Bourbons

A cadet branch of the Capetians descended from Robert de Clermont, the Bourbons reigned over France from 1589 to 1792. Henry IV, Louis XIII, Louis XIV… Absolute monarchy reached its zenith with Louis XIV, before the French Revolution and the execution of Louis XVI. Henry IV ended the Wars of Religion with the Edict of Nantes (1598). Louis XIV, king for 72 years, made Versailles the centre of power; Louis XV and then Louis XVI faced growing financial difficulties, which led to the summoning of the Estates-General in 1789.

Figures of this era

1. Henri IV (1589-1610) — The “Vert-Galant”, converted to Catholicism, issued the Edict of Nantes (1598) and restored peace to the kingdom
2. Louis XIII (1610-1643) — King of France, reign dominated by Cardinal Richelieu and the struggle against the Habsburgs
3. Louis XIV (1643-1715) — The “Sun King”, peak of absolute monarchy, Versailles, revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1685)
4. Louis XV (1715-1774) — The “Beloved”, long reign marked by debt, wars and the rise of dissent
5. Louis XVI (1774-1792) — Last king of the Ancien Régime, convened the Estates General (1789), deposed then guillotined in 1793

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