The Rise and Fall of the House of Bourbon

The House of Bourbon remains one of the most historically important European royal houses. Originally a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the Bourbons came to prominence in the 16th century when they first became the rulers of Navarre, in Spain, and later of France proper.

Historian Alexander Mikaberidze explores their rise to power, starting with the life and career of Henry IV, the first Bourbon king of France and one of the most important French sovereigns. The Bourbon rulers who followed—Louis XIII and the famed Louis XIV, the “Sun King”— turned France into Europe’s leading power. He examines the establishment of the French absolutist monarchy and its growing influence in Europe as French became the language of the European elite and French art and culture were without equal on the Continent.

Things began to unravel in the 18th century as the Bourbon kings confronted new challenges and struggled with severe political and financial strains. Mikaberidze traces the successes and failures of Louis XV and Louis XVI and examines the root causes for revolution that brought down the French monarchy in 1792. In exile during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Era, the Bourbons returned to power for 15 years after 1815 but never fully re-established their authority.

Mikaberidze is a professor of history and Ruth Herring Noel Endowed Chair for the Curatorship of the James Smith Noel Collection at Louisiana State University, Shreveport.

Patron Information

• If you register multiple individuals, you will be asked to supply individual names and email addresses so they can receive a Zoom link email. Please note that if there is a change in program schedule or a cancellation, we will notify you via email, and it will be your responsibility to notify other registrants in your group.
• Unless otherwise noted, registration for streaming programs typically closes two hours prior to the start time on the date of the program.
• Once registered, patrons should receive an automatic email confirmation from CustomerService@SmithsonianAssociates.org.
• Separate Zoom link information will be emailed closer to the date of the program. If you do not receive your Zoom link information 24 hours prior to the start of the program, please email Customer Service for assistance.
• View Common FAQs about our Streaming Programs on Zoom.