Le Roi Est Mort
The last days of Louis XIV follows the Sun King's last illness, his death and funeral.
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 18, 1715
The Marquis de Dangeau writes: “The King passed the night very quietly. He had allowed Monsieur Fagon to sleep in his chamber, which he has hitherto refused to do. Monsieur Fagon perceived neither fever, agitation, nor thirst, in him.“ < August 17 > August 19
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 17, 1715
Louis XIV had a restless night. He did not find much sleep until four o’clock in the morning. The King suffered of thirst again and drank much and often, but then slept soundly until ten o’clock. He was dressed at one o’clock and ate as usual, afterwards held audience with the General of the Order of Sainte-Croix de la…
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 16, 1715
The Marquis de Dangeau writes: “The King’s chamber was open for admission at eleven o’clock. He heard mass in his bed, dined there at one o’clock, rose soon after, and gave audience to the envoy from Wolfenbuttel, and then was conveyed to Madame de Maintenon‘s, where he played with the ladies; and in the evening there was a grand concert. He…
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 15, 1715
A suspicious-looking sore has appeared below the King’s right knee. Louis XIV’s servants bandage the King’s leg and change the bandages each day. Louis is not able to wear his ordinary clothes due to the bandages. He can hardly walk anymore and takes care of the business of state from his bed. Mass is performed in the King’s bedroom…
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 13, 1715
Louis XIV receives the Persian ambassador in public audience. The King stands the most of the time and seems exhausted. Louis’ sleep was disturbed by the pain in his leg. The physicians can not agree whether the King was feverish or not last night, but order him to take donkey milk and quinine. <August 12 >August 15
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 12, 1715
Guy-Crescent Fagon, Louis XIV’s physician, diagnoses the King to suffer of sciatica. A medical condition of pain going down the leg from the lower back, typically only on one side of the body, and nothing life threatening. Georges Mareschal, First Surgeon to the King, has his doubts. So have the servants. < August 11 > August 13
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 11, 1715
On the morning of the 11th, after a Council of State, Louis XIV was wheeled in his wheel-chair around the gardens of the Trianon, now known as the Grand Trianon. It was the last time he left the palace alive. For the next few days, although he felt a pain in his left leg often, the King went through…
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 10, 1715
Louis XIV travells to Marly. The Marquis de Dangeau, who is present in the evening at the King’s coucher, is startled by his extreme weakness. He writes the King was so exhausted that he could hardly walk from his cabinet to his prie-dieu and his body had become so thin that it looked as if the flesh had all been…
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The Last Days Of Louis XIV – August 9, 1715
Starting today, we will follow the last journey of the King with day-to-day updates from his health declining to Louis XIV’s death and funeral. After Louis XIV’s health had declined in the previous months, the Sun King began to suffer of a pain in the leg in August. This pain made standing or walking painful, yet Louis continued to perform his…
