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Chronologie de la vie de Louis XIV, December 1664
2 December, his Majesty receives Monsieur Marcus Groë, grand chambellan of the Queen of Denmark. 3 December, his Majesty receives the ambassador of Savoy, who introduces him to the Baron de Sainte-Joire, a gentilhomme in service of the Duc de Savoie. 6 December, her Majesties health is slowly and steadily improving. The condition of the Princesse Marie-Anne remains…
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Thoughts on Versailles season three, episode nine….
Here we go with episode nine, which means Versailles season 3 is almost over… and everything behind this sentence will be very full of spoilers. Last episode, we had Jeanne engaging in criminal acts, the Chevalier having some sexy-time, Philippe being a doting son, Liselotte plotting with Colbert… and the King jumped off a cliff. His Majesty is under water,…
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Thoughts on Versailles season three, episode five….
Are you ready for the next episode? We are at episode five now, which means we are half way through the last season of Versailles…. and everything behind this sentence will be full of spoilers. Last episode, we saw our King being not so kind to the peasants, while Monsieur attempts to trick Bontemps into believing he dropped the Mask…
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Thoughts on Versailles season three, episode four….
Bonjour again. I had a cup of tea and am somewhat ready for the next episode…. and, as usual, everything behind this sentence will contain spoilers. Last episode, we saw Bossuet at the Vatican, which is a bit worried thing could get difficult for Louis soon. Louis has learned about Madame de Maintenon’s past and also that the poor people are…
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Thoughts on Versailles season three, episode three….
I hope you have a cup of tea or any other beverage of your choosing ready, for we are about to jump back to 17th century France… and everything behind this sentence will contain spoilers. Last episode, Monsieur teamed up with Fabien to find Mask Man and was totally uncaring that his son and heir was removed from Versailles by…
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Thoughts on Versailles season three, episode two….
Here we are again for the next round…. and everything behind this sentence will contain spoilers. In the last episode, we learned that Louis has won the war and he welcomed Emperor Leopold to Versailles. Liselotte is the proud maman of a little boy, for which the Chevalier acts more father than the actual father. Monsieur is now part of…
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Thoughts on Versailles season two, episode six….
Bonjour again. We are half way through season two and left off last episode with our King drawing some lines with his own blood on a plan of his Palace of Dreams. It’s in the walls. Before watching episode six, I was told it would be a bit as if Philippe was King… so I am looking forward to discover…
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Thoughts on Versailles season two, episode five….
Episode five, this means we are half way through the season. Last season things really started to kick off then. I’m thrilled to discover how this new season continues, but before we travel back in time to 17th century France allow me to say something regarding the previous episode. It did get a little ranty… or rather I got a…
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Thoughts on Versailles season two, episode four….
Bonjour. Comment allez-vous? Did something happen last episode? Something dramatic? Like someone getting stabbed? Ah, oui. Fabien got a knife in his chest and we start with him pulling said knife out. He yells for the guards and collapses. It appears the guards found him and he is brought to Claudine. He will live, for it appears his heart might…
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Thoughts on Versailles season two, episode three….
The last episode finished with the screams of Madame de Montespan and the dramatic/mysterious blowing out of candles as a certain Madame Agathe turned her cards. Now we see Louis in his Apollo costume, the one he originally wore during the Ballet Royal de la Nuit. It was first performed in 1653 and took a whole thirteen hours. Louis XIV…
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Thoughts on Versailles season two, episode two….
Here we are again. Back in Versailles with episode two. The last episode finished with a solar eclipse and a beheading, now we start in with a yawning Louis XIV walking through a salon. Our King seems unable to sleep and is nearly hit by a falling chandelier. Bossuet thinks it’s a bit of a sign. The historical Bossuet was quite…
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The two marriages of Philippe de France
A 17th century marriage was more or less a business contract. It was about wealth, titles, patronage, heirs, and if one was a member of a royal house about politics. Everyone involved was aware of it. Monsieur had the bliss, he would probably call it misfortune, to be married twice. As brother of the Sun King it was his duty to…
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Guy-Armand de Gramont, Comte de Guiche
Guy-Armand de Gramont, mostly just called by his second name Armand, was born on November 25 in 1637. He achieved fame due to his bravery on the battlefield, his libertine lifestyle and his scandalous affair with Philippe de France, brother to the great Sun King. Armand was the first-born child of Antoine III de Gramont, Peer-Duc de Gramont and Marshal…
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Marie Mancini, Princesse Colonna
Anna Maria Mancini, adopted, like her sisters and cousins, the French version of her name, Marie, as she came to France. Born on August 28, 1639, to the Italian aristocrat and necromancer Lorenzo Mancini and Geronima Mazzarini, sister of Cardinal de Mazarin, Marie was the sister of Laure, Olympe, Hortense, Marie Anne and the first love of Louis XIV. Marie spent…
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Antoine Coëffier de Ruzé d’Effiat, Marquis d’Effiat
Antoine Coëffier de Ruzé d’Effiat comes from family with a prominent status at court. One of his ancestors, Martin Ruzé de Beaulieu, served as Secretary of State of the Maison du Roi, or King’s Secretary, under three Kings of France. Henry III, the last Valois King, Henry IV, the first Bourbon King, and his son Louis XIII. As he…
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The Chevalier vs Chevalier.
It’s been almost a year now since Versailles first aired in France and since then it aired in several other countries worldwide, currently in America. During this year, I have met quite a lot of people who had one particular issue with one of the characters. That issue can be partly blamed on the show itself, for it is not explained…
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Alexandre bâtard de Lorraine, Chevalier de Beauvernois
Alexandre de Lorraine was born to Philippe de Lorraine and a certain Claude de Souches or possibly Mademoiselle de Fiennes, both are mentioned as his mother. His year of birth was between 1668 and 1674, 1670 being the most common year mentioned. Alexandre was one of several children fathered by the Chevalier de Lorraine, the infamous paramour of Louis XIV’s brother, which according…
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The Death Of Madame
Saint Cloud, June 30, 1670, three o’clock in the morning. Henrietta of England, Henriette d’Angleterre as the French called her, Minette as she was called by her brother, closes her eyes forever. Madame, as she was called at court, being the wife of Monsieur, the King’s brother, had suddenly fallen ill the previous day, June 29, and died less than…
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“Versailles sounds and looks very silly.” Does it?
It’s been a while now since Versailles has aired in France and I did my last bit of ado on it. Since then the show has aired in several other countries as well, Canada and Belgium, for example, my own native country Germany can watch it on pay-tv right now and it will most likely be view able on free-tv…
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Philippe-Jules Mancini, Duc de Nevers
Filippo Giulio Mancini was born on May 26, 1641 in Rome as second son of Girolama Mazzarini, sister of Cardinal de Mazarin, and the Italian aristocrat Lorenzo Mancini. Just like his sisters, he adopted the French version of his name upon being brought to France. Cardinal de Mazarin had not only just great plans for his nieces, but also…
