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.
