The french Monarchy
How did the monarchy work in early modern France?
Before the seventeenth century, the nobility had held more political power than the monarchy. However, this changed during the seventeenth century into an age of royal absolutism, meaning that monarchs controlled all parts of their government and left very little to the nobility. Most monarchs in this period had to be very industrious, presiding over councils and other parts of the bureaucracy while still being expected to lead his armies in war. Absolute monarchs also used the court to control the nobility. The court was a source of wealth, as one could buy a title and an office, and the King could create as many offices as he needed to sustain himself. The sale of offices sometimes led to ineffective government, as it was not merit but money that decided who ended up in a cabinet or in court.
The King owned the land of France and could grant it as he pleased- though it was still his, even when “given” to a noble. The King was the supreme financial authority and the only source of the law, which was always administered in his name. He was king by divine right (i.e. God gave him his power) and the majority agreed that he was supreme in all matters that did not affect the Pope.
Were people happy with the monarchy? (i.e. not going to overthrow the government)
During this period, every person was concerned by the history and personal characteristics of the royal family. Citizens’ entire lives depended on the King’s governance and ability to produce an heir, which led to unease if the King was an idiot or didn’t have an heir. However, whoever wore the crown (however they acquired it) became for many a sacred ruler.
In France in particular people were attached to the idea of a “natural” king rather than an “artificial” king, meaning a king that was born of the royal house rather than crowned by some outside entity. This was largely in reaction to the Holy Roman Empire’s encroachment upon the western part of Europe, and led some Frenchmen to say, “The King of France is Emperor in his realm.”
In France, the general population supported Louis XIII, though his childlessness made them nervous. They were not fans of his marriage- France and Spain had long been enemies. However, he was the last of France’s soldier kings, and that gave him some popularity, as there was a lot of glory in fighting in this period.
Ranks
French nobility is generally divided into the following classes:
- Noblesse d'épée (nobility of the sword) or noblesse de race or noblesse ancienne: the traditional or old nobility.
- Noblesse de chancellerie (nobility of the chancery): person made noble by holding certain high offices for the king.
- Noblesse de lettres: person made noble by letters patent.
- Noblesse de robe (nobility of the gown): person or family made noble by holding certain official charges, like masters of requests, treasurers, or Presidents of Parlement courts.
- Noblesse de cloche (nobility of the "bell") or Noblesse échevinale/Noblesse scabinale: person or family made noble by being a mayor or alderman (échevin) or dean of guilds (municipal leader) in certain towns (such as Abbeville and Angers, Angoulême, Bourges, Lyon, Toulouse, Paris, Perpignan, and Poitiers).
- Noblesse militaire (military nobility): person or family made noble by holding military offices, generally after two or three generations. Nobles sometimes made the following distinctions based on the age of their status:
- Noblesse chevaleresque (knightly nobility): nobility from before the year 1400.
- Noblesse d'extraction: nobility for at least four generations