Louis XIV was declared king of France at the age of five, upon the death of his father. His mother, Anne of Austria, was regent for the young king and was heavily influenced by her advisor, Cardinal Mazarin. Following his marriage to Marie Therese, Infanta of Spain, and the death of Mazarin, Louis announced that he would govern his country himself. He instigated administrative and financial reform in France and cultivated trade and manufacturing. He was also a great supporter of the arts and he chose the sun, associated with Apollo, god of peace and arts, as his emblem. He expanded what was once a hunting lodge into the opulent Palace of Versaille, a symbol of the Sun Kings power as an absolute monarch. Louis imposed religious uniformity; his persecution of the Hugeunots culminated in the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, which had decreed religious tolerance. He strove for supremacy in diplomatic affairs, and, with his last war, the country was left in debt with a weakened military.
