Sexy History Comics

Louis XIV of France

Born
September 5, 1638
Died
September 1, 1715
An ornate blue-and-gold four-panel comic about Louis XIV of France, showing his accession as a child, the ceremonial court at Versailles, the splendor and warfare of his reign, and his death in 1715.
Read transcript 4 panels · includes visual descriptions

Louis XIV of France (1638–1715) — The Sun King. An ornate blue-and-gold four-panel historical comic.

  1. Panel1 — The child king

    SceneThe young Louis XIV sits crowned on a throne in blue fleur-de-lis robes, holding a scepter before a radiant sun.

    Text

    Born in 1638, Louis became king in 1643. His reign would last more than 72 years—one of the longest in European history.

  2. Panel2 — The court at Versailles

    SceneAn adult Louis commands attention in the glittering Hall of Mirrors amid courtiers, chandeliers, dancers, and elaborate refreshments.

    Text

    At Versailles, Louis turned royal life into theater. Nobles crowded his glittering court beneath the gaze of the Sun King.

  3. Panel3 — Splendor, ceremony, art, and war

    SceneLouis poses in coronation robes before Versailles, surrounded by soldiers, artists, courtiers, fireworks, and royal banners.

    Text

    His reign defined French absolutism. Splendor, ceremony, art, and war projected power across Europe.

  4. Panel4 — Death and succession

    SceneThe elderly king lies in bed at Versailles while courtiers mourn and his young great-grandson stands beside him.

    Text

    Louis XIV died at Versailles on September 1, 1715. He left the throne to his five-year-old great-grandson, Louis XV.

The comic’s dates and succession are accurate. Louis inherited the crown before turning five, although his personal rule began only after Cardinal Mazarin’s death in 1661. Versailles concentrated court ritual and helped Louis supervise the nobility, while royal patronage projected French art and culture across Europe. That splendor coexisted with costly wars, intensified persecution of Protestants after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, and severe burdens on the kingdom. Louis died of gangrene at Versailles on September 1, 1715; his five-year-old great-grandson succeeded him as Louis XV under a regency. Palace of Versailles biography · Palace of Versailles on his death · Palace of Versailles history