Henry VIII And Louis XIV

Henry VIII and Louis XIV

Henry VIII and Louis XIV were both men whose accomplishments on a national level for their respective countries of England and France were great, but whose very different personal problems gave them a negative impression in history. The two leaders had very different ruling styles, but with a few similar themes throughout. Perhaps the best thing to look at first is their very different attitudes toward God and God¹s power in monarchy and state. Henry

VIII on England grew up as a very strong Catholic, at the insistence of his mother and father. He was known to be ³a man of daily devotionals, setting an example for his people² (Canon 76). His own writings, most especially a book of

Catholicism entitled The Sanctoreum earned him the title from Pope Leo III the title ³Defender of the Faith.² His book had served as an answer to the teachings of Martin Luther, a man whose principals Henry later put into effect in his very own country, in the Protestant Reformation.

France, however, was a very strongly Catholic country where the Roman church had a great deal of influence. Louis, although supposed not to be a very fastidious devote of the religion, or any religion, took part in a minor reorganization of the Roman Catholic Church inside France. It is apparent now that Louis basically went along with the reforms dictated by the pope in regards to religion.

In economic matters, the two rulers perhaps differed even more greatly.

Henry was a fastidious economist, often commenting about the expense of things at the royal court, and taking action to have whatever the latest offense to the treasury happened to be. Louis, however, spent extravagantly, sparing no expense for himself or his nobles. His ultimate goal was once again to make the court of France the center of fashion and art once again. He created Versailles, a monstrosity of Baroque art, most of it gilded with pure gold and other precious metal. It is a sprawling country estate with an even more spectacular exterior than interior. Louis bankrupted the Treasury of France through another extrvangance as well: his wars. Louis fought four major wars. His great aim was to make himself supreme in Europe. As a start, he planned to conquer all lands west of the Rhine River. He gained several important ter...

... middle of paper ...

...bert died in 1685, the reign of the Sun King became less glorified. He forced the noble families to stay at court at Versailles, creating the problem of absentee landlords for the commoners, who lived in relative poverty compared to the great splendour of

Versailles. Louis died gradually of disease, and after his reign, political influence in France declined greatly for a number of years. However, France remembers him in a much better way than history admires Henry the VIII.

Both monarchs suffered troubled lives, and still managed to accomplish great things for England and France. Henry VIII raised scientific awareness and appreciation for art that had previously been absent from England. Louis XIV added a new dimension to the arts such as the world had never seen. His reign was known as ranking above all others in art and literature, as well as dancing.

And yet, even today they are remembered for the most part their failings, Henry for his matrimonial troubles and Louis for his economic extravagances. It might do better to weigh the pros and cons of history instead of blind judgment on the basis of few facts when thinking of Henry VIII and Louis XIV.