Which are accurate descriptions of the reign of Louis XIV? Choose all answers that are correct. A. During his 72-year reign, he claimed the divine right of kings. B. He did all that he could and made sacrifices to help the working people with their everyday struggles. C. He called himself the Sun King because he considered himself as important as the sun itself. D. He created and enforced laws that prohibited persecution for religious beliefs

Correct answers:

• A. During his 72-year reign, he claimed the divine right of kings.
• C. He called himself the Sun King because he considered himself as important as the sun itself.

Details/context:

Louis XIV is a hugely important historical figure.  He was on the throne as king in France from childhood to his old age; he ruled from 1643 to 1715. He was known as the Sun King because all activity in France basically revolved around him.  So much so was that the case, that members of the nobility competed with each other for the right to help the king get dressed in the morning!  It was one of Louis XIV's goals to keep the ranking nobles from being a threat to his power, so he lured them to come live at the glorious Versailles palace with him. That way he could keep them under his influence and away from their lands in the provinces.  They were lavishly entertained, but lost the real power they would have had as lords governing in their provincial lands.

As to the "divine right of kings" idea, that belief was summed up succinctly by Bishop Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet, who was court preacher at the royal court of Louis XIV.  Bossuet said that monarchy "is sacred, it is paternal, it is absolute … the royal throne is not that of a man but the throne of God himself."  The claim of kings' divine right meant their authority could not be challenged because they were put in their office by God and were to be respected as God's sovereign representatives.