Sacral Kingship in Bourbon France: The Cult of Saint Louis, 1589–1830 by Sean Heath (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Sacral Kingship in Bourbon France: The Cult of Saint Louis, 1589–1830 by Sean Heath Alyce A. Jordan Heath, Sean. Sacral Kingship in Bourbon France: The Cult of Saint Louis, 1589–1830. Bloomsbury, 2021. ISBN 978-1-3501-7319-4. Pp. 277. Ill. 13. This book provides a valuable analysis of the cult of St Louis from its revival by Henry IV until the dissolution of Bourbon rule. It explores the cult’s early history, elevation of Louis IX’s 25 August feast day to duplex rank in 1618, and the role of sermons, liturgies, biographies, and relics in the cult’s promotion. Having been harnessed by Henri de Navarre to consolidate the family’s “dynastic and religious legitimacy” (1), propagation of the cult was effected via biographies, Jesuit patronage, and encomiastic sermons. Published annually by the Académie Française, these sermons, called panegyrics, became a primary vehicle of the cult’s dissemination and codified Louis IX’s persona as the foremost exemplar of model kingship. Henri IV’s astute decision to name his heir Louis—a choice emulated by every subsequent Bourbon monarch—simultaneously made the saint’s feast day the official fête du roi (27). Concomitant celebration of the two fêtes made the panegyrics the preferred venue for flattering comparisons of the contemporary monarch with his saintly ancestor (41–47). St Louis’ cult flourished in the propitious confluence of the Catholic Reform movement and the political agenda of Louis XIV. Revocation of the Edict of Nantes and colonization of Muslim territories cemented Louis XIV’s identification with Louis IX, who was praised for his opposition to heresy and devotion to crusading. Despite, or perhaps because of, its association with the monarchy, St Louis’ cult never enjoyed widespread geographic or popular support. It remained concentrated in Paris and closely associated with royal initiatives, the only notable exception being among the elite classes where St Louis’ religiosity and charity were promoted as models for pursuing a pious life in secular society. Louis IX’s cult diminished with the spread of the Enlightenment, although no less a philosophe than Voltaire credited the saint with transforming the Huguenot excommunicate Henri de Navarre into a just and generous monarch (134). Heath’s excavation of the many sources that simultaneously praised the saint-king and linked him with the reigning monarch encourages more nuanced appreciation of the revolutionary wrath directed on the material culture of French kingship. It was surely no accident that sale of furniture from Versailles commenced on Louis IX’s feast day (155). Suppressed in 1793, the cult became a counter-revolutionary symbol for Catholics and royalists. Louis XVIII anticipated that the cult’s revival in 1814 would serve, as it had for Henry IV, to unify France after a period of upheaval and instability. Instead, it became a flashpoint highlighting the stark divisions between Catholics, royalists, and secularized liberals. Heath’s revelation of the rich textual fabric that promoted Louis IX to underpin the Bourbon monarchy leaves one wishing more space could have been devoted to the equally compelling body of relevant visual materials. It is to be hoped that this impressive study will inspire future investigation of these and other vectors of St Louis’ cult. [End Page 225] Alyce A. Jordan Northern Arizona University (emerita) Copyright © 2023 American Association of Teachers of French