Respuesta :

Louis XIV held absolute royal power.

Colbert was unable to rein in louis XIV's huge expenses because Louis XIV held absolute royal power.

Louis XIV was a monarch of the House of Bourbon who reigned as King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715.  

Jean Baptiste Colbert was a French politician who served as the Minister of Finances of France from 1661 to 1683 during the rule of King Louis XIV.