French Monarch. The eldest child of Henri IV of France and Marie de Medici, he was born at the Château de Fontainebleau, and ascended to the throne at age eight after the assassination of his father. At age fourteen, he married Anne of Austria, daughter of King Philip III of Spain. His mother served as regent until Louis came of age on his thirteenth birthday. However, she remained as ruler of France and Louis conspired with his advisor Charles d'Albert, duc de Luynes, to stage a coup d'état. In 1617, his mother's favorite Concino Concini was murdered, Concini's wife beheaded, and the queen mother exiled. After Luynes' death in 1621, the young king eventually turned to Cardinal Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu and Fronsac as an advisor. The queen remained childless until the 1638 birth of their son, the future Louis XIV, after 23 years of marriage. Two years later, a second son, Philippe, was born. However, the birth of two sons did not substantially improve the relationship between the king and queen. The will that he left, which attempted to limit his wife's power, was revoked by the Parliament of Paris. As he was a central figure in Alexandre Dumas' novel "The Three Musketeers," Louis XIII has been depicted in numerous films.

French Monarch. The eldest child of Henri IV of France and Marie de Medici, he was born at the Château de Fontainebleau, and ascended to the throne at age eight after the assassination of his father. At age fourteen, he married Anne of Austria, daughter of King Philip III of Spain. His mother served as regent until Louis came of age on his thirteenth birthday. However, she remained as ruler of France and Louis conspired with his advisor Charles d'Albert, duc de Luynes, to stage a coup d'état. In 1617, his mother's favorite Concino Concini was murdered, Concini's wife beheaded, and the queen mother exiled. After Luynes' death in 1621, the young king eventually turned to Cardinal Armand Jean du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu and Fronsac as an advisor. The queen remained childless until the 1638 birth of their son, the future Louis XIV, after 23 years of marriage. Two years later, a second son, Philippe, was born. However, the birth of two sons did not substantially improve the relationship between the king and queen. The will that he left, which attempted to limit his wife's power, was revoked by the Parliament of Paris. As he was a central figure in Alexandre Dumas' novel "The Three Musketeers," Louis XIII has been depicted in numerous films.

Bio by: Anne Philbrick