death in 1642, Cardinal Richelieu remained a central figure on the French political scene.
In his policy, Richelieu pursued two main goals: he tried to crush the power of the nobility and calm the Huguenots. And here and there he achieved complete success. In 1628, La Rochelle, which had been considered the backbone of their power for many decades, was taken from the Protestants, and other fortifications were destroyed.
Thus, the separatist aspirations of the Huguenots and their dreams of creating their own republic independent of the king came to an end forever. In the same way, the nobility found in the face of the cardinal a terrible and ruthless opponent. In the fight against his enemies, he did not disdain anything: denunciations, espionage, gross forgeries, deceit unheard of before - everything went into action. Richelieu jokingly destroyed the plots drawn up against him, while his own intrigues usually ended in the execution of one or more of his enemies.
Many brilliant representatives of the French aristocracy ended their lives on the scaffold in those years, and all the prayers to the king for their pardon remained unanswered. In general, Louis knew how to hate strongly, but he always loved cautiously. He was cruel by nature and, more than many other monarchs, suffered from the usual royal vice - ingratitude. The aristocracy trembled with horror and indignation, but in the end had to bow before the power of the cardinal.
The traditional depiction of Louis as an obedient puppet in the hands of Richelieu is far from reality. Richelieu took his steps only with the approval of the king, and when the question arose of measures against the participants in the conspiracies (of which Richelieu exposed a great many), the king showed an uncompromising severity that exceeded that which Richelieu himself wanted from him.
Louis was a passionate lover of music. He played the harpsichord, masterfully owned a hunting horn, sang the first bass part in the ensemble, performing polyphonic courtly songs (airs de cour) and psalms.
He began to learn dancing from childhood and in 1610 made his official debut in the Dauphine Court Ballet. Louis performed noble and grotesque roles in court ballets, and in 1615 in the Ballet Madame he performed the role of the Sun.
Louis XIII - the author of courtly songs and polyphonic psalms; his music also sounded in the famous Merleson ballet (1635), for which he composed dances (Simphonies), invented costumes, and in which he himself performed several roles.
Ana de Austria, wife of Louis XIII, Anne of Austria (1601-1666)
Women never played a big role in his life. Back in 1612, after the conclusion of a friendly treaty with Spain, Maria Medici and Philip III agreed to seal the union by marriage between the two royal families. Then Louis was betrothed to the Infanta Anna, although both he and she were still children. The wedding took place in November 1615. Due to the youth of the spouses, their matrimonial duties were postponed for two years.
Anna of Austria soon realized that her marriage would not be happy. Sullen and silent, Louis stubbornly preferred hunting and music to her society. He spent whole days either with a gun or with a lute in his hands. The king remained without heirs for a very long time, until in 1638, when it seemed that all hopes were lost, almost a miracle happened, Anna of Austria, to the great joy of her subjects, gave birth to the Dauphin Louis (the future Louis XIV), and in 1640 she was born their second son, Philip I (of Orléans).
Philippe and his brother, the future Louis XIV of France
Anne of Austria, Regent, Louis XIV and Philippe, Duc d "Anjou
Louis IV, future King of France
Philippe I, Duke of Orléans (1640 - 1701) younger son
Henrietta Anne, Duchess of Orleans first wife of Philippe I
Elisabeth Charlotte von der Pfalz second wife of Philippe I
This important event took place at the end of the reign. Five years later, the king began to suffer from inflammation of the stomach and died still a relatively young man.
After the death of Richelieu (1642), his place was taken by his student, Cardinal Mazarin. However, the king outlived his minister by only a year. Louis died a few days before the victory at Rocroix.
The figure of this Louis is ambiguous and the character is contradictory ... Analyzing all the historical chronicles, I ask myself the question: Did the guy sincerely love someone, all the problems and misunderstandings come from childhood, as you know ....
And the fate of Louis himself and his wife Anna lived in parallel worlds, but this is my opinion ... you decide
Portrait of Louis XIII in 1611 by Pourbus, Frans the Younger, (Palazzo Pitti).
As a child, he had a governess, Madame de Mongla. And so, there was this personal doctor and nurse. These are the people who surrounded him. I must say that the queen turned out to be a bad mother. Firstly, it was accepted that the child was raised not by the queen, but by some specially appointed people. But Anna of Austria, for example, behaved towards her son, after all, otherwise, she was still in his life as a mother. Marie de Medici no, she did not love him at all. And plenty of evidence that she didn't want to see him.
Portrait en buste de Louis XIII à 10 ans, Peint au Louvre en 1611
She did not visit him when he was ill. Despite the fact that he loved her very much in childhood, as most often happens: children are very drawn to their mother, and it rarely happens that a child does not love his mother. There was practically no mother, only in official, representative functions. This cannot be said about his father, his father seemed to love him, and the only such kindred tenderness that he received was the tenderness of his father. But his father was a peculiar man. As a child, he was brought up in a simple way, flogged, and he believed that this did him good.
Monogram of the king Louis XIII in the western half of the northern side of the Cour Carrée du Louvre
In general, to be honest, if the Gascons and Bearnes do not hear, then this Bourbon courtyard is some kind of chicken coop, such a pretty village courtyard. Henry IV believed that if it benefited him, then his son would also benefit. And from the age of two (imagine!) this boy was flogged with rods in order to calm him down, in order to break his stubbornness (little children are often stubborn, right? They want something and achieve something). So, they pacified him with rods. And this happened very often, almost every day, because the boy, apparently as a result of such an upbringing, showed more and more stubbornness, disobedience, etc.
Maria de Medici and her son Louis XIII by Charles Martin
And there was another very unpleasant thing for the boy. It is known that Henry IV was a womanizer, as you said. He had many women. Moreover, he was not at all embarrassed that it was in front of everyone, these women were in the same palace, everyone knew everything perfectly. From each of these women he had children, so he had a lot of children, he recognized all of them as his own, it was also known to everyone that these were royal children - the dukes of Vendôme and all sorts of other marquises.
Henri IV, the royal family and Fouquet of Varenne
They were all brought up together, and these women surrounded these children. That is, small children also knew all this very well. Yes, this is also okay - although this caused great difficulties for the children: they were jealous of each other. Little Louis did not like them all very much. But this is still okay. The thing is that Henry IV did not at all consider it necessary to hide his sexual life from the boy, in the literal sense: he not only explained everything and showed everything, on purpose, he believed that this should be done. And thus this a little boy(probably it was the same with others, we just don’t know about them, but we know very well about this one) from the most early years was deprived of childish innocence, ignorance.
And this is very bad in the future affected the development of his child's psyche. It is known that already at the age of 5-6 he was afraid of his sister. He was generally afraid of girls. Well, of course, this should have had an effect later on in his future male life. That was his childhood. He had a very strict nanny, a governess, who was not at all afraid to flog him, did it quite often, especially since his father insisted on it.
Indeed, we know that the boy was very often aggressive at an early age. And it was such aggressiveness ... the king liked to tease him. A case is known when the king tore off his hat and put it on himself. The boy did not like it very much (it was a very small boy, he was three and a half years old), he began to demand that the king give him this hat. And the king took something else away from him… there was a drum, some sticks, and the boy literally went crazy, he was hysterical. Then we will read in the diary (Herroir was the name of this doctor) Héroir that in his youth, in his younger years, he had such convulsive seizures, which then gave researchers grounds to say that he had epilepsy.
Louis XIII enfant, par François Rude, Musée des beaux-arts de Dijon
In general, when he was born, the doctor writes that he was such a strong, healthy boy, though there was a slight defect in the tongue: on the second day of his life, the frenulum under the tongue was cut. But in general, he was a very healthy child, but such an upbringing led to the fact that already at a young age he began to get sick, he began to have such psychosomatic disorders, when some kind of organ dysfunction associated with a very strong neurosis begins.
Louis XIII enfant, sculpture de François Rude en 1878, exposé au Musée des beaux-arts de Lyon
And then he developed inflammation of the intestines, which accompanied him all his life, and he suffered terribly from this. Later, in his mature years, since the body was weakened by this constant indigestion, it is believed that he died of tuberculosis, he developed tuberculosis. He died at the age of 42. In our opinion, this is still a young man.
His father Henry IV was killed quite unexpectedly in 1610, when the boy, as we understand it, was 9 years old. And the queen mother Marie de Medici became the regent. She was very happy about this fact, that at last, she, firstly, freed herself from her husband, who humiliated her with his behavior (she was very unhappy with him, of course). And she felt free, she felt in power. Around her were people like Concini, that Italian adventurer who had recently married the beloved friend of Marie de Medici, her childhood friend. And this couple - the Concini family - completely subordinated the queen to their influence, and they ruled such a trio.
Louis continued to flog, I must say, for a long time. Here, he is the king, and he is being flogged. In addition, it is practically not taught. And even when he began to grow up, this couple of Concini (if such evidence) purposely deprived him of the necessary education, because they were interested in him as late as possible and being as less able as possible to really take the throne, to become a real king.
They were interested in the fact that the regency lasted as long as possible. And, by the way, in France, the kings, in any case, maturity came at 13 years old. And officially, when 13 years old, the regency officially ended. Of course, a child at the age of 13 cannot still rule the kingdom, this is clear. So the boy was taught very poorly, he received only what was absolutely necessary, that is, he was taught to read, write and sacred history. He did not receive a real systematic education, which, for example, Richelieu received at his Parisian college.
At the same time, again, Eruar's testimonies, first of all, indicate that he was a capable boy. Firstly, he showed sharpness of mind, such irony of mind even in early childhood. He learned to write and read very early, among other things. He was very fond of drawing, willingly did this and very willingly studied this. He very willingly studied music and even as an adult, he composed music. That is, apparently, he was a man of such a right hemisphere warehouse, as intuitive as people of art can be, but he was less interested in more exact sciences.
However, they taught him little. He was taught very badly. And what they taught, really, very well and what these high-ranking political educators followed, was hunting. This is what they made sure that he studied it properly and did it. They believed that the king should hunt. Such a count de Luynes was assigned to him, they believed that this was such a very simple person, not capable of any intrigues against them, and now he was made such an educator of the young king.
But they miscalculated in the sense that Luin turned out to be a different person, in fact, Ludovic became very attached to him, he was his most beloved person at that time. Well, some other people were found near the king. And when the boy was 16 years old, he took the royal power for himself. With the help of his entourage, he organized the murder of Concini, a friend of his mother's closest, his wife was then executed, the queen regent was removed from power.
Young Louis
And from that moment on, it is believed that Louis XIII really comes into his powers. And then it turns out that he is completely incapable of ruling the state. And, apparently, he himself is aware of this, because he very actively begins to engage in state affairs, to delve into everything, to try to do something. Look for advisers, despite the fact that this is a 16-year-old boy. Of course they are in charge. But at this moment, when he realizes himself as a person who must govern his state, must govern the country, here he begins, by the way, to study and gain some knowledge and some opportunities, including choose people who would allow him to do this.
Louis XIII
AT this case a person, indeed, carries his cross with which he was born. And so, by the way, Louis XIII perceived this precisely as a cross that he must bear, since it was entrusted to him by the Lord. He was a very religious person, and he carried this cross all his life, trying to do it the way he considered worthy to do it. And, in general, he succeeded. Although, of course, everything was there during this reign.
Claude Lorrain - Siège de la Rochelle par Louis XIII. 1628
But now, when I look at childhood, upbringing, where all these kings came from, more or less worthy or completely unattractive, like, say, Louis XV, when I look at where it came from, the optics somehow change. You see, it really could have been worse. Louis XIII, of course, was a tragic figure, because he was all that was in him, that he carried from his childhood, into adulthood he has learned to restrain, he has learned to restrain his aggression, he has learned to restrain his different kinds of impulses and different kinds of needs. But this restraint led to the fact that, of course, the constant retention of some feelings and some complexes in oneself led to self-destruction, so he did not live long.
Wax King at Madame Tussauds
Marie de Medici pursued a pro-Spanish policy.At the end of 1615, 14-year-old Anna of Austria arrived in France and on October 18 she married Louis XIII. At first, the king was fascinated by his wife, who was deservedly considered the first beauty of Europe, but after a while it turned out that the young spouses were completely unprepared for family life. Their relationship grew colder every year. Anna was prone to treason and intrigue, and in addition tried to pursue a pro-Spanish policy in France. The queen supported plots against Richelieu.
The king paid more attention to his favorites than to his wife. In 1617, Charles Albert de Ligne took the place of the main favorite. At his instigation, the king, having removed his mother from business, sent her to Blois, and Marshal d'Ancre was killed.
"Wedding of Louis XIII of France and Anne of Austria"
Louis was a passionate lover of music. From the age of three, the future king played the lute, considering it the "queen of instruments", as well as the harpsichord; masterfully owned a hunting horn and sang the first bass part in the ensemble, performing polyphonic courtly songs (airs de cour) and psalms.
Jean Chalette Marriage de Louis XIII Toulouse..
From childhood he began to study dancing and in 1610 made his official debut in the court "Dauphin Ballet". Louis performed noble and grotesque roles in court ballets, and in 1615 he performed the role of the Sun in Madame's Ballet.
Louis XIII - the author of courtly songs and polyphonic psalms; his music also sounded in the famous "Merleson Ballet" (1635), for which he composed dances ("Simphonies"), invented costumes, and in which he himself performed several roles.
In 1619-1620 Marie de Medici twice tried to overthrow the favorite, but failed. In August 1620 she established contact with Louis XIII through Richelieu. In 1621, de Ligne died, in the south of France unrest began among the Huguenots. Louis XIII personally took part in hostilities. He willingly used the advice of Richelieu, who in September 1622 was appointed cardinal.
Armand Jean du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu
In 1624, Richelieu became the first minister, and the king, who suffered from many illnesses and bouts of anguish, entrusted him with the administration of the country. Richelieu, having completely broken with the Queen Mother, abandoned pro-Spanish politics. Thanks to many historical novels (primarily A. Dumas the father), the stereotype of Richelieu's "dictatorship" and the weak-willed king has become stronger in society, but numerous sources indicate the opposite.
Louis XIII Crowned by Victory by Philippe de Champaigne (Louvre INV 1135)
There was no diktat of the cardinal. And the relationship between the king and his first minister, although not smooth, was not the same as Vignet and Dumas described it. Foreign policy King with the advent of Cardinal Richelieu began to change, but this happened gradually.
Throne room at Fontainebleau
From the point of view of the government, first of all, it was necessary to restore order within the country, which meant reconciliation (or pacification, as the case may be) of opponents of strong royal power, which were not necessarily exclusively Huguenots. But it was the latter who found themselves on the edge of the sword of the cardinal, since the Huguenot party decided to take advantage of external support in the person of Spain and England. By the end of the 1620s, the Huguenots were pacified, and a special royal edict regulated the religious and political rights of Protestants within the country.
Grande salle du Palais-Cardinal c1642 engraving Le Soir by van Lochun - Holsboer 1933 plate6
Created: 1 January 1642
At the same time, the government tried to deprive the Huguenots of external support (the defeat of the English squadron near La Rochelle and an attempt to resolve conflicts with Spain). In order to make Spain more accommodating, the Richelieu government stepped up its policy in northern Italy. The French House of Nevers was granted succession to the throne in Mantua after the War of the Mantua Succession (1628-1631).
Only at the end of the 1630s did relations between Louis and Anna improve, and in 1638 and 1640 their two sons were born, the future Louis XIV and Philip I of Orleans.
Maria Medici, having drawn up a new conspiracy on November 10-12, 1630, together with her supporters demanded the resignation of Richelieu, but the king preferred his protege. Maria was sent into exile, fled to Brussels and died in exile. In May 1635, France declared war on Spain; in August 1636, Spanish troops rapidly approached Paris. Richelieu advised the king to start evacuating the capital, but the king, having shown character in this case, led the army and personally participated in the defeat of the Spaniards.
Being at odds with his wife for many years, Louis reconciled with her, and in 1638 (after 23 years of marriage) their first child, the future Louis XIV, appeared.
In 1642, the king did not survive the betrayal of his favorite, the Marquis de Saint-Mar, who led another conspiracy against Richelieu. Louis died five months after the death of his first minister.
But what about Anna? How did she live with a beautiful and cold husband?
And how does she look like a Medici mother, huh?
The daughter and sister of the Spanish kings, Anna of Austria was born at the very beginning of the 17th century, in August 1601. She remained Austrian in history because her mother, Princess Marianne, was from Austria, from the famous Habsburg dynasty.
On a portrait by Rubens
With an heir French throne she was engaged as a child. Married to the capricious, sickly and heartless Louis XIII solely for political reasons, the proud and chaste, educated in a puritanical spirit, the Spanish infanta became not a wife, but a magnificent doll, which the king forgot about as soon as the next ceremonial ceremony ended.
Suffice it to say that the heir to the throne, the future Sun King Louis XIV, was born twenty-three years after the wedding of his parents. However, such a strange fact is easy to explain: the king of France gave preference to favorites. He revived only by training dogs and playing the lute. He was also an excellent cook and gardener: he grew green peas and sent servants to sell them in the market ...
Anna von Osterreich
As it became known after the autopsy of his body, King Louis XIII could not have children at all. The results of the autopsy were made public only during the period of the French Revolution ... That's the question !!! Bastard king? The most famous and odious in the history of the monarchy !!!
That's another topic for now...
Another portrait by Rubens
However, historical facts they say that Louis XIII did not ignore women either - in particular, he gave a clear preference to the “disgraced” Duchess de Chevreuse, well-known to us from The Three Musketeers. The piquancy of the situation was aggravated by the fact that he assigned his metress to the queen as the first lady of state. The women became friends so that the duchess became Anna's closest confidante.
It was the beautiful duchess who inspired the following thought in her friend and mistress: one should repay the king for the coldness with the same coin, not ruin youth in desolate solitude and find an admirer among the courtiers. At first, Anna brushed aside the sly advice of the duchess, but gradually began to think about her words. Sighing languidly, Cardinal Richelieu, who dedicated poems to his beloved queen, did not please her. And if it does, it won't be for long...
Lit de justice tenu par Louis XIII au Parlement de Paris le lendemain de la mort de Henri IV son père. May 15, 1610
The love of Anne of Austria and the Duke of Buckingham should rightly be called "the romance of the century." It is hardly possible to think of another couple who would pay such a high price for a few fleeting dates, most of them completely innocent. And what happened between them, in the end, looked like a sweet pastoral against the backdrop of the then court life, when marital fidelity was considered a vice rather than a virtue, and love affairs were proudly paraded around the world.
Duke of Buckingham
Rumor has long spread throughout the French kingdom legends about the extraordinary beauty, intelligence, charm of the duke. And most importantly - about his irresistibility and the fantastic number of victims of his red tape. Tall, superbly built, with fiery black eyes, the duke could turn more than one woman's head. This handsome man, who arrived in Paris as an ambassador, accompanied by a magnificent retinue, was dressed in such a luxurious way that even kings did not occur to them. Dazzling the entire French court with wealth and beauty, the duke surprised him with his gracefulness in dancing. Several times he was the Knight of Anna of Austria. Thousands of eyes followed them, most of them admiring the brilliant couple.
Abraham Bosse, Louis XIII Listens to the Provost of the Merchants of Paris on December 23, 1628.
On that festive evening, the duke captivated not only Queen Anne. The Duchess de Chevreuse fell madly in love with Buckingham. As a result, Louis demanded from Cardinal Richelieu that the impudent Englishman be expelled from the kingdom within twenty-four hours. Richelieu did not do this: for him, the political interests of France were more important than momentary royal whims.
Anne d "Autriche, infante d" Espagne, reine de France, par Paul Delaroche d "après Gilbert de Sève
Buckingham's love for Anne of Austria may have been his only true love. Although the woman he loved was called the Queen of France, she seemed (and she was!) Unhappier than her last subject.
The fact that Anna was considered an extraordinary beauty, none of her contemporaries wrote. This is not confirmed by the famous portraits of the Queen. But the appearance of nature obviously did not offend her. From her mother, Anna inherited very white and delicate skin, luxurious blond hair and a large, very bright mouth, and from her father - high stature, a chiseled nose and large blue eyes.
Simon Vouet - Allegorical Portrait of Anna of Austria as Minerva
Evidence of another kind has survived - about her truly royal sensitivity. The slightest touch of an ordinary linen against her skin caused irritation. Therefore, the thin sheets that were made to order for her could easily be passed through the ring. Anna was irritated by the smell of roses, and when she saw this flower in the pictures, she sometimes lost consciousness at the mere thought of its aroma.
Anna became attached to Buckingham with all the fervor of the first passionate love. Once, having danced with him for an entire evening, the young queen could not contain her feelings. Returning to her chambers, in the presence of the ladies of the court, she clasped de Chevreuse in her arms and kissed her passionately, weeping and muttering words of tenderness addressed to the duke.
Accidentally or on purpose, but he stopped at the house of the Duchess de Chevreuse, who undertook to arrange a secret meeting of lovers. It was she who had the brilliant idea to dig an underground passage from the cellar of her house to the crypts of the nearby convent of Val de Grace.
Dumonstier Anne of Austria
It was agreed that the queen would come in the evening to the church of this monastery, where Buckingham, disguised as a Capuchin monk, would be waiting for her, and they would enter the duchess's house using a tunnel. Unfortunately, one of Richelieu's spies hid in the church, who paid for it with his life - the duke masterfully wielded a sword. The meeting broke down, the queen and duchess fled the church. The corpse of the spy was discovered, the cardinal ordered an investigation that established the existence of an underground passage, and the duchess swore that she had no idea about him. She escaped with a slight fright, while the queen was subjected to house arrest in the Louvre.
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham.
The wedding celebrations were over, and Princess Henrietta, now the Queen of England, went to her new home. Before seaport her brother accompanied her french king, daughter-in-law - the French queen and, of course, the Duke of Buckingham.
: Cardinal Richelieu, Maria de "Medici and Louis XIII of France
Duke of Buckingham
The queen really gave the duke diamond pendants - in Boulogne, at parting. The cardinal's spies hastened to report that Anna, who had lost her head from love, presented her lover with an aiguillette with twelve pendants - a gift from her crowned husband.
Leaving the English queen in Boulogne, whom he accompanied, the duke returned to Amiens for a day after Anna and obtained an audience with her. The queen was unwell, received him while lying in bed, and thus made it possible for him to more cardinal spies to get confirmation of this scandalous connection. Late in the evening she slipped out into the garden for a few minutes to say goodbye to Buckingham. This meeting was described by Dumas in The Three Musketeers and did not sin against the truth: it was extremely short and absolutely innocent.
Chambers at Fontainebleau
The return of Queen Anne to the Louvre was overshadowed by the coarse coldness shown by her husband. Of course, Cardinal Richelieu also had a hand in fanning the royal anger, offended primarily not as a rejected lover, but as a statesman, to whom the queen's romance confused all the cards of a big political game.
And in London, one of the duke's mistresses, Lady Clarick, remained. Richelieu, even during the stay of the brilliant duke in Paris, contacted his English master, notifying the beautiful lady of Buckingham's new hobby. After the Duke's departure from France and the return of Queen Anne to Paris, the Cardinal sent a letter to Lady Clarick.
Chambers at Fontainebleau
Richelieu knew perfectly well that the duke would certainly hasten to show the royal gift to the court. And he really put it on the very first court masquerade. Lady Clarick managed to get two pendants, but ... The situation was saved not by a brave musketeer, but by the duke's valet. Undressing his master after the masquerade, he discovered that two pendants were missing. And then Buckingham acted independently, being a man no more stupid than Richelieu, only younger and more addicted. He instantly guessed both the thief and the reasons for the theft, and at the same moment took all the necessary measures.
Anne of Austria mourning her father Philip III of Spain in 1621 by Frans Pourbus the younger
Meanwhile, in France, events took a dramatic turn, long known to us from The Three Musketeers. Richelieu, under the pretext of reconciliation of the royal spouses, invited Louis to give a big ball in the palace, inviting the queen to it. In the evening of the same day, the queen received a letter from the king.This conciliatory letter brought Anne of Austria into indescribable horror. Everything hung in the balance: honor, crown, her very life, perhaps. The Duchess de Chevreuse suggested that the queen be ill for a few days and send a messenger to London, to the duke. But Richelieu foresaw this too: the queen was deprived of all the servants devoted to her, in any case, those whose absence could go unnoticed. In addition, by order of the King of England, all ports were closed and communication with France was interrupted.
Anne d "Autriche, infante d" Espagne, reine de France, enceinte de 8 mois du futur Louis XIV, en 1638, par Charles Beaubrun
Richelieu lost sight of only one "detail": the actual king of England was Buckingham ... At dawn the next day, the Duchess de Chevreuse ran into the queen's bedroom and exclaimed: "Your Majesty, you are saved, saved!"Buckingham sent a courier to the Duchess, and she gave the Queen a case with an aiguillette and a letter from a noble lover:“Noticing the loss of the pendants and guessing about the evil intentions against the queen, my mistress, I ordered all the ports of England to be locked up that same night, justifying this order with a political measure ... Taking this opportunity, I ordered two new pendants to be made and, with pain in my heart, I return to my mistress what whatever she wanted to give me…”
Egmont Anne of Austria
Augustus Leopold Egg
As it turned out many years later, the two new pendants turned out to be a very skillful forgery - after all, jewelers did not have time to cut real diamonds. Whether the enamored duke knew about this is unknown. Is it even the same? The main thing is that these stones saved the queen from shame!Just before the ball, the cardinal presented the king with two diamond pendants and announced - in the presence of the queen! - that the duke valued her gift so little that he presented it to his next passion, and she began to sell diamonds one at a time. The queen showed amazing composure and ordered one of the ladies-in-waiting to bring a chest from the boudoir. The order was instantly executed, and everyone saw the aiguillette intact and intact. The king did not understand anything, but immediately calmed down.
Retrato de la reina Ana de Austria (1601-1666), que fue hija del rey Felipe III de España y esposa del monarca Luis XIII de Francia.
The cardinal understood everything - and hated the queen even more fiercely.
Buckingham, for his part, made politics an instrument of his love: he looked for any means to come to France under a plausible pretext. The desired occasion was not slow to be found. Between Charles I and his wife Henrietta of France, mutual displeasure arose, and they family life began to closely resemble the relationship between Louis and Anne in France. British Queen decided to go to France, to see her mother - the Dowager Queen Marie de Medici. Charles agreed on one condition: the Duke of Buckingham would accompany the queen. "Sister is free to come with anyone, but not with Buckingham!" Louis exclaimed furiously.
Chambers in Chambord
The duke, having learned about the inflexibility of the king, in turn lost his common sense. From that moment on, relations between the two powers deteriorated almost irreparably. Everything foreshadowed the inevitable complete break and a real war between the French and the British. As a result, in August 1628, Buckingham was killed by a lone fanatic who did not say a word from the moment of the murder until his own execution. But some claimed that the killer - Felton - was seen in the palace of Cardinal Richelieu two weeks before the tragedy.…
Death of Buckingham. Leopold Egg
Love for the queen allowed Buckingham to become exactly that noble knight, whom we know from the novel by Dumas, by the end of his life. The duke remained in the memory of posterity primarily due to the fact that he was the beloved of the queen, who tragically died because of this love at the age of thirty-six. And almost no one remembers that this noble handsome man began as a lover English king. Few people managed to turn from a courtesan into a politician, and from a concubine into a romantic lover ... Buckingham succeeded.
Chambers in the Hofburg castle
The news of the death of a beloved, oh new meeting with whom she dreamed for three whole years, severely struck Queen Anne. Love for him was the only happiness of her life, memories of him - the only consolation. For days on end, locked in her palace chapel, the queen prayed for the repose of the soul of a man whom she had never met again. Her husband gave her a week to mourn, and then arranged a magnificent ball in the Louvre with a court ballet and invited the queen to participate in it. After several pas, the queen fell unconscious to the floor. She never danced again - until her death, although she simply adored dancing.
Signé le 7 novembre 1659. Portraits équestres de Louis XIV suivi d "Anne d" Autriche et de son frère Philippe, duc d "Anjou accueillis par Minerve,
According to some historians, Anna of Austria, having united with Gaston of Orleans, younger brother her husband, repeatedly plotted the arrest of the king and the change of power on the throne. In this she was supported by relatives in Austria and Spain. There is a version that Anna and Gaston were lovers and planned to rule France together after the deposition of Louis. But these plans were not destined to come true ...Anna of Austria was to become the queen mother with her loving son the Sun King, to survive many political events in France. Immediately after the death of her husband, she returned to the court all those sent by the late king.
Cardinal Mazarin with the queen, illustration from The three musketeers.
The last years of her life were brightened up by a connection with Cardinal Mazarin, a cunning and dexterous politician. They say that their relationship was even consecrated by the church. But whether love warmed Queen Anne's heart in the same way that it warmed him in her younger years - who knows?
Despite her age, the queen was still attractive. So much so that, according to the chroniclers, a handsome and young marquis of twenty-two fell in love with her in all seriousness.
In 1643-1651, she was regent under the infant Louis XIV, in fact, the state was ruled by Giulio Mazarin, who was appointed by her as the first minister. In 1661, after the death of Mazarin, she was excluded from the royal council when Louis XIV began to rule on his own. The queen mother no longer had any political influence on the affairs of the kingdom. Anna later retired to the convent of Val-de-Grâce.
Here is such a story without favorites, leaving a bunch of questions, a little embellished by me (slightly) for your interest ... Do not blame me ...
Bulycheva A. Gardens of Armida. - M., 2004.
Talleman de Reo. Louis XIII // Entertaining stories / transl. from fr. A. A. Engelke. - L .: Science. Leningrad branch, 1974. - S. 112-127. — (Literary monuments)
Shishkin V. V. Noble environment of Louis XIII. // French Yearbook 2001. - M., 2001.
A. Bazin, "Histoire de France sous Louis XIII" (P., 1846)
Topin, "Louis XIII et Richelieu" (P., 1876)
B. Zeller, "La minorité de Louis XIII, 1610-12" (P., 1892)
Thea Leitner. Habsburgs verkaufte Töchter. 8. Auflage. Piper, Munich 1999,
Anka Muhlstein. Koniginnen auf Zeit. 1. Auflage. Insel, Frankfurt am Main 2005, I
http://www.greatwomen.com.ua/-8
On the day of the death of Henry IV, May 14, 1610, his son Louis, the thirteenth in name, ascended the throne. The new king is 9 years old. Now he, early deprived of paternal love, will have to rule the state under the authority of his authoritarian mother, Marie de Medici, who took over the regency under a minor monarch. September 27, 1614 Louis turns 13, the age of majority that cancels the regency, but in his first act of October 2, addressing Parliament, the king "begs his mother to continue to rule the state, as she did before." It was to his mother that he wanted to leave the role of head of state, in addition, none of his entourage, and he himself, did not find in himself the ability to govern the state. It was believed that the young king simply had no inclination for this. In spreading such rumors, the arrogant favorite of Maria Medici, the Italian Concini, whose cynicism and impudence reached the point that he allowed himself to sit on the Council on behalf of the king, lend the minor monarch with money from his own treasury, and also always remained in a hat in the presence of Louis, which, according to the laws of that time, was simply insulting.
On February 12, 1614, a certain Armand Jean du Plessis de Richelieu, 29-year-old Bishop of Luzon, sends assurances of his allegiance and offers of his services to Concini. The bishop writes: “I beg you to believe that all my assurances of eternal obedience will be put into action for the good of your grace, if you will only allow a particle of your love to overshadow my unworthy head.” On November 26, 1616, the young prelate becomes secretary of state. He will not remain in this post for long, his benefactor Concini will be killed on April 24, 1617 by order of Louis XIII. Thus, the king regained the power usurped by his mother's lover, became a full-fledged sovereign.
Richelieu returned the favor of the king and all the privileges associated with it. From 1624 until 1642, the year of his death, he was the permanent head of government. Despite their political longevity, the relationship between the king and the cardinal cannot be called simple, especially at the end. 1642 was turning point for the monarch and his minister in many ways. The king is 41 years old, the cardinal is 58, the war with Spain exhausted the forces of the state and put these two on opposite sides of the barricades. Richelieu is also forced to contend with the growing influence of the brilliant Saint-Mars, a favorite whom he himself placed in the service of the king. Having rooted out the conspirators, including Saint-Mar, Louis learns of the death of Marie de Medici. The queen died in exile, skillfully removed from the court by the same Richelieu. Melancholy took possession of the heart of the king, he mourns the death of his mother and regrets the execution of his pet Saint Mar, who tried to overthrow Richelieu. The cardinal, despite the hostility of the king, still remained an invaluable support for him. After all, it was necessary to lead the state and continue the Thirty Years' War. No one could predict for the time being how long this political connection between the minister and the king would last, and who would leave the arena first.
La Rochefoucauld writes that on November 17, Richelieu passes through Paris as a "triumphant" and settles in the beautiful Cardinal Palace. On the 19th he works with Mazarin, whom he has chosen as his successor. On Thursday, December 4, 1642, on the day of Saint Barbara, at noon, Cardinal Richelieu, whom envious people predicted a violent death, quietly died in his bed. Upon learning of this, Louis, who was waiting for news from the cardinal's palace "without betraying either joy or sorrow," uttered just one phrase: "He died, great politician". The country was in the midst of change. It is time to return to the old order; nobles, parliament - all sought to regain their traditional duties and the privileges inseparable from them, previously concentrated in the hands of Richelieu. All hopes and aspirations turned to the king - whether he would resist change.
Often, historians present Louis XIII as a weak likeness of their crowned father and son, Henry IV and Louis XIV, forgetting that he ruled France in a difficult, critical period. It is readily emphasized that it was difficult for the king to move away from the power of his mother in order to immediately fall under the influence of Richelieu. In fact, we believe that Louis III was torn apart by a strong intrapersonal conflict. On the one hand, he wanted to see himself as a glorified monarch and overlord, overthrowing enemies, on the other, he was ordinary person not endowed with courage, bravery and dexterity. It was this conflict of his that Richelieu unraveled and managed to take advantage of. The cardinal rightly believed that power is an object of desire, that it goes to the one who knows how to win and keep it. The idea itself is revolutionary, it was masterfully carried out. In contrast to his chief minister, Louis XIII did not know the spirit of competition. God and his birthright had already given him this power, he did not need to seek it. Acute awareness of the divine principle of royal power imposed on him a huge responsibility for disposing of it. Imitation of the divine order, according to Louis, is the best form of royal power.
The very circumstances of his accession to the throne formed the image of a God-chosen monarch-seer, a worthy descendant of St. Louis. In his person and in his reign the reconciliation of the Bourbons with Catholicism takes place. It is Louis XIII who embodies the model of a pious and pious ruler, allowing religious laws and customs to penetrate into all layers of the life of the state, subordinating all existence to Catholic dogmas and principles, building a kind of kingdom of God on earth. There is also a positive element in this piety. Thanks to him, the future of the crown is ensured - from Anna of Austria, Louis had two sons. Piety made him a slave to marital duty, although we know that the king himself was most likely a homosexual. Under chastity and excessive modesty, repressed desires were hidden, which, nevertheless, did not prevent him from surrounding himself with numerous favorites and platonic lovers.
Louis XIII was usually very silent, the mask of melancholy and severity seemed to be forever frozen on his face. He was a neurotic who constantly suppressed his inclinations, did not like noisy feasts and had simple tastes, both in food and in clothes. Courtesan and courtly luxury was alien to him. He suffered from stuttering and involuntary convulsions of the limbs in moments of great shock. But, despite the fact that his character was unstable and weak, the king was still endowed with remarkable will and the ability to achieve his own. It was necessary to have an exceptional character in order to endure the blows that fate had in store for him. Therefore, those who consider Louis a puppet in the hands of experienced courtiers are wrong. He possessed all the qualities inherent in a real monarch. First of all, he zealously defended the royal power, which, in his opinion, is the only one capable of benefiting the state and subjects. Vauclane de Yvto, the king's mentor, left such a verbal portrait of his pupil: “In addition, he is endowed with a strong sense of common sense: he is smart, but has a narrow outlook, pays too much attention to details; he is pious and conscientious to the extreme, and militant opponents know that they can win over the king to their side, if you appeal to his royal mind. In the personality of Louis, the king prevails over the man. It is the king who brings France into the arena of political and military activity, it is the king who issues edicts and decrees aimed only at strengthening his own power and glorifying himself in posterity. In the military sphere, Louis acts much more decisively, Richelieu, who is more inclined to compromises and agreements.
Physically, Louis XIII is a sickly, depressive person. Numerous ailments accompany him throughout his life: early epilepsy, attacks of gout, intestinal diseases (possibly Crohn's disease), migraines, hemorrhoids, lack of lacrimal and salivary secretion (possibly Gougerot's disease). After the death of Richelieu, everything rests on the weak health of the king.
All contemporaries note the ambiguity of the king's reaction to the death of the cardinal. The future Marshal d’Estre analyzes Louis’s feelings in his memoirs: “Judging by the relationship between him [Richelieu] and the king, it can be stated with great confidence that His Majesty is rather glad of his death than saddened by it. Although the king had lost a faithful servant and champion of the faith, he could not but be satisfied with his death, despite the fact that he did not publicly show his feelings. Now the king has got rid of all the disaffected belonging to the cardinal and his government.
The order appointing Mazarin as minister was signed on the eve of Richelieu's death. Louis did not hesitate for a minute, he understood that delaying with the receiver was fraught with political scandals and new conspiracies. To announce the decision on the appointment, he immediately summoned Chancellor Seguier and Surintendent Boutilier, henchmen of the cardinal, thus showing that he continues to trust them. According to Justiniani, Richelieu's policy continued to be put into practice. Justiniani quoted the king: “I want to continue to follow the principles of the aforementioned Cardinal and not deviate one iota from them, which is why I want to introduce Cardinal Mazarin to the Council, since he, more than anyone else, is aware of the goals and rules of the aforementioned Cardinal ".
The king needed considerable courage to resist the opinion of the opposition. He understood that although Thirty Years' War the situation was not in favor of France, the signing of the peace was not beneficial at all. He knew that he would have to retreat from conquests in Lorraine, Alsace, Italy and Spain, that he would have to negotiate, but it was best to negotiate under the protection of his army. Inside the country, it is necessary to establish complete political silence and calm the opposition. It is necessary to show the whole world that the political system has not weakened due to the death of one of the representatives, that the hand of the monarch firmly rules the country, that the line of behavior taken earlier will not be abandoned. A circular letter was sent to parliamentarians, provincial governors and all ambassadors in foreign missions. Louis addresses them without equivocation: “We decided to preserve all the institutions we created during the period of his [Richelieu] ministry and to continue all the intentions conceived with him within our state and beyond, without changing or adding anything. That is why we decided to call to us our dear cousin, Cardinal Mazarin, who served us honestly and respectfully, so that his good deeds would continue our work.” Thus, the small Council was replenished with a second cardinal.
Perhaps Louis XIII felt that by acting in this way, he was continuing the work of his father, Henry IV, whom he loved and idolized to the end of his days. Silencing his feelings, sympathies and antipathies, he made a choice in favor of common sense - the very next day after the death of the cardinal, he proclaimed himself his political heir. Thus, the opponents of the cardinal could not keep silent.
Louis lived until May 14, 1643. During the whole time, his health rapidly deteriorated. Since the Dauphin was still too small (he was born on September 5, 1638), everyone was preoccupied with the question of a regent. For some, it has become an obsession. At first (December 1, 1642), the king decisively rejects the candidacy of his brother, Gaston of Orleans, then reconsiders his decision, then rejects it again. April 20, 1643. the rules of the regency are publicly announced, a complex scheme designed to limit the power of Anne of Austria. However, just 4 days after the death of the monarch, on May 18, Parliament passes a decree that crosses out all the prescriptions of Louis. Louis XIV is proclaimed king, and Anna of Austria is a full regent. Mazarin, who was also the godfather of the young king, remained chief minister. The political alliance between the queen regent and the minister had been formed for a long time, its participants, both foreigners, by the way, pursued one goal - to preserve and strengthen the power of Louis XIV. Mazarin would be devoted to the young monarch and his mother for the rest of his life. And the new reign was marked by the brilliant victory of the young Duke of Enghien, the future Great Conde, in the battle with the Spaniards at Rocroi on May 19, 1643.
