Editing Louis XIV (section)

==Early years==
[[File:Anonyme - Portrait du Dauphin 01.jpg|thumb|Louis{{Nbsp}}XIV as a young child, unknown painter]]
[[File:Acte de naissance de Louis XIV 1738.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Baptismal certificate, 1638]]

Louis{{Nbsp}}XIV was born on 5 September 1638 in the [[Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye]], to [[Louis&nbsp;XIII]] and [[Anne of Austria]]. He was named Louis Dieudonné (Louis the God-given)<ref>{{Cite book |last=Brémond |first=Henri |url=https://archive.org/details/laprovencemysti00bremgoog |title=La Provence mystique au XVIIe siècle |publisher=Plon-Nourrit |date=1908 |location=Paris, France |pages=[https://archive.org/details/laprovencemysti00bremgoog/page/n415 381]–382 |language=fr |author-link=Henri Brémond}}</ref> and bore the traditional title of French [[Heir apparent|heirs apparent]]: ''[[Dauphin of France|Dauphin]]''.{{Sfn|Bluche|1990|p=11}} At the time of his birth, his parents had been married for 23 years. His mother had experienced four [[stillbirth]]s between 1619 and 1631. Leading contemporaries thus regarded him as a divine gift and his birth a miracle of God.{{Sfn|Barentine|2016|p=129}} 

Louis's relationship with his mother was uncommonly affectionate for the time. Contemporaries and eyewitnesses claimed that the Queen would spend all her time with Louis.{{Sfn|Panhuysen|2016|p=26}} Both were greatly interested in food and theatre, and it is highly likely that Louis developed these interests through his close relationship with his mother. This long-lasting and loving relationship can be evidenced by excerpts in Louis's journal entries, such as:
<blockquote>"Nature was responsible for the first knots which tied me to my mother. But attachments formed later by shared qualities of the spirit are far more difficult to break than those formed merely by blood."{{Sfn|Fraser|2006|pp=14–16}}</blockquote>
It was his mother who gave Louis his belief in the absolute and divine power of his monarchical rule.<ref>{{Harvnb|Petitfils|2002|pp=30–40}}</ref>
[[File:Portrait du Dauphin futur Louis XIV.1642.jpg|thumb|Louis{{Nbsp}}XIV, then [[Dauphin of France]], in 1642, one year before his accession to the throne, by [[Philippe de Champaigne]]]]
During his childhood, he was taken care of by the governesses [[Françoise de Lansac]] and [[Marie-Catherine de Senecey]]. In 1646, [[Nicolas de Neufville de Villeroy|Nicolas&nbsp;V de Villeroy]] became the young king's tutor. Louis{{Nbsp}}XIV became friends with Villeroy's young children, particularly [[François de Neufville, duc de Villeroy|François de Villeroy]], and divided his time between the [[Palais-Royal]] and the nearby Hotel de Villeroy.