Chronologie de la vie de Louis XIV, December 1662

1 December, having heard mass, his Majesty leaves Abbeville at seven o’clock in the morning en route to Calais. His Majesty arrives at Calais at seven o’clock in the evening and is warmly greeted by the Comte de Charost, who is the governor of Calais.

2 December, having heard mass, his Majesty and the gentlemen accompanying him, leave Calais for Gravelines. After a stop at Gravelines, his Majesty continues towards Dunkirk at two o’clock in the afternoon. Having passed through the fortress of Mardyck, his Majesty enters Dunkirk triumphantly. His Majesty is welcomed by the Marquis d’Estrades and continues to the église Saint-Éloi to thank God for his assistance and to attend a Te Deum.

3 December, having returned to the church in the morning and heard mass, his Majesty joins the procession through the town. His Majesty then sets out on horseback, around noon, to inspect the fortifications of the port of Dunkirk.
Returning to his lodgings, his Majesty holds council with the Marshals Turenne, de Gramont, de Villeroy and d’Aumont and is joined by the Comte d’Estrades and Duc de Beaufort. In the evening, his Majesty receives Monsieur Meulebecque, the bourgmestre, who brings with him several residents of Dunkirk, who all wish to thank his Majesty for the privileges he bestowed upon them and their businesses. Afterwards, his Majesty receives Monsieur George Carteret, who was sent to him as envoy by his cousin, the King of England. Tonight, his Majesty enjoys his supper in public. He appears to be very well pleased.

4 December, the King rises early to hear mass and then, at seven o’clock in the morning, takes his leave of Dunkirk to return to Paris. His Majesty reaches Boulogne in the evening, where he will rest tonight.

5 December, at three o’clock in the morning, his Majesty, on horseback, continues towards Paris. The roads being in no good condition, his Majesty stops at Crèvecoeur for the night.

6 December, the King left Crèvecoeur in the morning and travelled through Beauvais, without stopping, to reach Paris around noon.

8 December, Fête de l’Immaculée Conception, his Majesty attends the sermon of père Senault, held at the chapel of the Louvre.

9 December, the King and the Queen receive a messenger, who comes to inform them of the death of the Erzherzog Leopold Wilhelm von Österreich, who passed away on November 20 and was the uncle of the current Holy Roman Emperor, his Imperial Majesty Leopold I.

10 December, their Majesties attend a sermon at the chapel of the Louvre.

11 December, his Majesty grants an audience to the ambassador of Denmark, Monsieur Hannibal Sehestedt. His Majesty then receives the ambassador of Savoy, Monsieur Francesco Ghiron Villa, who brings with him the Marquis Pallavinci, captain of the guards of the Duc de Savoie, to bestow his compliments upon Mademoiselle de Valois.

12 December, the King receives the ambassadors of Venice and Holland.

14 December, their Majesties mourn the Erzherzog Leopold, uncle of his Imperial Majesty, in public.

20 December, the King enjoys the hunt in the Bois de Boulogne.

21 December, their Majesties receive the wife of the Danish ambassador, the Comtesse de Sehested, who is a daughter of the late King Christian IV of Denmark and his morganatic second wife the Comtesse du Schleswig-Holstein.

24 December, his Majesty, in company of her Majesty, the Queen-Mother, and Monsieur and Madame, attend the sermon of Père Senault at the chapel of the Louvre. His Majesty then proceeds to Saint-Anne-la-Royale, which was founded by the late Cardinal Mazarin, to attend the Novena prayers, which are led by the new Archbishop of Paris, Hardouin de Péréfixe de Beaumont. After which his Majesty returns to the chapel to attend evensong and, at midnight, his Majesty attends the three Christmas Masses.

25 December, his Majesty returns to the chapel of the Louvre, to attend the grand mass held by the Archbishop of Paris. Around noon, his Majesty goes to Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois to hear the sermon of Père Jean Damascène Le Bret, which is followed by silent worship and the evensong. Leaving Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois, his Majesty sets at once out towards Val-de-Grâce, to visit her Majesty, his mother.

26 December, a new play by Monsieur Molière is performed today at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal. It is called L’École des femmes and Monsieur will attend the performance.

27 December, his Majesty enjoys the hunt in the surroundings of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

30 December, their Majesties and the court mourn the death of Anne Élisabeth de France, second child and first daughter of their Majesties. The Princesse passed away today at the Louvre, where she was born last month.

31 December, his Majesty rides to Versailles early in the morning. Returning from Versailles, his Majesty stops at Saint-Cloud, where he will spent the last night of this year, in company of her Majesty and Monsieur, his brother.