Louis VI
Louis VI, undated engraving.
Louis VI
king of France
Also known as: Louis le Gros, Louis the Fat
Louis VI (born 1081—died August 1, 1137) was the king of France from 1108 to 1137; he brought power and dignity to the French crown by his recovery of royal authority over the independent nobles in his domains of the Île-de-France and the Orléanais. Louis was designated by his father, Philip I, as his successor in 1098 and was already effectively the ruler well before Philip’s death in 1108. He quickly recognized that his priority...