Princess of Versailles

Princess of Versailles

Princess Marie-Adelaide of Savoy was quite a bright spark

in the generally staid and conventional court of the later years

of the life of the Sun King.

Arriving at the court of Versailles as a young girl of 10, with strict instructions

from her family to obey Madame de Maintenon when she arrived at court,

Princess Marie-Adelaide

readily made friends of Madame de Maintenon and the king, Louis XIV.

With

endearing attributes and natural precocity and exuberance of child-hood, she was

a fresh and lively personality in the hallowed halls of Versailles.

Charles Elliott's book of “Princess of Versailles” offers a fresh and wonderful

perspective of life at Versailles during the reign of the Sun King, the life of

Princess Marie-Adelaide who had come to the court to marry the grand-son

of the Sun King, the Duc de Bourgogne.

The book follows the fortunes of Princess Marie-Adelaide's father, Victor Amadeus II,

Duke of Savoy, who often seemed to be living in the shadow of the Sun King and as a

consequence could at times be fickle with his loyalties. There are wonderful

descriptions of the court of Savoy given in the book describing the beauty and refinement

of the court and also

a spiritual essence as Princess Marie Adelaide's mother with her ladies would

painstakingly repair the Shroud of Turin with golden thread. The world of the

court of Savoy was far removed from the more worldly court of Versailles.

Princess Marie-Adelaide was in effect brought up by the king and Madame de

Maintenon. Perhaps because Marie-Adelaide had become accustomed to the king

and Madame de Maintnon over the years she would also interrupt the king in important

meetings, but also over time the king did come to rely on Princess Marie-Adelaide to

attend entertainments in the evenings, even when she was not well with tooth-ache.

Marie-Adelaide also suffered from a mis-carriage at one time as she travelled against

doctors' instructions so as not to displease the king. This may or may not have been a

cause of her miscarriage and the king most likely felt very guilty about this as afterwards

he did seem not to be quite so affable and people did not like to approach him for about

15 minutes. The king was most likely very upset. At another time when his soldiers had

been defeated with many losses Madame de Maintenon had to bring this sad news to him.

Madame de Mainenon and the king spent many years together and for much of the time

these must have been happy years. Madame de Maintenon became involved in her school

of St Cyr and the education of the pupils. The pupils put on a play of “Esther” on the stage which the king attended. The king often attended the plays

with Madame de Maintenon and would have enjoyed these shows. The king was supportive

of Madame de Maintenon's involvement and work at the school.

St Cyr had been established by

Madame de Maintenon to support and educate impoverished young girls of the nobility. Their

future prospects were assured as they had the opportunity of becoming a teacher, entering a

convent or becoming married, in which case a suitable husband would be found for them.

Entertainments and balls were often held in Princess Marie-Adelaide's honour. She was bright and happy.

Princess Marie-Adelaide was as the belle of the ball. Dances and music brought back an echo

of earlier times when Versailles was a bright and welcoming place full of amusements

and entertainments. In later years the wonderful spectaculars and plays of earlier times

had waned. Earlier there had been Lully and Quinault who had staged magnificent

music and opera. There were beautiful sets and magnificent costumes.

There is a coloured

illustration of a dream scene from Lully's opera “Atys” depicted as a wool and silk tapestry

in the book “Baroque” Style in the Age of Magnificence 1620-1800 by Michael

Snodin and Nigel Llewellyn and assisted by Joanna Norman. The colours and displays

of the stage look magnificent. “Atys” had first been performed in 1676 and became known as

the king's opera. “Phaeton” which became more popular in Paris became known as “the people's

opera.” There were so many wonderful entertainments of the earlier times at Versailles.

In the same book there is also a wonderful depiction of an engraving of the inauguration of the

equestrian statue of Louis XIV in place Louis-le-Grand, which is now the Place Vendome. It looks

to have been a magnificent occasion and I am also reminded of a similar occasion for the unveiling of the Bronze Horseman in St Petersburg. This also looks to have been a spectacular occasion from the pictures which have have been depicted.

The duc de Bourgogne had been brought up by a religious tutor, Fenelon, who later

had been banned from the court because of his views. However, his teachings had

influenced the young duc de Bourgogne, who would have liked nothing better than to read

and study religious texts and writings. At one time when the duc de Bourgogne was not

present at an evening's entertainment the king was known to say that as a prince of the court he

should be present at the royal functions. The king was probably not impressed or put out

by the duc de Bourgogne's absence.

At one time, during severe economic hardship, the Duke and Duchess of Bourgogne

sold their jewellery to assist less fortunate people.

After the demise of Monseigneur, the king's son, from smallpox, the duc de Bourgogne

was being made ready for his time to take over the crown from Louis XIV as next in line

of succession. Great things were expected of him and Louis XIV proudly did introduce

him to clerics and people of the church.

Unfortunately, in those times, there were not vaccinations available for small-pox and

many people also in Paris succumbed to this disease.

Princess Marie-Adelaide fell ill and passed away with the duc de Bourgogne also passing

away not long after. This couple seemed ideal and would have made a wonderful king

and queen. Two of their children were also lost from small-pox and a governess, Madame de Ventadour, refused

to allow the doctors to treat another son, who was very young at the time. This child subsequently

reigned as King Louis XV many years later.

I found “Princess of Versailles” to be rich in content and wonderful to read. The book shows

Versailles to its best advantage, the wonderful place which at times it could be. Charles Elliott

did devote a few pages to the earlier years of Versalles as a background to the story.

Princess Marie-Adelaide was popular at court, loved and admired by many people and sadly missed as also had been her grand-mother

Princess Henriette, Madame, who was known as “Minette” who had also died at a young age many

years earlier.

Versailles- The dream and the court (continued)

Hall of Mirrors at Versailles:

Versailles - the Dream and the Court (continued)

Wandering around the great chateau and the Hall of Mirrors -

to relive and imagine the experiences of the

courtiers and people who once lived there.

The king, Louise de la Valliere, Madame de Montespan, Princess Henriette;

There in a long chamber before coming out of the chateau into the gardens

there is a long gallery of statuary of characters from earlier centuries -

generals, poets, soldiers, writers. I found this display of statues of characters

from another time fascinating.

To visit the gardens in all of their splendour, so much

magnificence and beauty all in one place!

Some writers have the talent to bring another place and time alive.

I particularly enjoyed reading Sandra Gulland's evocative novel of Louise de la

Valliere, “Mistress of the Sun.”

Louise, the love of the king's early years; a beautiful story to read.

The story of Louise is different. She found grace and beauty in a convent and wrote

religious writings after her time at Versalles.

Louise, who was young and innocent fell in love with the wordly king. Louise, who came from a provincial town of the Loire seemed out of place at Versailles, and yet, she was a magnificent horse woman. Also, a dancer. She got on well with the king in his early years. His love for Louise was and inspiration when the gardens at Versailles were created.

The book follows Louise's love and also her suffering during her time at the court of the king. It is a wonderful book to read. It was uncanny that the author could depict the life of Louise and her love for the king so graphically and describe her world and her feelings of love, so authentically,

from the little towns of the Loire valley, the places of Paris of the seventeenth century and the

magnificence of the court of Versailles in all of its splendour.

A difficult situation for the long suffering Queen Marie Therese of Spain who came as a young bride to marry Louis XIV. This wedding was supposed to act as a peace settlement between the two countries, which in a way it did. Subsequently, the king's second grand-son, the Duc d'Anjou

became King of Spain.

The king never did receive the dowry received in full which was promised at the time of the

marriage negotiations. This may have been a pre-text for one of his earlier campaigns. In his later

years it has been noted that he did regret some of his earlier campaigns.

The book reflects the purity of the love and innocence of Louise against a background of wantoness which does later seem to become apparent at the court when Madame de Montespan, a rival for the king's affections, also becomes a mistress of the king.

Being an idealistic person, Louise was not

happy with this situation; three queens in a coach as was once described of one of the king's journeys when Madame de Montespan, Louise de la Valliere and the queen, Marie Therese, were escorting the king during one of his campaigns in his early days.

It does seem unfortunate that Louise was not chaperoned at the court.

Being a lady of honour on

Princess Henriette's retinue it may have been appropriate for Louise to have been chaperoned. Being young and impressionable at the time that a position was found for her at court perhaps her

mother should have arranged this.

Louise later found her calling in a religious life and entered a convent,

subsequently writing religious works. Her children remained at court and Louise turned her back on a worldly existence as she then perceived the court of Versailles. Louise is one of the more appealing characters at the royal court from the time of the Sun-King.

Louise was a popular person at court and people did speak to her about her decision to enter a convent.

The beauty of the love of Louise and the king has been mentioned in previous books regarding the king's early years at Versailles and was described as beautiful in the book “Princesss of Versailles” by Charles Elliott, which told the story of Princess Marie-Adelaide of Savoy, who came to live at the court of Versailles in the king's later years and married his grand-son, the Duke of Bourgogne.

This book also was a fascinating tale giving wonderful descriptions of the royal court and insights into the life of the king.  The Duke and Duchess of Bourgogne sold their jewellery in times of hardship.

At one time there was silver furniture placed in the Hall of Mirrors which would have been quite beautiful.  Louis XIV had this silver melted down in later years to pay for the soldiers' wages.