Abstract
During his reign, Louis IX had a tremendous popularity. He has even become a genuine myth in the French political history. For instance, Châteaubriand, a French writer and a monarchist politician of the early 19th century, often referred to Saint-Louis. Châteaubriand considered him as "the greatest King of France" and so as an example to follow for a French monarchy in renewal. Why such a consensus about Louis IX? We will try to understand how Louis IX became a legend, but one must firstly give precise details about his reign. Saint-Louis reigned from 1228 to 1270 but, as he was twelve in 1228, the reality of power long remained in the hands of his mother, Blanche of Castille. Historians generally claim that Louis IX really had full powers from 1254 to 1270. The fact remains that, despite this relatively short period of reign, Louis IX has been one of the most popular King of France. Two main reasons may explain this popularity.
