Q 01/05

By what nickname is Louis XIV best known?

A) The Sun King

B) The Iron King

C) The Citizen King

D) The Grand Dauphin

Answer · why

A) The Sun King

He cultivated the image of le Roi Soleil as the centre of the universe 'without equal'.

Q 02/05

How many years did he reign, the longest of any sovereign monarch in history?

A) 58

B) 72

C) 65

D) 49

Answer · why

B) 72

He came to the throne in May 1643 and died in September 1715, four days short of his 77th birthday.

Q 03/05

In which château was he born on 5 September 1638?

A) Château de Chambord

B) The Louvre Palace

C) Saint-Germain-en-Laye

D) Château de Vincennes

Answer · why

C) Saint-Germain-en-Laye

He was named Louis-Dieudonné, 'Louis the God-given'.

Q 04/05

For how many years had his parents been married when he was born?

A) 5

B) 12

C) 18

D) 23

Answer · why

D) 23

His mother had suffered four stillbirths, so contemporaries treated his birth as a miracle.

Q 05/05

Who was his mother, who ruled as sole regent during his minority?

A) Anne of Austria

B) Marie de' Medici

C) Catherine de' Medici

D) Elisabeth of France

Answer · why

A) Anne of Austria

She had her husband's will annulled within days of his death so she could rule alone.