An absolute monarch has, by definition, absolute control over the governance of a nation, and is answerable to no one other than themselves. Unlike other forms of government where there is another governmental structure that can hold some level of power, an absolute monarch holds all the power.

Versailles was built by Louis XIV to replace the Louvre as the home of the Royal family and also to escape the crowded confines of Paris. He built it to be the most magnificent Palace in the world, and to serve as a place to keep the nobility busy while he quietly took more power for himself.

The Cardinal served as the primary adviser to Louis XIII throughout his reign. He guided Louis XIII in his efforts to make France one of the most powerful nations in Europe and to take more power for the monarchy.

Louis XIV was known as the Sun King. This is because the French government revolved around him much in the same way as the galaxy revolves around the sun.

Britain, and more specifically, England had a government that was based around a monarchy. For centuries the Parliament has existed side by side with the Monarchy in order to aid the monarch in ruling by undertaking several responsibilities of governance.

Kings claimed divine right to rule by saying God had chosen them to rule, and therefore had God's decree to rule as they deemed fit. While the church may have had sway over certain leaders and kings, they had no actual autonomy outside of the lands directly controlled by the church.

After the death of Charles II his closest living male descendant was named to the throne. That was his sisters grandson, Philip V of the House Bourbon. He had been raised in France as a member of the French court. He was also a grandson of Louis XIV. Other nations so disliked this union of French and Spanish royal houses that it started the War of the Spanish Succession.

Louis XVI was the last King of France before the Revolution. He was arrested and executed in 1793. His son, also named Louis, lived until 1795 when he died of illness. However he was never crowned king and therefore is not included in the list of Kings of France.

After what is known in Russia as "the time of troubles," the Romanov family took the throne of Russia in 1613, and their dynasty ruled until the Russian Revolution in 1917. The other family names here are of other high ranking noble families in Russia and Eastern Europe

The group that represented the Third Estate when the Kings of France called the Estates General was displeased with how power was being shared. Despite having twice the representatives, they did not have twice as many votes as the other estates. They therefore walked out and created their own rival organization that would take power and start the revolution, the National Assembly.