Chronologie de la vie de Louis XIV, June 1662
1 June, his Majesty returns from Fontainebleau and stops at Saint-Cloud, where he is welcomed by Monsieur and treated to some splendid snacks.
2 June, his Majesty has dispatched the Marquis d’Estrades to the King of England in order to congratulate the English Majesty on his wedding with the Infanta of Portugal (Catherine of Braganza).
4 June, His Majesty visits the Prince de Condé at the latter’s residence at Saint-Maur.
5 June, after months of preparations, Paris will witness a grand spectacle today, a Carrousel to celebrate the birth of Monseigneur le Dauphin. Already early in the day, the first spectators gather along the streets of Paris and attempt to gain a good place to behold the spectacle that will take place in the area between the Louvre and the Tuileries. Around noon, the King and some of the gentleman participating in the Carrousel, travel to the Hôtel de Vendôme, the starting point of the parade, to dine together. At around two o’clock in the afternoon, the parade, consisting of 1297 people, of which 655 are on horseback, leaves the Hôtel de Vendôme en route to the Tuileries. The streets are lined with spectators. At the Tuileries, bleachers for up to 15000 spectators have been set up along with a raised platform, decorated with purple velvet and golden fleur-de-lis, for their Majesties, the Queens, and high-ranking ladies of the court. Led by his Majesty, the first riders enter the Roman-style theatre, to show off their horsemanship and to salute the Queens and ladies. They are dressed in outfits of red and gold, in style of the Roman Empire. His Majesty is dressed a suit of silver brocade embroidered with gold and precious stones. Some of them can hardly contain themselves at the sight of their handsome King. Riders dressed as Persians follow. They are dressed in red and white and led by Monsieur, who wears a golden suit with a very splendid and feathered headpiece. The Persians are followed by the Turks, lead by the Monsieur le Prince de Condé. Black and blue are their colours. The Duc d’Enghien, oldest son of the Prince de Condè, leads the next quadrille, the Indians. Their costumes are very colourful, with yellow dominating. The last quadrille, led by the Duc de Guise, enters the arena. They ought to represent the Americas, with plenty of feathers everywhere. The riders then move into position to face each other in a display of horsemanship that is half ballet and half battle. The costumes, the choreography, there is not one person present who is not in awe. His Majesty and his Romans have successfully and skilfully outmanoeuvre all others. They are the victors of the fight and applause echoes through all of Paris. Vive le Roi!
6 June, his Majesty dines at the Arsenal with the gentleman, before returning to the Tuileries for the second day of the Carrousel. Many spectators are present again to behold the riders, who will engage in various races today. Starting with the courses de têtes, where the riders have to spear an elevated puppet head. His Majesty participates in the courses de têtes and spears sixteen heads, yet is beaten by the Marquis de Bellefonds, lieutenant-general of the King’s armies, who thus rewarded by her Majesty with a diamond decorated miniature protrait of the King, worth 75 000 livres. Next is the course de bague, a ring-race, where the participants have to pierce as many rings as possible with a lance. The Comte de Sault, with great skill, outdoes the rest and is honoured, as the Marquis de Bellefonds was, by her Majesty.
8 June, Fête-Dieu, his Majesty attends the procession at Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois and returns there for mass in the afternoon with the Queens.
9 June, their Majesties attend mass at the Oratoire.
10 June, his Majesty receives the nuncio, Monsieur Piccolomini.
12 June, his Majesty signs an edict for the generalisation of the Hôpital générals in all major cities of the Kingdom.
13 June, his Majesty receives the envoy of the Princesse d’Orange. In the afternoon, his Majesty travels to Saint-Cloud, where he is welcomed by Monsieur and her Majesty, the Queen-Mother.
14 June, the King sends an envoy to the Prince de Weimar, upon hearing of the death of the Prince’s father.
15 June, his Majesty grants an audience to the Comte de Saint-Albans (Henry Jermyn), who is extraordinary ambassador of England.
16 June, the King travels to the Plaines de Colombes for a review of his gardes du corps, mousquetaires, gendarmes and chevau-legers.
19 June, their Majesties travel to Saint-Germain-en-Laye, where his Majesty will meet the deputies of the États de Languedoc.
23 June, the King grants an audience to the ambassador of Savoy, Francesco Ghiron Villa, and the Landgrave de Hesse-Rheinfels, Ernst von Hessen-Rheinfels-Rotenburg.
25 June, in Saint-Germain, his Majesty receives Monsieur André de Grimaldi, son of the late Annibal de Grimaldi, who was sentenced to death in 1621 for betraying the Duc de Savoie and strangled by two Turkish slaves.
