A Closer Look: Inside The King’s Quarters at the Palace of Versailles | Cultured Elegance

Inside the King's Quarters at Versailles And don't forget to like this video and subscribe to this channel. We will first look at the King's Apartments and then the King's Private Suite. According to the book Versailles by Gérald van der Kamp, Laveau, in his plans for enlarging Versailles, had decided that the state apartments would be the King's Apartments. This indeed was the case until 1682, when Louis XIV moved to the wings overlooking the marble courtyard into the large suite which was used by Louis XV and Louis XVI for their official functions. It consisted of five rooms which are reached by the Queen's staircase, the guard room, the first and second antechamber, the bedchamber, and finally the council chamber. The first two rooms suffered badly during the 19th century when in an attempt to improve their appearance they were covered in a thick coat of distemper and imitation marble. The Queen's staircase therefore also became the King's staircase from 1682. Built between 1679 and 1681 on the other side of the royal courtyard, the ambassador staircase, it was enlarged in 1701 by the addition of a loggia leading to the apartments of the King and opposite to those of Madame de Maintenon. How many famous men climbed this superb stairway each morning and evening to attend the rising and retiring of the King! The first and second antechamber were also known as the Salon des Hadebouffes. This room did not get its strange name, now so famous, until the time of Louis XV, who enjoyed making fun of the window in the frieze that lit up the whole end of the room. As the antechamber leading to the royal bedchamber, the salon had a very special role to play. The princes and lords who were admitted to the King's rising ceremony had to wait here, and it soon became the meeting place par excellence to hear the court events, comment upon the King's decisions, and whisper wittily the latest tidbits of gossip. For one had to wait a long time before being admitted to the bedchamber, the door of which was waited by a guard. First came the family entrance, reserved for the children of France and the princes of the blood. This correspondence to the private rising ceremony took place after the departure of the doctor, the surgeon, and the King's old nurse, who came to kiss him each morning until 1688. Then followed the state entrance, for the high dignitaries of the crown, the first entrance of those who had the privilege of a royal warrant, and finally the chamber entrance, for those admitted to the state rising ceremony. These last had to wait more than an hour, since the door, both halves of which were opened only for the grand dauphin and princes of the blood, would close after each person. Everything was ruled by etiquette. One thus had to scratch softly at the doors, instead of knocking. Moreover, since the doors were closed, one could not open them oneself on leaving, but had to ask an usher to do so. The Salon du Haut-de-Bouffe was created in 1701, from the two separate rooms that had previously existed there, the Bassano cabinet next to the Queen's private suite, and Louis XIV's first bedchamber. The latter is rich in historical associations, such as that veritable affair of state, the only serious attack on the king's robust health. This was an operation which took place on November 18, 1686. Louis XIV showed great courage, and, some hours later, held his council as though nothing had happened. The king's reputation was of the utmost importance, and if Louis XIV were alive today, there's one thing we can be sure of. He'd be protecting his information with a VPN. And that brings us to today's sponsor, Surfshark. Sponsors like Surfshark enable us to continue creating content like this, and support the amazing team behind these videos. 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Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so there's virtually no risk. Try it out for yourself and see the difference. Simply click the link in the description to support them, support us, and surf the web safely from anywhere. The walls are lined with carved paneling, alternating with large mirrors and paintings. The most interesting part of the decoration is the attic frieze. On a white ground, richly ornamented with roses and a trellis like a network of gold. Upon this, children at play form a gilded bass relief full of variety. Created with great freshness and inspiration, some of the infants are busy taming wild animals and playing with arms. Others leap, dance, or make music with lively grace, and all are carved by a team of excellent artists. Originally, the room included paintings by Veronese, which are now replaced by 17th century portraits. In a strange allegorical work by Jean Nocret, facing the door into the hall of mirrors, Louis XIV and the members of the royal family are portrayed in the guise of gods of antiquity. The entire decor of 1701 has remained intact, with the exception of the paintings. The most thorny problem faced by Mansart was the difference in the levels of the ceilings of the former bedchamber and the bassano cabinet. In his journal, Mansart made a note of his master's decision to elevate the curved ceiling and raise the cornice as high as the square would allow, and to create above it an attic approximately seven feet high, which would follow the slope. This attic would be crowned by a second cornice, and to decorate the said sloping attic, to create a sort of continuous frieze of cast plaster bass reliefs, representing the games of children. This account shows us that Louis XIV never gave his architects free reign. The role played by the king in the decoration of Versailles was therefore by no means negligible. The king's bedchamber. The whole of Versailles radiated out from the bedchamber of Louis XIV, which is its geometrical center. This is the meeting and starting point of the axes along which Laveau, Mansart, and the Notre aligned the palaces, avenues, and lakes. Each morning the first rays of light struck the windows of the room where the sun king slept. It was an old tradition in France that the royal bedchamber should be the center of the palace. As we have seen, it was not until 1701 that this custom was put into practice at Versailles. After the large-scale construction work by Laveau in 1668, this room was named the Grand Salon. At that time it was lit not only by the three windows to the east, but also by three to the west, which led to the terrace later filled by the Hall of Mirrors. Lying between the king's apartment and those of the queen, the Grand Salon filled the role later played by the Hall of Mirrors. Its decor altered when the latter was built in 1679 and was left intact from then on. The great white ceiling, the gilded paneling broken by 16 tall pilasters flanking the doors, windows, and mirrors all date from that time. During the same period, the façade overlooking the marble courtyard was altered and embellished. The rectangular windows were arched and opened onto a gilded balcony supported by eight marble columns, and the whole façade was crowned with stone carvings of the figures of Mars and Hercules. The year 1701 saw large-scale construction work on all the king's apartments. It was then that the Grand Salon became the king's bedchamber. The three blocked French windows on the west were removed to make way for the large inset archway forming the alcove. In the center above the cornice the king ordered the creation of a richly ornamented mosaic ground, in the middle of which a beautiful figure representing France would be seated on trophies, beneath a rich canopy attached to the top of the arch and held at the corner by two genie, and for the corners of the ceiling above the arch to be adorned with two figures of fame. This statue of France above the bed, watching over her king in its slumber, was the work of Nicolas Cousteau. Another one of the most important architectural elements is the balustrade, which has been meticulously preserved. It is there to protect the royal bed in the same way as it protects the altar in the chapel and delineates the limits beyond which one may not pass. From a book in 1708 it tells us that a valet remains seated on the inside of the balustrade to guard the bed, and at mealtimes one of his fellow valets takes his place. This valet must guard the bed and prevent anyone within the enclosure from approaching it. The ushers keep their eyes open for anyone who might put his hat on, comb his hair, or sit down in the chamber, on the seats, on a table, or on the balustrade of the alcove. When the king leaves the chateau of Versailles for a few days, a valet remains there to guard the bed and sleeps at the foot of his majesty's bed. The bed then symbolized the sanctuary of royalty and it was of the utmost splendor. Flébian gives us several details which are completed by other visitors of the time and cooperated by the precious archives of the former crown furniture repository. The walls of the alcove and the bed were hung with the same type of fabric, altered according to the seasons. The bed, as with crimson velvet, so richly covered with gold embroidery, that the background can hardly be made out. The velvet was intended to warm the room in autumn and winter, and in these periods only two paintings were hung on either side of the bed. The David, which is now in the Salon de Mars, and Saint John, attributed at the time to Raphael. The furnishings were completed by door curtains to protect the entrances, twelve folding stools, two armchairs in the alcove, and crimson curtains for the three large windows overlooking the marble courtyard. The brocade or velvet hangings were particularly sumptuous. The best known of all is undoubtedly the one delivered for the winter of 1701. A crimson velvet, superbly embroidered with gold thread, which Louis XVI, unable to have it restored because it was worn, ordered it to be burnt to retrieve the precious metal. The wall hanging was changed at the coming of spring, when the embroidered velvet made way for the richest brocades, woven from several hundred grams of gold. The monarch, who had raised his country to the peak of glory, fortune, and creativity, died in this room on the morning of the first of September, 1715, having reigned over France for seventy-two years. All of those who have been in charge of Versailles have worked on the restoration of this, the focal point of the château. Persistent efforts have resulted in the return to the attic story of the paintings. Five figures of the Evangelists. Finally, thanks to the generosity of a large number of private individuals, for the alcove wall and the bed, in crimson silk threaded with gold and silver, an amazing woven masterpiece has been created. And now the embroidery is completely finished, and we can see the dazzling pomp of yesteryear, as it has been restored to this famous and historic room. As we enter the council chamber, we thus leave the grandeur of the Sun King, for the grace and elegance of Louis XV. Gabrielle united into one vast room the two smaller ones that were previously here, Louis XIV's council chamber, and the room, the cabinet des Termes. Gabrielle brought life to these walls by the interplay of solids, doors or paneling, and empty spaces, windows or mirrors, is now charming to behold. He himself designed the carved panels, in which Antoine Rousseau has presented us with a masterpiece. The most admirable are those on either side of the fireplace, with bold handsome frames, and in the center of each, a pendant cartouche of putti, playing at the king's council, within sprays of leaves. Around the covered table, which was set up on council days, the ministers sat on folding stools, while the king presided from an armchair. The passing of time was shown by a clock on the mantelpiece, next to which, on a velvet cushion, slept Louis XV's large Angora cat. The bust of Alexander the Great, with its gilt-bronze drapery, stood here in the 18th century. They have recently been returned to Versailles, as have two vases of Mars and Minerva, commissioned by Louis XVI for the mantelpiece. As it lay beyond the bedchamber, access to the king's council chamber was extremely difficult for courtiers. It was entered by ministers for council days. There, for almost a century, important decisions involving the destiny of France and Europe were taken. The king sometimes invited the members of his family there. At times, after his rising ceremony, he would have one of the lords, who had asked him for an audience, called into this room. The lucky person chosen remained standing, to announce his request. The conversation was therefore brief, but it nevertheless aroused the curiosity and jealousy of the crowd of courtiers, who had remained in the chamber. It was in this room, that, according to etiquette, the king received ladies, who had been accepted as residents at court. The court also passed through this room to pay homage to the sovereign, on the occasion of marriages in the royal family, or, after a death, dressed in long mourning robes, to offer their condolences. Now we will be looking at the king's private suite. This series of drawing rooms extended along the first floor of the chateau, and is lit from both the marble courtyard and the royal courtyard. Louis XIV had gathered in these rooms the rarest masterpieces of his collection of paintings, as well as all kinds of objects to art, bronzes, metals, and rock crystal. Louis XV considered this decoration uncomfortable, and, in 1738, ordering his architect, Gabrielle, to transform the whole apartment. Work continued until the end of his reign, and, in 1774, Louis XVI created a new masterpiece, his library. Some of the splendid pieces of furniture, commissioned by Louis XV and Louis XIV for these rooms, scattered during the revolution, have been returned to their original places during the last twenty years, and are offered for the admiration of all visitors to Versailles. The king's suite was reached from the ground floor of the royal courtyard, through a guardroom, which was partially destroyed during the last century. From there, one took the staircase called the king's steps, and entered via the antechamber of the dogs. This room, where the kennels of Louis XV's little dogs stood, opened on one side into the after-hunt dining room, created by Gabrielle, in 1750, and, on the other, onto the clock cabinet. From the antechamber, one enters the bedchamber, arranged for Louis XV in 1738, on the site of Louis XIV's former billiards room. During the sixteen years following his return to Versailles, Louis XV had slept each night in Louis XIV's bedchamber. He finally decided to leave this noble room in 1738, because, despite all the improvements made, it remained icy in winter. For the new bedchamber, Gabrielle chose a room facing south, which he covered in pier glasses, and carved paneling, which still remains there today. The bed was placed in an alcove originally flanked by large carved palm trees, and closed off by a balustrade, which disappeared during the revolution. This room was undoubtedly one of the most dazzling at Versailles during the 18th century. Today, to restore some life to it, a tapestry bedspread, made in 1740, has replaced the royal bedspread, without, however, attempting to efface the memory of the splendid gold and silver brocade woven into the room. This fabric also covered the alcove walls, the two armchairs placed on either side of the bed, the twelve folding stools, and the curtains on the two windows. It was in this room that Louis XV, stricken by smallpox, died on May 10, 1774. Louis XVI used his grandfather's bedchamber, and in 1788, ordered the Rousseau brothers to renovate the decoration of the dressing room, which is entered by a door behind the hangings in the alcove. After many changes, the Cabinet de la Pendule was given its present appearance in 1760. For the wall opposite the windows, Gabrielle designed a magnificent set of four panels, carved like those in the bedchamber. By Jacques Verbiquette, the Rococo decoration was echoed by the lively gilt arabesques above the corners. When supper was held in the adjoining dining-room, the king and his guests would come here to finish the evening around a large number of game-tables brought in for the occasion. Following Louis XIV's wishes, the court continued to gamble for high stakes in the 18th century. Fortunes were made in the matter of hours, but, on the other hand, players could be ruined and then had no choice but to hope for the king's generosity. The magnificent set of furnishings has been returned here. Against the east wall stands Louis XV's great astronomical clock, with its mechanism designed by the engineer Persemont. The clock is protected by a splendid gilt bronze case. It has been restored, and it shows not only the hours, but also the day and the month, the phase of the moon, and the positions of the planets in the solar system. Recently, the extraordinary gilt wood barometer, carved in 1773 for the future Louis XVI, was placed opposite the clock. Against the walls stand the four so-called hunt tables, commissioned by Louis XV between 1730 and 1757. They're stucco tops showing the plans of the royal hunting estates. Beyond the cabinet lies the marvelous room that used to be one of the most important rooms in the palace. Not only because of the role it played, but also because of the quality of its decoration and furniture. It was known as Louis XV's study. From 1738 to 1760, Gabriel transformed Louis XIV's former cabinet of paintings by adorning it with sumptuous gilded paneling, carved by verberkette, situated in a corner of the building. This jewel has the advantage of having both an eastern and a southern outlook. Light flows in abundantly to add vibrancy to the gold of the wood paneling and bronzes. For his private study, Louis XV ordered the most splendid furniture ever made for the crown. Each article is a masterpiece, the quality of which saved it from being sold during the sales of the revolution. Preserved within France, but scattered in various places, the furniture here has been brought together during the last twenty years after a great deal of effort, and bears witness once again to the supremacy of French art during the eighteenth century. The oldest piece is a metal chest delivered in 1739. It has two doors which hide the fourteen rosewood drawers inside which the king kept in commemoration of the events of his reign. The marquetry is established with gilt-bronze ornamentation, in which metals form garlands of flowers. The two corner cupboards are also metal chests, made in 1755 by Joubert. Under Louis XVI, these three pieces of furniture were considered unfashionable, and were therefore given by the king to the royal library in Paris. As for the top-roll writing desk, it is rightly considered the greatest masterpiece of French cabinet-making. The desk was delivered to the king in 1769, and did not leave this room until the revolution. Of the furniture from Louis XVI's reign, six of the chairs, carved by Fouliot in 1774, and the clock from 1770, have returned some time ago to commemorate the bicentury of American independence. The exceptional ornaments commissioned by Louis XVI in 1785 were returned to Versailles. Two vases and a candelabrum. Here, one often saw the most important persons at court come to sign marriage contracts of members of the royal family. When the affair of the queen's necklace came to light, unjustly lowering the queen's reputation in the eyes of the public, Louis XVI, in the presence of Marie Antoinette and his ministers, summoned Cardinal de Rohan, during his interrogation, discovered that he had been tricked. The fabulous diamonds he thought had been bought for the queen were in other hands. Your eminence, said the king, control yourself, to enable you to do so, and in order that the presence of the queen and myself should not disturb your peace of mind, I suggest you proceed to the adjoining room. You will be alone there. The cardinal obeyed, returned, and handed a sheet of paper to the king. Taking it, his majesty said, I warn you that you shall be arrested. This was the last act of this scandal, in which the innocent queen's reputation was ruined. Until 1769, the king's private suite ended in the annex, a small study. Beyond it, until the regrettable destruction in 1752, lay the ambassador's staircase, and the sumptuous small gallery, decorated for Louis XIV. On their site, Gabrielle was ordered to create the apartment for Madame Adelheid, Louis XV's favorite daughter. This princess thus lived at her father's side for seventeen years. In 1769, was an important date for Louis XV's private life. After having been a widower for a year, he had just met Madame du Barry, and installed her at the palace. The royal family made no effort to hide its disapproval of the liaison. The king arranged the move for his daughter, to spare her any embarrassment, and he ordered the private suite to be enlarged, by what were called the new rooms, from then on. The first room is Madame Adelheid's former cabinet d'orée. Its particularly rich decoration dates from 1767. It contained an admirable alcove with a mirror in the center pier, on either side of which Gabrielle placed in pairs four of Verbreket's most extraordinary wood panels, adorned with musical instruments, fishing tackle, and gardening tools, mingled with garlands of flowers and ribbons tied in bows. In this sumptuous setting, Madame Adelheid took her music lessons one afternoon in December 1764. The royal family gathered here for a recital by Mozart. In 1769, Louis XV converted this drawing room into a coffee parlor. He had low glass cabinets placed along the walls, to display the finest pieces of gold plate. Beyond it lay Madame Adelheid's bedchamber, which Louis XV decided to turn into a game room. The room was completely transformed by Gabrielle into a magnificent library, on Louis XVI's accession to the throne. Like all members of the royal family, Louis XVI had received an extremely thorough education, which developed his curiosity for the sciences and technology, and encouraged his taste for learning. The most spectacular sign of Louis XVI's studious nature is undoubtedly the creation of this library, which he wanted instantly, and which is the only room at Versailles, apart from the little dressing room that he had transformed for his personal use. The immense talent of the older Gabrielle can be judged here. Nearly twenty years separate the creation of this decor from that of the preceding room. The architect's genius had not aged. The Rococo style had given way to a neoclassical one, inspired by antiquity. Of Louis XVI's furniture, the table by Reznor, and the terrestrial globe, were eventually returned here. The chest of drawers was replaced by one delivered for the king's brother. Thanks to generous donations, the painted silk was recently rewoven, and restores to the library the life, color, and intimate charm of the past. One set of library shelves is in fact trompe l'oeil, and is the door through which one entered Madame Aldehyde's grand cabinet, later to become a dining room under Louis XV and Louis XVI. And better known as the porcelain room. The last room in the suite is Louis XVI's game room. Almost two-thirds of the furniture commissioned by Louis XVI, and scattered during the revolution, has been returned to this room with its Louis XV decoration. The four superb corner cupboards, delivered by Reznor in 1774, have been returned to their original places, and nineteen of the thirty-six chairs, bought in 1785, have been found again. A very rich silk fabric, embroidered with gold, covers the windows and chairs. All that is missing are the games tables, which stood on the magnificent carpet, with Louis XIV's initials. The private apartments. Above the private suite, overlooking the courtyard of the stags, and the entrance courtyards to the palace, lies the king's most secret dominion at Versailles, the private apartments. Decorated by Gabrielle for Louis XV, they consist of a series of small rooms, with fresh charming decor, in which white or gilded wainscoting alternates, with painted panels. In this retreat, inaccessible to the courtiers, Louis XV would come to live simply, inviting a few friends to share his supper in one of the many dining-rooms. He also housed his mistresses here, including the two most celebrated ones, Madame du Pompadour and Madame du Berry. The Marquise lived for five years in the attic storey of the north wing, before moving into a comfortable apartment on the ground floor. In 1769, du Berry moved into the section overlooking the marble courtyard, and the courtyard of the stags. She lived there until Louis XV's death in 1774, receiving in the company of the king, their faithful friends who had been invited to supper and games, attempting to forget all of the rebuffs inflicted on her by the royal family, and in particular by the young dauphine, Marie Antoinette. Her apartments consisted of a library, an antechamber, a game room, a drawing room, a dining room, and a bathroom. Very fine furniture has been placed in this suite, including special chairs called the furniture of the gods. And those were the spaces that comprised the king's quarters at Versailles. Thank you so much for watching this video, and don't forget to subscribe and share and comment down below telling me your favorite room throughout the tour. If you enjoyed this free content, consider supporting me on Patreon and becoming a member of our cultured newsletter. Thank you everyone, and I'll see you in the next video.