LOUIS XV
At five years old, Louis XV was not officially old enough to rule (the legal majority for a King was 13). Louis XIV’s nephew, Philippe d’Orleans, became the Regent. Philippe had been pressured into marrying one of Louis XIV’s daughters by his mistress Madame de Montespan. It was an unhappy marriage and Philippe flaunted his many mistresses.
The forty year old Regent was a well known “libertine” (French for prolific playboy). He had no interest in living in Versailles. His main residence was the Palais Bourbon in Paris (now back to its original name of Palais Royal) and he chose to live there. Versailles was effectively closed.
As specified in Louis XIV’s will, Louis XV spent the first four months at the Chateau de Vincennes. On New Year’s Day 1716 the young king moved to the Tuileries in Paris.
Paris was then the style capital and the aristocracy as well as the financiers, wealthy merchants, cultivated bourgeois and nouveau riche all wanted to build new residences, known as “hotels” (English equivalent of mansion, not hotel as we know it today).
Louis XV chose to return to Versailles when he was twelve.
Like his great grandfather Louis XIV, the young king was very interested in architecture and was perfectly capable of reading the plans of the architects and suggesting viable alterations. He undertook large projects in the public areas, but his real interest was in creating small intimate rooms where he could pursue his private interests including libraries and laboratories. He also created small kitchens and dining rooms where only a small number of selected guests were received.
This was entirely in keeping with what was happening with the new residences in Paris. It was the era that introduced “The Boudoir”.
When he returned to Versailles Louis XV moved into his great grandfather’s bedroom. He kept up the tradition of the “lever” and “coucher”, the going to bed and getting up ceremonies but Louis XV found the room too cold and too public. He later had a second fireplace installed in the official bedchamber.
Louis XV was very shy in comparison to Louis XIV. In keeping with this new emphasis on private rooms, when he was 28 he created a private apartment in the rooms where Louis XIV’s collections had been housed.
His private bedroom was set up in the former billiard room of Louis XIV. From then on this was where he actually slept, It was close to the official bedchamber, on the same floor. The private bedroom also overlooked the courtyard but was facing south.
He maintained the official “lever” and “coucher” public ceremonies in the original King’s bed but retired to his private bedroom each night.
Appropriately, this bed chamber is not open for public visits and can only be seen on the “private apartment” tours. However if you are walking between the Hall of Mirrors and the King’s bed chamber, you will pass through the King’s council chamber. Normally the door is open and you can see the private bed chamber. The area around the bed has been screened for some time as a new bed is being constructed.
