Wire elder of Henri IV and Marie de Médicis, the Louis dolphin was born on September 27 1601, with the castle of Fontainebleau.
It was the first dolphin of France since 1559, date of died of Henri II; therefore did it accept an education in conformity with the role which it was to occupy?
Initiated by Henri IV with the role of sovereign, the Louis young person attended his first Council into 1609, upright between the legs of his father.
The assassination of Henri IV, May 14 1610, strongly tested the dolphin, which were very attached to him, Louis was nine years old.
At once, Marie de Médicis was declared regent during the minority of the king, which confirmed a stop of the Parliament of Paris of May 15 1610, which with the assistance of its favourite, Concini, unanimously hated for its abuses and its intrigues, regency until its majority exerted, into 1614, year when Louis XIII was crowned in Rheims.
January 26 1612, it was announced that Louis XIII would marry Anne of Austria, Henri IV had wished itself the marriage of the dolphin with Anne of Austria. The contract was signed on August 25 1612, Louis XIII married Anne from Austria in Bordeaux on November 28 1615. The grooms, who are hardly fourteen years old, live one wedding night without intimacy. The marriage will prove to be unhappy, pulled about between the enmity of Richelieu for the queen and the love of Buckingham for this one (to read again the Three musketeers).
The absence of dolphin complicated during all its reign the task of Louis XIII. In 1637, it was committed placing its kingdom under the protection of the Virgin - what one calls " the wish of Louis XIII ". September 5 1638, at the end of twenty three years of marriage, was born the dolphin, Louis-Dieudonné, future Louis XIV.
With his majority, Louis XIII is with the catch with two contrary parties, that of catholic Spanish alliance with Marie de Médicis, and that of Richelieu being pressed on the Protestant countries. The king and Richelieu sign a mutual contract of confidence for a common goal, the size of France. In 1627 the seat of the Small rock, last fortified town Protestant allied in England, is issued.
After the death of Richelieu (December 4 1642), Louis XIII continued his policy while making enter Mazarin to the Council. Seeing his very reduced health, the king organized his succession; he accepted an ultimate tender of his Gaston brother on January 13 1643, then instituted the Council of regency on April 20 1643. Anne of Austria was declared regent, Mazarin head of the Council, the Séguier chancellor, Bouthillier and Chavigny, of the creatures of Richelieu, having from now on the rank of ministers of State.
The death of the king Louis XIII Thursday May 14 1643 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, thirty three years exactly after his/her father, opened one unstable period, which was to lead to the Sling.