rhyssain – Page 12 – French Travel Boutique

4 Mins Read

Mesdames Apartments

“Mesdames apartments” occupy the north-west corner of the ground floor of the Chateau. The south-east side is the Dauphin’s apartment. The rooms overlook the water parterre at the front and the north parterre on the side. The entry to Mesdames apartments is the central door on the Marble courtyard. PREVIOUS OCCUPANTS On the north wing of the ground floor of Versailles, Louis XIV had built a magnificent “Bath Apartment” consisting of a series of five rooms built and furnished over a period of 9 years. This was during the reign of his mistress Madame de Montespan and was a private apartment where one could enjoy the “pleasures of the bath”. In fact the bath was rarely used. Magnificent paintings and sculptures filled the rooms, which were all sumptuously furnished. Madame de Montespan Madame de Montespan When Madame de Montespan was no longer Louis XIV’s mistress, she had to move from her grand apartment on the first floor. She was given the Bath Apartment on the ground floor. She covered the marble walls with boiseries and the large marble bath with parquetry flooring. Six years later she decided to leave Versailles. Louis XIV was more than pleased with her decision to live in a convent she had founded in Paris. Duke and Duchess de Maine Duke of Maine Duchess of Maine Louis XIV gave the apartment to their eldest son the Duke of Maine. The Duke of Maine married the following year (Madame de Montespan was not invited). The young Duke and his wife occupied the apartment. Count of Toulouse The same year Louis XIV moved the Count of Toulouse, his youngest son by Madame de Montespan into an apartment adjacent to his brother’s, overlooking the north parterre. He was fourteen and moved in initially with his governor. The Count of Toulouse stayed in the apartment until the death of his father Louis XIV twenty three years later, when the court moved from Versailles. When Louis XIV died his will had specified that the Regency for his five year old great grandson Louis XV would be shared by his nephew, the Duke of Orleans and the Duke of Maine. The day after Louis XIV died, his nephew managed to have the will annulled in the Parlement de Paris and the Duke of Orleans became the sole Regent for the 5 year old King Louis XV. When court moved from Versailles to Paris, King Louis XV’s residence was the Tuileries Palace. The Duke of Maine became involved in a rebellion against the Regent which landed him in prison. When he was released he spent most of his time at his Château of Sceaux. When he was 12, Louis XV decided to return to Versailles and re-establish the court at the residence of his great grandfather Louis XIV. The Duke of Maine’s younger brother, the Count of Toulouse had remained in favour with the Court. He was able to return to the ground floor apartment at Versailles. Count of Toulouse The Count and Countess of Toulouse The Count of Toulouse married at the age of 44. He had been in love with the widow of Madame de Montespan’s grandson (by her first husband) for ten years. They married in secret when Louis XV was 13. Louis XV was fond of the Countess. She had been a lady in waiting to Louis’ mother who had died when he was two years old. She in turn became a sort of mother figure to the young King. Louis XV was a regular visitor to the Toulouse’ apartment at Versailles as well as their chateau of Rambouillet where Louis XV went to hunt regularly from the age of 12. Duke and Duchesse of Penthièvre The Count and Countess of Toulouse had a son who was known as the Duke of Penthièvre. At the age of twelve his father died and he inherited his father’s fortune. He moved into the apartment at Versailles which he shared with his mother. When he married at 19, the Duke and his wife continued to occupy the ground floor apartment. The Countess of Toulouse had the rooms overlooking the water parterre and the Duke and Duchess of Penthièvre had the rooms overlooking the northern parterre. When the last of the Duke of Maine’s sons later died without an heir the Duke of Penthièvre inherited that fortune as well, making him one of the richest men in Europe. Madame de Pompadour When Madame de Pompadour stopped being the King’s mistress, she moved from her apartment on the second floor above the King’s private apartment. She took over the Penthièvre’s apartment on the ground floor overlooking the northern parterre. They moved into a reduced space with the Countess of Toulouse. Madame de Pompadour occupied the apartment until she died there 13 years later. Louis XV was devastated by the loss of the woman who had been his “friend for twenty years.” Her apartment remained closed. Louis XV’s son and heir died unexpectedly the year after Madame de Pompadour. He decided to renovate Madame de Pompadour’s apartment for the widowed dauphine Marie-Josèphe de Saxe. While work was being carried out, she moved into an apartment on the second floor. She died there before the renovations on her ground floor apartment had been completed, although they were sufficiently advanced for her to lie in state there. The Drouais portrait completed after her death is now at the National Gallery in London. The apartment then became the domain of “Mesdames”, Louis XV’s daughters who remained there until the French Revolution.

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From Louis XV to Louis XVI

Louis XV and Marie Lesczczynska and ten children. Of the two sons, only one survived. He was married at 15 to ensure the succession. His first wife died having given birth to a daughter (who could not inherit the throne). He was married off again six months later to Marie-Josèphe de Saxe. The Dauphin and his second wife had 13 children. The eldest son* died at the age of 9 but the other three sons survived to adulthood, ensuring the line of succession. The Dauphin died at the age of 36, making his second son, the Duke of Berry, heir to the throne. Louis XV died at the age of 64. His 59 year reign had been the second longest in French history (Louis XIV had been king for 72 years). His 19 year old grandson became Louis XVI. He had married Marie-Antoinette in the Chapel of Versailles four years earlier. *The Dauphin’s eldest son was considered a marvellous heir to the throne. He was highly intelligent and clearly his parents’ favourite. Everyone considered he would make an excellent King. However it was not to be. When he was 8 he fell from a horse (apparently a large cardboard horse he had been given). He didn’t tell anyone about the fall for fear of getting the people with him into trouble. However when he started to limp, the doctors found a lump on his hip. They decided to operate but there was nothing they could do. His 6 year old brother the Duke of Berry (future Louis XVI) was brought from the childrens’ apartment to live with him. His health kept deteriorating and within a matter of months the doctors confirmed he had double tuberculosis (bone and lung). He knew he was dying and spent his last three months immersed in religion, piously exhorting his younger brother. It was hardly a fun place for the Duke of Berry who also had to watch his distraught mother in agony over the plight of her favourite son she called her “chou d’amour” (love cabbage). He died at the age of 9. Thirteen years later his brother who shared the last few months with him became King Louis XVI.

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The end of the Valois Kings

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Henri IV

Jeanne, Queen of Navarre, negotiated the marriage of her son Henri with Catherine de Medici’s daughter Marguerite. Jeanne died shortly before the wedding which meant that the nineteen year old was now Henri III, King of Navarre and his new bride was the Queen of Navarre. YOUNG HENRI AND “LA REINE MARGOT” The marriage was a disaster and they lived separate lives. One thing they had in common was that their individual love lives became legendary , inspiring authors from Shakespeare to Dumas, as well as numerous movies including “La Reine Margot”. Henri is reported to have had 33 mistresses. He came to be called the “Vert Galant”, which in French is a complimentary expression and a much nicer way of saying, “dirty old man”. The best known of his mistresses was Gabrielle d’Estrées. When he became King of France Henri had his marriage to Marguerite annulled. He married Marie de Medici. They had 5 children. Two of Henri’s grandsons would become Kings – Louis XIV of France and Charles II of England.

1 Min Read

Louis XV

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. When he became Regent, the forty year old Philippe 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). THE REGENT AND HIS MISTRESS (posing as the Goddess of Wisdom) Palais Royal Versailles was effectively closed and the young Louis XV was brought to Paris to live in the Tuileries Palace. 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”.

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Louis XIII

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Louis XIV

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Louis XVI

LOUIS XVI’S BROTHERS When Louis XVI was beheaded during the French Revolution, his only surviving son and heir was in prison with his mother Marie-Antoinette and his sister. He was taken from them and kept in a separate part of the prison where he was poorly treated. He died there at the age of 10. His uncles had fled France early during the Revolution. When Louis XVI died at the guillotine, his young son had been recognised by royalists as Louis XVII. When he died, his uncle, who was living in Verona, declared himself to be Louis XVIII. When Napoleon took over Italy, Louis XVIII was forced to leave and he relied on the hospitality of various European rulers opposed to Napoleon. He and his younger brother Charles had moved around Europe and were living in England when news came of Napoleon’s abdication. The Allies who defeated Napoleon had different ideas about who should rule France. Talleyrand succeeded in convincing them that Louis XVIII was the best option. Louis XVIII returned to Paris and moved straight into the Tuileries Palace.* Nine months later, Napoleon escaped exile from the Mediterranean Island of Elba and returned to France. Louis XVIII fled to the Netherlands. Napoleon once again ruled for “the Hundred Days” until his final defeat at Waterloo. When Louis XVIII returned to France, he once again returned to the Tuileries. *The Tuileries Palace was destroyed by fire in 1871. All that remained was the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel and thePavillon de Flore.

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The Petit Trianon

Louis XV started construction on the Petit Trianon in 1762. He built it for Madame de Pompadour, who had ceased being his mistress more than ten years earlier. She maintained a strong friendship with the King, becoming even more influential after the affair finished. She had the idea to build the smaller neo-classical chateau in the grounds of the Grand Trianon, overlooking the King’s beloved botanical garden. It was designed as a private get-away to enjoy for the day, rather than a residence. The décor was simple, without all the gilding normally associated with royal residences. The motifs were all about gardens. Louis XV was very involved with the project and regularly visited the construction site. By the time it was completed in 1768 Madame de Pompadour had died. Louis XV had taken recently up with a new mistress, Madame du Barry. It was she who would accompany the King to the Petit Trianon. The majority of the “noble” floor was taken up with spaces for dining—the antichamber “salle des buffets”, grand dining room and small dining room. There was also a grand salon. The series of small rooms on the other side were the King’s “retreat”, for his private use — the corner room contained an area where the King could make his own coffee and a staircase leading directly from the garden. The centre room was his private retreat and there was a toilet and botanical library. Louis XV’s bedroom was on the top floor. He originally had a “lit à la Turque”. This was later replaced by a bed “à la polonaise” with the red and white silk decorated with Chinese motifs. The King’s bedroom at the Petit Trianon is decorated as it was in the time of Louis XVI. However unlike his grandfather Louis XV, he did not stay overnight at the Petit Trianon. He returned to his own bed in the main chateau each night. This bed was probably used by his sister, Madame Elisabeth.

3 Mins Read

The Queen’s Official Bedchamber

As Louis XV’s Queen Marie Leszczynska had died, Marie-Antoinette was given the Queen’s apartment when she arrived in France, even though her husband was still only the heir to the throne. The boiseries and paintings of the previous queen were preserved. Marie-Antoinette added the fireplace and bought new furniture. As with all the queen’s beds, it was much larger than that of the King. The King did not sleep with women in his bed but always went to their bed (which given the love life of previous kings was probably quite practical). The beautiful silk bedcover was sold during the Revolution. In 1959 Versailles was able to buy it back so what we see on the bed is actually the original. Fortunately the destruction of the bedcover shown in Sophia Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette” movie did not take place. Doors concealed in the walls both sides of the bed lead to a series of smaller private rooms, passageways and staircases. The Queen’s New Apartment When Louis XV died, his grandson Louis XVI allowed his three surviving daughters, Adelaide, Victoire and Sophie, to keep their spacious apartments on the ground floor. The new king referred to them as “Mesdames Tantes” (aunts). Madame Sophie died in 1782. Marie-Antoinette took the opportunity to convert Sophie’s ground floor apartment into her own “little apartment on the marble courtyard”. There was already a suite of small private rooms behind the official bedchamber which had been there from the time of Marie Leszczynska and which Marie-Antoinette redecorated. She had also taken over the rooms above on the second floor to create even more “by invitation only” spaces, including a salon, dining room and boudoir as well as rooms for her staff. The new apartment on the marble courtyard was different in that it was the same idea as the private bedroom of Louis XV and XVI. It was a personal bedroom and bathroom, separate from the courtiers. This new apartment was very much in keeping with the idea of Louis XV which had been followed by her husband Louis XVI to have a private apartment. Official ceremonies still took place in the Queen’s bedchamber but this private apartment was where she liked to spend her time. It was referred to by the staff as “the Queen’s new apartment”. The green damask bed she had used for the birth of her first two children was modified and placed there. As childbirth for the Queen could not be private, she gave birth to her third and fourth children in her official bedchamber on the first floor. Marie-Antoinette’s new bedroom was on the right hand side and the bathroom was on the left. Between was a library. The apartment was destroyed by Louis-Philippe when he turned Versailles into a museum. The bedroom and bathroom have been restored but the central part is now displayed as the vestibule it was in the time of Louis XIV. All bathrooms contained a day bed to take a rest following the bath. The bed in Marie-Antoinette’s ground floor bathroom is the original from Louis XVI’s bathroom at Compiegne. In case you were wondering, the toilet is in the room behind the bath. You can see the doorway that leads to it. In 2011 there was an amazing exhibition by Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrove which brought to life Marie-Antoinette’s bathroom. The reason the fabric is different on the bed is that everything the artist does is in paper!! For the exhibition they recreated a bath. The door on the left leads to the toilet. Behind the bath there was a two way mirror, allowing light into the toilet area.