King St. Louis XIV

People rarely think of saintly actions when monarchy is mentioned. After all, most of the famous kings are famous for their lack of virtue rather than their piety. In this regard, King St. Louis IX of France is an exception. This king lived a pious life and has over 65 miracles attributed to his prayerful intercession after his death. Being the only French monarch to receive the title of saint, the rift between Louis and an average king is quite a large one.
King St. Louis IX became King of France when he was only 12 due to his father’s early death. Although named regent in 1226, he was too young to effectively rule a nation. His mother ruled in his stead until he was capable of ruling on his own. During this time, he was brought up in