WI : A different Louis XIV

During her marriage to Louis XIII, Anna of Austria suffered several miscarriage before finally giving birth to two sons : the first of them was the future Louis XIV, born in 1638, while the other was his brother Philip, Duke of Orléans, born in 1640.

Before Louis XIV, Anna of Austria gave birth to four stillborn children : one in 1619, on in 1622, one in 1626 and lastly one in 1631.

However, what would have happen if, instead of giving birth to one of those stillborn child, Anna of Austria had given birth to Louis XIV?

The OTL Sun King could be a much more different character had he been born at one of those dates : if born in 1619, 1622 or 1626, he would have been major upon his father's death in 1643. And if born in 1631, he would only have been under regency for 2 or 3 years.

So what would be the consequences of an earlier born Louis XIV?

Subsidiary question : If all of Anna of Austria's stillborn children had not been stillborn, how would that have affected both her marriage and history?
 
You get one who likely won't outlive his son, grandson, and eldest great-grandson, thus butterflying away Louis XV's disastrous reign.

Of course, this alt Louis XIV might not be as competent as his OTL counterpart.
 

Deleted member 5909

And if born in 1631, he would only have been under regency for 2 or 3 years.

Actually, the King of France was considered to have attained his age of majority at 13, so legally speaking there would only be need for a regency of about a year if Louis le Juste dies according to schedule in OTL. That said, of course practically someone would have primary influence over him until he was much older. And, if the Louis XIV ITTL doesn't have the strength of character of his OTL counterpart, there may not be any period of personal rule and we might just see a succession of premiers ministres of varying degrees of capability (hopefully the king at least has excellent judgment in appointing his councilors).
 
Endymion said:
Actually, the King of France was considered to have attained his age of majority at 13, so legally speaking there would only be need for a regency of about a year if Louis le Juste dies according to schedule in OTL.

Really? I had read somewhere that the king's majority in France was around 14 or 15. However, I must admit that it dates back from Philip II Augustus...
It was probably lowered in between that period of time.
 

Deleted member 5909

Really? I had read somewhere that the king's majority in France was around 14 or 15. However, I must admit that it dates back from Philip II Augustus...
It was probably lowered in between that period of time.

I think that Charles V issued an edict fixing the age of majority at 13 in the fourteenth century, but I could be mistaken. I do know that Charles IX, Louis XIII, Louis XIV and Louis XV were all declared of age in a lit de justice on their respective thirteenth birthdays.
 
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