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The Jewels of Marie Leszczynska
The Polish-born Marie Leszczynska died in 1768; she had been the longest serving queen-consort of France with 43 years in the role. Like every other royal lady, she had her own personal collection of...
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Louis Stanislas Xavier de Bourbon, Comte de Provence
Born on 17 November 1755, Louis Stanislas Xavier was fourth in line to the throne of France. As a child, he was educated alongside his brother - the future Louis XVI - and showed himself to be a...
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The Weight of the Crown: Bourbon Obesity
Living like kings necessarily means eating like kings which is never beneficial in the long run. The Bourbons certainly had a taste for good dining but a good deal of them suffered the consequences....
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The Violence of the Prince de Conti
Louis Armand II was the son and heir of the Prince de Conti and Marie Thérèse de Bourbon and was born in 1695. Throughout his life, Louis Armand would struggle with his temper and would often burst...
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Scented Gloves
Perfume always played a part in the court life of Versailles and as the 18th century progressed, new techniques emerged to add individualized scents to items of clothing. At the court of Louis XVI, one...
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The Perfumes of Versailles
Previously, I made a post about the favourite scents of Louis XVI's court but I wanted to expand a bit on that subject. These are therefore popular scents throughout the reigns of all three kings at...
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The Oddity of Madame Louise
The youngest daughter of Louis XV and Marie Leszczynska - Madame Dernière - was known as Madame Louise. Although few of the royal princesses were considered to be downright beautiful, Madame Louise was...
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Madame de Pompadour's Apartments at Versailles
Reshuffling of the apartments in Versailles was a common occurrence. Apartments within the château proper were reserved for the king's immediate family, nobility serving in the royal households and the...
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The Would-Be Husbands For Mesdames
Eight daughters did not secure the line of succession in a country ruled by Salic law. However, it did provide plenty of opportunity for securing alliances across Europe - much like Maria Theresia of...
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The Royal Gemstones of 1791
When the revolution had swept the royal family forcibly from Versailles to Paris, an inventory was made over the content of the royal treasury - including the jewels and precious stones owned by the...
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The Bloody Fall of Mademoiselle de Fontanges
At the age of 18 years, Marie Angélique de Scorailles served Madame as a lady-in-waiting at Versailles. While she was there, she caught the eye of Louis XIV and became one of his unofficial mistresses...
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The Education of Mesdames
Despite being the daughters of the king of France, the education afforded to Mesdames varied greatly. The eldest daughters of the king - Louise Élisabeth, Henriette and Adélaïde - were given a thorough...
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The Attempted Ousting of Madame de Pompadour
The low birth of Jeanne Antoinette de Poissons earned her ridicule at court and it was widely thought that he king was debasing himself through his alliance with her. Nevertheless, the...
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The Aile du Midi of 1785
In the last years of the French monarchy's time at Versailles, the royal family was remarkably large - and as such, needed proper apartments to house them. Not only Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette (as...
View ArticleThe Courtiers' Lodgings
Besides the royal family, certain aristocrats were entitled to a lodging at court. These would be the ones who were occupying key positions in the royal households; consequently, they would be near at...
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The Courtiers' Lodgings (I)
Louis-Marie-Augustin d'Aumont de Rochebaron, Duc d'AumontThe Duc d'Aumont served as the king's First Gentleman of the Bedchamber (Premier Gentilhomme de la Chambre) and as such was given an apartment...
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The Courtiers' Lodgings (II)
Anne de Noailles, Comtesse de NoaillesThe infamous "Madame Etiquette" had a long career at court which began long before Marie Antoinette arrived in France. By 1766 she was lodged in the Aile du Nord,...
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The Courtiers' Lodgings: The Queen's Favourites
Royal favour was one way of gaining an apartment at Versailles; one example is the lodgings given to the Princesse de Lamballe and the Duchesse de Polignac - close friends of Marie Antoinette. These...
View ArticleThe Illegitimate Children of the Grand Dauphin
Louis de Bourbon rarely followed in his father's footsteps. He never showed an interest in politics and lacked the natural authority which the Sun King was so notorious for. However, in two particular...
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The Palatine Cape
Charlotte Elizabeth of the Palatinate never cared much for the reigning fashions at Versailles. Nevertheless, it was her marriage to Philippe d'Orléans that brought a new item to the French fashion...
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