How did Louis XVI's statement, "It is legal because I will it," characterize the relationship between him and the Parlements?

Louis XVI's statement, "It is legal because I will it," clearly illustrates a conflict of authority between the monarch and the Parlements, which were sovereign courts in France that held significant power over legal matters and governance. By proclaiming that his will alone legitimized laws, Louis XVI was asserting his absolute authority as a king, suggesting that he could override the traditional legal frameworks that the Parlements represented. This declaration was emblematic of the tensions that existed during his reign, as the Parlements often resisted royal decrees and sought to preserve their own influence.

The relationship between Louis XVI and the Parlements was characterized by the latter's role as a check on absolute power, reflecting the broader struggle between the monarchy and the institutions of the state. The statement encapsulates the king's viewpoint that his royal prerogative trumped the legal mechanisms that the Parlements interpreted and enforced, highlighting a significant clash over the nature of governance and authority in the pre-revolutionary period in France.