The Sun King's Last Spectacle: Louis XIV's Epic Farewell | SLICE WHO | FULL DOCUMENTARY

Louis XIV's reign was the longest in world history. His contemporaries believed the Sun King to be immortal. However, in the summer of 1715, Louis XIV met his fate, passing away at 76 in his architectural masterpiece, the Château of Versailles. His painful 23-day agony from gangrene exposed the incompetence of physicians and the court's secret intrigues and jealousies. His death sparked a succession crisis with repercussions across Europe, marking the end of the Grand Siècle and the dawn of the Enlightenment.

Louis XIV faced death with the same grandeur that defined his reign. It was a magnificent show, a 'good death' performed in public—the final act of an extraordinary life, sealing the legend of France's greatest king. From his deathbed to his tomb, his six-month funeral was a grand baroque spectacle, remembered for centuries.

Documentary : 1715: The Sun King is Dead
Directed by : Sylvie Faiveley
Production : ZED


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