Why was Louis XIV known as the Sun King?

Louis XIV was the King of France from 1643 to 1715 and was known as the Sun King because of the general style and magnificence of his reign. Although he became king when he was four, he did not assume his full powers until 1661, after the death of the famous Cardinal Mazarin. Louis then became his own "first miniter" and embarked upon years of personalized government. Louis thoroughly enjoyed being king. He desired to shine in his role and a prime aim of his government was to foster any project that added to the king's glory. He became a great patron of the arts and gave personal encouragement to writers who were to become some of the greatest names in French literature, including Moliere and Racine. Architecture, of course, was one of the most obvious ways of adding to the grandeur of his reign. The Palace of Versailles also took shape under his direction. He constantly changed his mind and frequently altered the plans for the palace. In 1685 Versailles, by then one of Europe's most beautiful palaces, became the Sun King's permanent seat of government. Louis entertained on an appropriately lavish scale and the grace, elegance and excesses of his court became a by-word throughout the civilized world. But he did have excellent taste.
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