Louis XlV "L'etat c'est moi"- "I am the state." is attributed to him as an expression of his idea of government. He ruled from 1643-1715 and supervised a gradiose campaign of self glorification that contributed to the end of the monarchy in the French Revolution of 1798.
Louis XlV promoted the idea of himself as Apollo, the Sun King. Behind his throne chair glowed a huge gold disc as the sun. In fear for his life he renovated and expanded what was a hunting lodge on the outskirts of Paris, the Palace of Versailles. The cost was millions of dollars - that was much more money in 1661 than it is today/
With 2,000 personal attendants on his payroll, Louis maintained an expensive life style.
The Hall of Mirrors faces the formal gardens along a hallways oriented East - West. As he walked the hallway each morning his image was reflected in the garden where he could be seen as if he were Apollo raising the sun.See the Hall of Mirrors at
The Versailles Palace