The Conquests of Philip II
Philip II Augustus ruled from 1180-1223. He knew that in order for the French monarchy to gain power, the English Plantagenet dynasty had to be defeated. Part of the reason was the fact that they also controlled some land in France. He decided to go to war against the Plantagenets and gained control of Normandy, Maine, Anjou and Touraine. This meant more money and power for the French monarchy. He then created a royal bureaucracy to collect government money.
Saintly Louis IX
Louis IX was one of the French rulers after Philip II to also increase the power of the French monarchy. He was very religious, and even became a saint. He cared very much for the rights of the French people. He also played a fairly large role in the later Crusades, even though neither one ended in success, but rather his death in North Africa.
Philip IV and the Estates-General
Philip IV majorly helped the French monarchy by installing a French parliament. In 1302, he gathered church representatives as well as noblemen, and townspeople. This began the French parliament known as the Estates-General. This greatly increased his power as he could tell representatives to create new taxes for the people or to put new laws in place. This eventually made France the wealthiest and overall best monarchial society in Europe.