# Birth of future Louis XIV (1638)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/1638-birth-of-future-louis-xiv
Location: Saint-Germain-en-Laye

The long-awaited heir secured Bourbon succession. Within the broader Bourbon & Ancien Régime period, Bourbon France became a leading European power through stronger royal government, global expansion, war and court culture. Fiscal strain, social privilege and Enlightenment criticism accumulated beneath the apparent strength of the Ancien Régime. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Louis XIII (King of France). Birth of future Louis XIV mattered because succession and legitimacy shaped alliances, institutions and the direction of state policy. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
Birth of future Louis XIV mattered because succession and legitimacy shaped alliances, institutions and the direction of state policy.

Ruler at the time: [Louis XIII](https://history-france.com/rulers/louis-xiii)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Birth of future Louis XIV](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Birth+of+future+Louis+XIV&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Birth of future Louis XIV](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Birth+of+future+Louis+XIV)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of French history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_French_history)