If one mark of a successful biographer is the ability to make an uninteresting figure interesting, on that alone Veronica Buckley's "The Secret Wife of Louis XIV" deserves recommendation. Francoise ...

Delve into the fascinating world of King Louis XIV, the Sun King, who ruled France from 1638 to 1715. Known for his captivating personality, Louis XIV's image was vital for his authority, often seen ...

In the late 17th century, French monarchs were expected to keep mistresses, and Louis XIV was no different. In fact, throughout his reign, he would go on to father over 12 illegitimate children.

Beautiful, haughty, well bred and, by the author's account, "a superlative lover," Athénaïs de Montespan was a shoo-in for the role of official mistress to King Louis XIV. Despite being married, she ...