Moise de Camondo
Moise arrived in Paris as a child when his father Nissim moved to develop the family’s banking interests. When he inherited the family home overlooking Parc Monceau, he razed it and rebuilt a mansion styled after Marie-Antoinette’s Petit Trianon. His wife had left him after five years of marriage and he had custody of their son and daughter. He was completely devastated at his son’s death in the fledgling airforce of World War I. His daughter had married well and had no interest in the family mansion and Moise’ 18th century collection. He decided to leave the whole estate intact to the Paris Museum of Decorative Arts. He died before the second tragedy hit when his daughter was deported and died in the Auschwitz concentration camp.
Paris Apartment
Nearly ten years ago I decided it was time to make the move to Paris permanent. I purchased an apartment on the banks of the Seine with a wonderful view of the Eiffel Tower. For more details on my Paris apartment, click here.
Ferdinand Philippe: Duke of Orleans
Rather than allocate an apartment at the Grand Trianon with the rest of the family, Louis-Philippe gave the nearby Petit Trianon to the Duke of Orleans, his eldest son and heir to the throne. The Duchess of Orleans occupied the same bedroom as Marie-Louise, Napoleon’s second wife. Her bed was replaced with a larger, simpler one because like his father, the Duke of Orleans slept with his wife. Marie-Louise’ chairs were retained but recovered in the deeper blue fabric to match the bed. At the Petit Trianon, the Queen’s bedroom and boudoir are displayed as they were in the time of Marie-Antoinette. The furniture during the time of Marie-Louise and the Duchess of Orleans is exhibited in the attic. The boudoir furniture of the Duchess of Orleans (right) can also be seen there. The young Duke of Orleans was an enthusiastic collector of antique furniture and objets d’art. When he furnished his apartments in the various royal residences he was able to select from a wide range of different styles in the royal Garde-Meuble (storage facility). He also searched markets for furniture and art from various periods, mixing it with contemporary styles. Like his father, installing bathrooms and flushing toilets in his apartments was essential. His marriage to Hélène de Mecklembourg-Schwerin had taken place at the Chateau of Fontainebleau. The Duke and Duchess’ apartment were located In the former rooms of Anne of Austria. The bedroom was part of the 11 room apartment which had formerly been used by Pope Pius VII, both on his way to Napoleon’s coronation and then as a gilded cage during his 18 months of captivity following Napoleon’ excommunication. The bed used by the Duke and Duchess had originally belonged to Louis XVI at Saint-Cloud and had been used by Napoleon at the Tuileries Palace. It was recovered in crimson damask trimmed with gold.
François Baudry
FRANÇOIS BAUDRY EXHIBITION BED This gondola shaped bed was never used. It was created by the cabinet maker François Baudry for an exhibition of French Industry in 1827. Made from poplar, it was trimmed with five different blonde woods – ash, elm, lemon tree, oak and sycamore. The bed won an award presented by King Charles X’s son the Duke of Angouleme. Boat beds continued to be popular during the reign of the next King Louis-Philippe. *The painting of the Duke of Angouleme presenting the award is regarded as most likely having been commissioned by Baudry as a souvenir. The presentation actually took place at the Tuileries Palace, not at the exhibition as depicted.
Charles X
Charles X was 66 when he became King. He was far less inclined to continue his brother’s concessions to a constitutional monarchy. He wanted a return to absolute monarchy where the King ruled by divine right. Charles X did not want to use the bed his brother had been displayed in lying in state after death. Charles sent the bed back to the royal garde-robe and had another made the same size so he could re-use all the very expensive silk decoration. The return to royal blue, lavishly decorated with symbols of the French monarchy including the fleur-de-lys suited his outlook.
LOUIS XVIII
When Louis XVIII returned to France as King in 1814, he moved into Napoleon’s apartment in the Tuileries Palace. Napoleon’s bed was not large enough for the obese Louis XVIII and he had it enlarged. He ordered new royal blue silk fabric for the bed from a silk manufacturer in Lyon. He ruled for almost ten years, navigating his way between various factions. He managed to survive a tumultuous time. In addition to being morbidly obese Louis XVIII suffered from gout. When he died at 68 he also had gangrene. His body lay in state on this bed. Louis XVIII had no children and he was succeeded by his younger brother who became Charles X.