From the Age of the Sun King, an Incredible Rarity: Louis XIV, His Brother Philippe, and Many Great Nobles of the Age Sign a Marriage Contract For the Son of the President of Parliament A glimpse into the Age of Louis XIV at the apex of his power, signed by prominent royal, judicial and diplomatic figures.

28/02/1685. Louis XIV Louis XIII had two children. His son Louis XIV, who came to be known as the glorious “Sun King,” was crowned when just five years old. He was King for over 72 years, and remains the longest reigning monarch of a major European power. Louis XIV was the embodiment of the Divine Right of Kings. He strengthened and centralized the power of the monarch, and encouraged the loyalty of the nobles, bringing them closer and closer to the court at Versailles. Under his leadership France became the strongest power in Europe. It was also a time of the flourishing of arts and philosophy. The reign of Louis XIV has the same romantic and flowering aura about it as that of Elizabeth I of England.The younger son of Louis XIII was Philippe, also called the Duke of Anjou, who greatly expanded his political domains, adding dukedoms and other offices, as well as growing the fortunes of the House of Orleans. At the coronation of Louis XIV in 1654, Philippe acted as dean, placing the crown of France on his brother's head. The two men had a heated argument one day in 1701 over family affairs. Philippe angrily returned early the same evening to dine with his son. He collapsed after suffering a fatal stroke. Louis XIV, upon hearing his only sibling had died, said ""I cannot believe I will never see my brother again.”A parlement (parliament) was a provincial appellate court in Ancien Régime France. The most important of them was by far the Parlement of Paris. They were the court of final appeal of the judicial system, and typically wielded much power. Laws and edicts issued by the Crown were not official until the parlements gave their assent by publishing them. The members were aristocrats called Nobles of the Gown who had bought or inherited their offices, and were technically independent of the King.  The First President of the Parlement of Paris was at the apex of this system, a position that was appointed by the King.Part of Louis XIV’s work to centralize power was to tame the nobility and build a stable of loyal men close to him at the court.  The Potier family was among the strongest noble families of the age, and many of its men were part of or presided over the Parliament of Paris.Another such position within the court was the Master of Requests, which historically heard appeals from people wishing the audience of the monarch.  Much of its role had been retained, and it was considered a very prestigious and expensive job to get.  Nobles bought it from the King, and thus it was another prestigious position that ennobled the aristocrats and expanded Louis’s power structure.The great French monarchs on occasion signed as witnesses on marriage contracts for people close to them. This was a great honor and usually symbolic of your importance to the King.Document signed, February 28, 1695, being the marriage contract between Louis Potier, son of the President of the Parlement of Paris, and Antoinette Montauglain, a wealthy noble. Incredibly, it is signed by the two sons of Louis XIII, King Louis XIV at the apex of his power, and his brother, the Duke of Orleans, Philippe.  It is also a who’s who of men who were or would be in the upper echelons of power in Louis’s power structure.  These are, in addition to the bride and groom:- Nicolas Potier - First President of the Parliament of Paris and close confidant to the King
- Pierre Rouille de Marbeuf - Great diplomatic figure of the court, Ambassador to Portugal and negotiator of a Treaty in the War of Spanish Succession
- Arnaud de la Briffe - Brother in law of Potier, Master of Requests for the King and later Procurer General of Parlement of Paris
- Jean de la Barde - Ambassador of France to Switzerland, Councillor of State, Protege of Mazarin
- Denis de la Barde - President of the First Chamber of Requests of Parlement
- Andre Potier - Master of Requests, then First President of the Parlement of Paris
- Francois Bouthelier - the King's Chaplain and Bishop of Troyes
- Antoine de Ribeyre - Master of Requests
- Jean Antoine de Brion de la Barde - Councilor to the Parlement of Paris
- Jacques Leon Bouthillier - Councillor to the Parlement of Paris
- Marie-Louis Paulin Rouillé - Master of Requests, Director of Finances, CouncilorOur records show just four marriage licenses signed by Louis XIV reaching the market in the past four decades, and none bore the signatures of both of the sons of Louis XIII. (Inventory #: 9674)