With the death of Cardinal Jules Mazarin, who served as the chief minister and mentor to Louis XIV, the young king took the decisive step of ruling France personally. Louis XIV, known as the "Sun King," was just 22 years old at the time and had been groomed for leadership throughout his childhood. Mazarin's death came after years of political turmoil associated with the Fronde, a series of civil wars that challenged royal authority and highlighted the vulnerabilities of the monarchy to noble uprisings. Under Mazarin's guidance, Louis learned the arts of statecraft and diplomacy, which he would now put into practice as he shaped his vision for France's future.

Embracing the idea of absolute monarchy, Louis XIV aimed to consolidate power and diminish the role and influence of the nobles who had previously wielded considerable authority. He directly ruled from the Palace of Versailles, which became a symbol of his reign and the opulence of the French court. Louis instituted various reforms that centralized political power, enforced royal decrees, and established a strong bureaucratic framework that rendered personal loyalty to the king a central tenet of governance. This shift not only transformed the political landscape of France but also significantly influenced its economic and cultural development, drawing artists and intellectuals to the court.

As Louis XIV began to engage actively in governance, he initiated policies that dealt assertively with the Huguenots, enacted mercantilist economic policies to bolster national wealth, and sought to expand French territory through military campaigns. His reign would come to embody the principles of absolutism and grandeur, with his declaration, "L'État, c'est moi" (I am the state), epitomizing his view on the role of monarchy in society and governance.