Louis XIV of France, also known as Louis the Great or the Sun King, was the King of France from 1643, until his death in 1715. A monarch of the House of Bourbon, he was the son of King Louis XIII of France and Queen Anne of Austria. Louis XIII died when Louis was a child, and he succeeded to the throne in May 1643, at the age of four years and eight months. His mother ruled as regent on his behalf during his minority. However, it was Cardinal Jules Mazarin, the Chief Minister, who wielded actual power during the early years of Louis XIV's reign. Louis began his personal rule in 1661, following Mazarin’s death. As king, he sought to strengthen the monarchy and centralize authority, continuing policies aimed at curbing feudalism and consolidating power in the hands of the crown. He proved to be a capable and ambitious ruler, leading France through three major wars: the Franco-Dutch War (1672–1678), the War of the League of Augsburg (1688–1697), and the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714). Louis XIV's reign of 72 years and 110 days is the longest of any monarch from a major European country, making him a defining figure in French and European history.