Louis XIV

[size=18]VIVE LA FRANCE[/size]

What a cool picture! He was a great king, though he spent a lot of money . . .

Yes, those high heels must have been so expensive...

Surely he is an ancestor of the Noble Grand Duke of Lipton on Avon. I can see SUCH a resemblance!!!

Surely ha is an ancestor of the Noble Grand Duke of Lipton on Avon. I can see SUCH a resemblance!!!

Just noticed that I'm a God now! Must change my signature!

Is this the Louis who regularly danced in court ballets as a young man?  He is showing good 'turnout' in that painting.

He wore the heels because he was quite short, a la Napoleon who always made himself look taller in his portraits by sitting on a horse etc . . .

I think Napoleon's grave at Les Invalides is down below so apparently everyonehas to "bow" to have a look at him, thus we all bow to him even though he's dead

The hereabove posted portrait of King Louis XIV "the Sun King" by Hyacinthe Rigaud is extremely famous here in France and to be found in every history schoolbook. Louis XIV was the embodiment of France's prestige, greatness and autocratic power as it prevailed at the time. I think this portrait in full court dress does picture his majesty (though it is flattering for the King was already old when it was painted and his legs must not have looked as good as they do).  

As a young man, indeed, King Louis was extremely fond of dancing.

Hellow everybody, new here. My first post

What about the wig? Well a special wig mixed fifty-fifty with his own hair!

Welcome, baronet!

I'm sure Louis wore a wig - everyone at the French court did, and likewise the court of his cousin Charles II in England. Plenty of make-up to, I'd imagine.

http://www.henri-iv.com/louis141.gif

Now that's definitely a wig!

He wore the heels because he was quite short, a la Napoleon who always made himself look taller in his portraits by sitting on a horse etc . . .

Yes, Louis XIV did initially don high heels in order to raise his stature -- literally -- among the throng of his court.  Unfortunately, every sartorial move he made triggered a fad, and soon everyone else at court was wearing high heels . . . and Louis ended up right back where he started.  (Vain as he was, he could not order others not to wear heels without an open acknowledgement that it was all about his height.)

He was a great king, though he spent a lot of money . . .

At least while Colbert, Louis' famous counsellor, was alive Louis' expenditures actually advanced the fiscal fortunes of France.

Colbert drove the development of French manufacturing of luxury goods.  Coupled with his master's international-style-setting expenditures, sales of French luxury goods skyrocketed across Europe, bringing large sums of foreign currency into France.

It really wasn't until the wars of his later reign that the effects of Louis XIV's expenditures exerted a negative impact.  This eventually reached such proportions that much of the silver funiture of Versailles was melted down to keep the army in the field.  For instance, there was a famous suite of silver furniture and planters in the Hall of Mirrors that disappeared forever in the Mint's cauldrons.