All these statements describe King Louis XIV of France.
<em>He called himself the Sun King because he considered himself as important as the sun itself.</em> Louis XIV is known to have had a very high opinion of himself. This is why he chose the sun as his symbol. Le Roi Soleil (the Sun King) was a way to present himself as a ruler who knew and saw everything (like the sun) and could not fail. He also felt a strong connection to the Greek Sun God, Apollo.
<em>During his seventy-two year reign he claimed the divine rights of kings.</em> 72 years is the longest time any monarch has ruled over a European kingdom in history. Louis XIV believed he was the representative of God on earth, and therefore decided that the absolute powers of kingship were a sacred, god-given right.
<em>He moved his court from Paris to Versailles, where he and his courtiers lived in splendor and excess.</em> Louis XIV frequently changed residences, but in 1682 he settled with his court in the Palace of Versailles, making it a symbol of French riches and prestige.
<em>He did little or nothing to help the working people with everyday struggles. </em>Many of his subjects thought that Louis XIV put his personal interests before the country's. During the War of Spanish Succession for example (1701-14), he kept France at war to make sure his grandson, Philip V, would gain control over the Spanish Empire, while the cost of war caused famine among the people.
