Louis XIII (1601-1643) became King of France in 1610 on the death of his father Henry IV. His mother Marie de Medicis acted as Regent and he only took control in 1617. He was an avid supporter of the Arts and took a personal interest in court music and dancing, thus promoted royal authority and image. His love of the Arts emerged when he was very young - he was a good dancer, played the lute and practiced basse-taille singing. In his spare time he also composed music: he set the Ballet de la Merlaison to music in 1635, paraphrased psalms by Antoine Godeau and wrote airs de cour, including his famous Tu crois ô beau Soleil (mentioned by Marin Mersenne in his Harmonie universelle in 1636). He also helped reorganise court consorts. By the time he died the Musique de la Chapelle, de la Chambre du Roi and l’Écurie ensembles were formed, to be rendered glorious by his son Louis XIV.
