Louis XVI was a real-life example?

Answer 1

Autocrat. Louis XVI was an autocrat that ruled France. As the picture to the right attests, Louis XVI not only held sway over the clergy and the nobility, he ruled with complete authority over the common people as well. In many autocracies in history, the ruling powers went so far as to approve and reject sermons by the churches -- sometimes even writing the sermons for the ministers to preach! Autocrats could appoint and dismiss members of governmental branches whenever they desired.