The Shadow Queen by Sandra Gulland

This wonderful novel by celebrated author Sandra Gulland of The Josephine Trilogy tells the complex tale of the early years of the life of Claude des Oeillets. This is a great novel which I enjoyed reading.

Claude des Oeillets was a personal assistant to Madame de Montespan during the early years of the court of Louis XIV in France in the 17^th century.

Claude was from an acting family and it is this aspect of the novel which appeals i.e. the travels and also travails of an acting troupe during these early years in France.

The Great Corneille, writer and playwright was an inspiration to these theatre people whose livelihoods often depended upon patronage and performances given on the stage at courts or various centres in the surrounding countryside.

Claude des Oeillets seems to me to have been an enigma and she also appears as a character in the novel

Of Athenais, The Real Queen of France by Lisa Hilton as a servant of Madame de Montespan.

I enjoyed reading the novel. It gives wonderful insights into another era and time where life was so different from today’s world and the king was the supreme power in the land.

The story is told from the viewpoint of Claude and how she reacts to adverse situations in her life, the hardships and troubles of her family and also from the time of her first meeting with Madame de Montespan who came from a more privileged background. Apparently in earlier more prosperous times her mother and father had been well received on the stage and well regarded as performers in their day.

The story tells of the wonderful side of court life and its beauty and grandeur but also unfortunately also shows a side of court life which is not respectable or acceptable and Claude has to make decisions about her life and face consequences because of earlier decisions which she has made. Ultimately Claude decides where her true loyalties lie and what is the better course for her and her child.

The novel is a triumph of great story-telling. In the end Claude makes a decision which she feels she can live with. She decides to leave the employ of Madame de Montespan. The life at court was not all is seemed and because of the values which she was brought up with she could no longer continue to live a life which was not in keeping with her own moral code.

This book is wonderful and gives a good account of what may have occurred during the Affair of the Poisons at the Court of Louis XIV where so many people were named and also banished from court.

“The Shadow Queen” is an excellent historical fiction novel and the adventures of Claude des Oeillets in the employ of Madame de Montespan are fascinating to follow. The court life and its many complexities are seen throughout in this novel from what Claude des Oeillets could see and gather from her own information. It is very good.

The Kings' Mistresses by Elizabeth C Goldsmith

The Kings' Mistresses

The Liberated Lives of

Marie Mancini, Princess Colonna, And

Her Sister Hortense, Duchess Mazarin

by Elizabeth C Goldsmith

The Kings' Mistresses by Elizabeth C Goldsmith is

a fascinating story of the lives of Marie Mancini and

her sister, Hortense, during the time of the seventeenth

century in Europe. As such , it gives a valuable insight into

of the history and politics of the time in France, Italy, Spain and England.

The author refers to correspondence and letters to tell a

compelling story of two sisters who decided to challenge

the expected norms of society of the time.

And what a story it is!

The stars of both these sisters shone brightly.

Brought to the court of France by their uncle, Cardinal Mazarin,

from Italy, they lived a privileged life and were feted by the court, enjoying

its many entertainments and activities.

Louis XIV wished to marry Marie Mancini. It is poignant that six days after his marriage to the Infanta of Spain, Marie- Therese, Louis XIV

wished to leave his travelling party at La Rochelle and pay a solitary visit to Brouage

where he had last seen Marie Mancini. Of course he would have known that Marie was

not there and Cardinal Mazarin was alarmed when he heard of this detour of the young

Louis XIV.

Anne of Austria and Cardinal Mazarin had done everything to try and separate

Marie Mancini and Louis XIV. Marie had been recaled to Paris by this time.

It is also poignant that Marie Mancini during all of her life retained a string of pearls

which the king had given her a year before his marriage to Marie-Therese.

Charles II of England had wished to marry Hortense, who was a bright spark, vivacious

and beautiful. Cardinal Mazarin did not wish for his niece to marry Charles II at the time

as he was a king without a throne. Charles II had been displaced by Oliver Cromwell and

it would be after many years of poverty and travelling in Europe before he would be restored

to the throne of England in 1660. Cardinal Mazarin raised the issue of his marriage

to Hortense at the time with Charles II but Charles II's ministers advised him to forget Hortense and have a

more ambitious marriage with Katherine of Braganza.

Cardinal Mazarin, being in ill health by 1661 was determined to arrange fortuitous marriages for his nieces

as he had arranged marriages for Laure Mancini, a sister of Marie and Hortense,

to Louis de Bourbon-Vendome, Duc de Mercoeur, and also the marriage of a cousin of Marie and Hortense, Anne-Marie Martinozzi to Armand de Bourbon -Conde, Prince de Conti.

The story of Marie's life in Rome is fascinating to read of the account of the arts, theatre, processions and general sociability of the times as she brought something new to Rome which

was not previously acceptable by the standards of the day. She did seem to have more freedom

than the Roman noblewoman of the time. Marie did a lot for the arts in Rome, building a theatre at the Colonna palazzo and also becoming involved with the carnival in Venice when she was married to Prince Colonna.

Marie was also the author of two books of astrology.

She was learned and cultured. Louis XIV had developed a love and passion for the Italian arts

and poetry from spending many hours in the company of Marie and also from the influences

of Cardinal Mazarin who had a fine art collection.

Hortense was married to Duc Mazarin in 1661.

The story culminates in the adventures of these two sisters who decided to live their lives

differently.

It is a poignant and stark tale but also has great merit describing the fascinating encounters

in London of Hortense and Saint-Evremond, who had been exiled many years previously by

Cardinal Mazarin. They became great friends and Saint-Evremond, knowing that Hortense

enjoyed romance novels would describe himself in his correspondence to her as the sad-faced knight and

Hortense would often sign herself to him as his “Dulcinea to Don Quixote” from Don Quixote.

Hortense hosted a salon of visiting artists writers and travellers to London which people enjoyed for the lively and interesting conversations.

This book is well recommended.

It is enjoyable and gives many insights into the seventeenth century modes of conduct, law and

outcomes. It gives the reader an understanding of the culture and attitudes of society of the time. The vibrant and engaging personalities of the sisters, their travels and adventures give a sense

of wonder to the book set in a time not so distant and yet so different from today.

Splendours of the magical fountains at Versailles

The magical fountains of Versailles are a wonder.

So special, so beautiful. 

I can imagine a time when Louis XIV and his courtiers would spend an
afternoon walking around the gardens of Versailles.  It must have been
a magical experience as it is today when the baroque music plays and
the wonders of the fountains seem to splash in time with the music.

It took some time for me to realise that there were several pathways to follow
and explore to find different fountains and themes at the end of many of the hedgerows
as I was quite entranced
by the beauty of the main displays.
The music was enchanting.  The day was wonderful in early June.

Statues and colourful garden floral displays give a real sense of creativity and beauty.
From the top of the steps looking down over the gardens the view and the perspective of the geometric patterns give a sense of wonderment and beauty.

 

More on favourite characters of the French Court

While looking at blogs in my spare time I have noted

that there is a blog of “I wish I were living in France”

and “I wish I was living at Versailles.” I have not clicked

on to this later blog yet as I am often pressed for time on

the internet.

However, this question, I have often asked myself: “Would I

be happy to live at Versailles?” I believe that the answer to this

all empowering question is “No.” Life could not be the same

living there without the enduring presence of the king. Perhaps

if Louis XIV was to be there life would be different. The reign of

the Sun King is believed to have been the best of times. I love

wandering through the magnificent chateau and viewing the places

where Louis XIV lived with his court. The atmosphere of warmth

can be felt in the king's bedroom and it must have been a beautiful

place at one time in which to live. The galleries and paintings,

furnishings, art works and chapel can easily take a day's viewing

leaving little time to view the beautiful gardens.

Versailles and the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna can also be remembered

as happy places for the last queen, Marie Antoinette.

It is interesting that recently a new hotel is being established to

overlook the Orangerie. It is difficult to contemplate thelP reaction

of Louis XIV to this concept as the mass tourist market would

not have existed during his time. However, people always did travel,

but most likely in those times, they may have been diplomats,

pilgrims or members

of the aristocracy and later in the century perhaps people involved in trade.

Of my favourite characters of the seventeenth century court of France, Louis XIV

comes first, closely followed by the beautiful and elegant Louise

de la Valliere, a popular favourite of the court.

The wife of the Duc de Saint-Simon was also noted as being very nice,

friendly and popular and was often invited by the king to attend Trianon or

Marly with a few select friends.

The Palatinate Princess, Liselotte, as mentioned in a previous post, called a spade

a spade, but at the same time there was a special quality about Liselotte, which

brought people to her and she was admired and was popular at court.

She was the second Duchess of Orleans, after the misfortune of the first Duchess

d'Orleans, Princess Henriette

of England, dying at a young age. She seemed to be more in control in her marriage

to the King's brother. This had not been the case with Princess Henriette's marriage

to the Duc d'Orleans. This may have been as Liselotte was older by this time. Her son

became the Regent following the demise of the king, Louis XIV in 1715. This would

have been a source of pride for Liselotte.

Princess Henriette was beautiful, waif-like, sister of Charles II of England. She had

been sent with her servant to the court of France at a young age. Her mother, Queen

Maria of England may have wished for a marriage for Princess Henriette with

Louis XIV. As Henriette was young at the time she arrived at the court, Louis XIV never noticed her until

after she was married to his brother, Philippe d'Orleans. Princess Henriette would have danced

in many of the ballets in the earlier years at the court.

At the time of her marriage

Princess Henriette was sister to a king of England without a throne and who was living

his life in dire poverty travelling in Europe. Princess Henriette may not have been seen

as a suitable candidate for the prospective bride of Louis XIV. For reasons beyond the control of Louis XIV

at the time, as he was still young and Cardinal Mazarin and his mother, Anne of Austria, were in control, Charles II found that his time at the French Court was limited and he had to move on.

He eventually made his way to

The Netherlands and fathered a child with Lucy Walters, the Duke of Monmouth. In the book “Mad Madge: The extrordinary life of Margaret, Duchess of Newcastle: The First Woman to live by her Pen” ( a story of the second Duchess

of Newcastle) by Katie Whitaker, it is

mentioned that the Duke and Duchess of Newcastle requested a loan from Charles II while in exile. They had

followed the king into exile along with many of his royalist supporters. However the king

said that they were probably better off than he was but that he hoped that one day he might be

able to help them. Even though Charles II did not have children to succeed him on the throne

of England, from his mistress Louise de la Kerouaille, (who had been in the retinue of Princess Henriette of England) Princess Diana is a descendant from the son with Louise de la Keroualle, the Duke of Richmond.

A favourable account has been given of the Duke de Gramont who was a friend of Louis XIV.

This account is given in the book “Louis XIV” by historian, Vincent Cronin. He was very upset and retired to his room in tears when it was believed that the king would not survive his last illness.

Louis XIV also made friends with creative and talented people and his court would have been very lively at times with the flourishing arts, music and literature.

The Grande Mademoiselle, Duchess of Montpensier, was also likeable and popular at the court. Unfortunately,

she may have been vulnerable at times, falling in love with the
Duc de Lauzun, whom she subsequently married after many disappointments and let -downs

by people she believed she could trust. The Duc de Lauzun, who had spent many years in

prison until the Duchess de Montpensier eventually bought him his freedom.

More favourite characters of the court to follow at a later stage.

My best wishes

A Vision of Beauty

A Vision of Beauty

In 1693 at the time of his retirement, Le Notre, the King's gardener,

gave a gift to the King. He invited Louis XIV to select any paintings

he wished from his art collection of 250 paintings.

It is significant and noteworthy that many of the paintings which Louis XIV

selected are now available to view at the Louvre in Paris.

Included paintings of the 20 paintings which the king initially included in his small gallery are:

Albani's “Acteon Changing into a Stag”

“Apollo and Daphne”

“Salmacis and Hermaphrodite”

Claude Lorraine's “Seaport at Sunset”

“Village Fete”

Poussin's “Woman Taken in Adultery”

“Moses Saved from the Waters”

“Saint John Baptising the People”

Significant also that the themes of the paintings selected

were of a mythological nature, beauty (“Sea Port at Sunset” is

mystical, magical, beautiful) and religion.

The king had an eye for beauty, wished to create beauty.

He had a vision of Versailles from a young age. He had

often gone hunting there in his earlier days.

Where had stood atop the hill a little windmill which

his father would sleep in at nights after hunting in the

nearby forest of St Leger. Thereafter a little pavilion

was built by Louis XIII.

Nicholas Fouquet's “Vaux-le-Vicomte” may have been the

time for change and which eventually did inspire him to

start his own building plan. Prior to this time, Louis XIV

had been confined to older style palaces in Paris or Fontainebleu.

Vaux le Vicomte may have given him a glimpse of what was

achievable with new concepts, space and light, entertainment

areas and gardens.

His new finance Minister, Colbert, would have liked to have seen

Louis XIV devote more time and energy to the Louvre. However,

over time Louis XIV became so inspired by Versailles that he actually

would oversee personally the decorating and arranging of art works

himself at Versailles, including the gardens also.

If the king was not in attendance,

as he may have been away, he would write for updates to be given of

the progress of the works, fountains, flowers.

Louise de la Valliere was at one

time an inspiration for the beautiful gardens of Versailles. Being of a serene

and peaceful nature the softer images of the flowers and parterres would have

complemented her beauty also.

The Grand Canal and gondolas which were given by the Senate of

Venice enhanced the colours and magic of the landscaped scene with

their flags and pennants and sailors in bright coloured livery.

Beautiful white swans glided gracefully along the Grand Canal.

The king enjoyed water concerts and fire-works displays but at one time

his doctor told him he should forgo these activities.

In winter the royal party enjoyed sleigh rides and ice-

skating on the Grand Canal. The king's son enjoyed

these winter sports.

The fountains were magical. It was almost as a gift that the two

Francini brothers arrived at the right time to enhance the

fountains and gardens with beautiful water works.

Wonderful arches of spray would form on a summer's day

where the courtiers and ladies could walk

under the jets of water without becoming wet.

So many fountains and jets of spray, at least fourteen hundred.

The Labyrinthe being quite magical was the place of mythological

statues, animals and stories with the figures of Cupid and Aesop

at the entrance. Unfortunately, this Labyrinthe no longer exists.

At the time it was a marvel and admired by many influential people.

There was also a Marais which had belonged to Madame de Montespan,

creating the artificial with nature, lights from a fountain and tree.

Louis XIV ordered the Marais to be

replaced later. As also, the Trianon de Porcelaine, known as a Palace of

Flora, for its beautiful and rare flowers. Flowers of every kind. This was

subsequently replaced by the Marble Trianon. Sometimes in the evenings

the king and some of his attendants and ladies would visit these flower gardens.

There is a note written by an English author: from Project Gutenburg's

“The Story of Versailles” by Francis Loring Payne:

"In the midst of all the austerities imposed upon him by the ambition of Madame de Maintenon, the King went to Trianon to inhale the breath of the flowers which he had planted there, of the rarest and most odoriferous kind. On the infrequent occasions when the Court was permitted to accompany him thither to share in his evening collation, it was a beautiful spectacle to see so many charming women wandering in the midst of the flowers on the terrace rising from the banks of the canal. The air was so rich with the mingled perfume of violets, orange flowers, jessamines, tuberoses, hyacinths and narcissuses that the King and his visitors were sometimes obliged to fly from the overpowering sweets. The flowers in the parterres were arranged in a thousand different figures, which were constantly changed, so that one might have supposed it to be the work of some fairy, who, passing over the gardens, threw upon them each time a new robe aglow with color."

The Hall of Mirrors, the “Galerie des Glaces” was a wonderful show piece.

Thousands of wax candles glimmered in chandeliers of crystal

and silver ware creating an effect of extreme beauty. Silverware, beautiful

views overlooking the gardens, the rays of the sunlight which at different times

of the day would pattern the marble floor would have created a beauteous

and peaceful image.

At sunset the rays would have shone directly into the Hall of Mirrors in all of

its gilded splendour creating a magical scene, sublime with the beauty and

colour of the sun.

The marble floor and silverware, including orange trees in silver vases,

were subsequently replaced.

Flowers, clothing, ornamentation and entertainments created a wonderful

theatre of life.

Louis XIV was a magical king who created a show piece of magnificence

and wonderful landscaped gardens which were admired

and followed by other European courts.

Tradition and ceremony, religion, were all important to him.

He was also loved by the people.

I have visited Versailles three times and each time it is with a sense of wonder

that I first see a statue of the king on a horse at the entrance gates and the grand

setting of the courtyard and buildings which housed so many people when the

court and courtiers lived at Versailles. The centre of court and government.

A scheme of things.

Rare moments of beauty- glimpses in time

Rare Moments of Beauty-

A glimpse in Time:

One evening I was walking from the library

to the shopping centre and between apartment

buildings there are lovely palm trees in pots

and water ponds. It was a cold windy night

without too many people about. Even so, I was

quite entranced by the little plays of water displays

from the little fountains with illuminated lights

glowing from the water. Just beautiful! As not

many people were around I thought that these

majestic little displays must be for the people

living in the apartment buildings.

Another time one evening not long before Christmas

I was walking through Aotea Square in Auckland.

This was also a cold wind-swept night with not too many

people there. I was surprised as there was a group

singing on a stage and the few people watching were

wrapped up against the cold. The music was so

wonderful and haunting, it remains with me even

today. A beautiful song which the group was singing

and the sound seemed to follow, one line from the song

of which

I remember: “from the cradle to the grave.”

Rare moments of beauty:

I have been looking at some of the wonderful images

from le bal de Versailles where people dress in costume.

After looking at some of these pictures I can readily

imagine how beautiful and magnificent it must have

been when the king, Louis XIV, would walk around the gardens

of Versailles with his courtiers.

I can visualise the magnificent colours of the ladies' dresses

in the picturesque and wonderful settings. Even in the

stifling hot of the summer weather (when sometimes the restricted

clothing may have become uncomfortable) these occasions must have been

rare and wonderful glimpses of beauty in time. The beautiful

fountain displays may have had a cooling effect with the spray

from the water jets. A softly blowing breeze from the direction of the trees

may also have

tempered the scene. On one occasion

the scent from the flowers was so heady that the king and his courtiers

had to leaved. This was in the vicinity of the Trianon.

I remember vividly a scene of Marie Antoinette in the gardens at Versailles

near her hameau from the film “Marie Antoinette.” At this time Marie

Antoinette had chosen white cotton clothing which may have been more

comfortable for her in the hot weather. She also had a portrait painted

dressed in this fashion which was unfortunately

not approved of as the clothing was not in keeping

with the expectations of how the queen of France

was supposed to be. However, even in this film,

the moments of beauty and truth did shine through.

This piece of music seems to me to reflect the quality

and beauty of time and its passing nature: Mary's Song

played by Nick Cave which I came across yesterday

on face book:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAIXJ-quKWE

Elizabeth I must also have looked magnificent at times:

her rainbow portrait is a favourite and she lived up to to

her image of "the faerie queen" as depicted in the poetry

of Edmund Spenser.

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.

The Court of Versailles

The Court of Versailles

Who are the favourite characters of the court of Versailles besides the king?

I would like to wander around the gardens and chateau of Versailles imagining

their real lives and what it must have been like to live there. The town of Versailles

increased after the king moved his court there in 1682.

There was tree planting in the town and many innovations.

In 1683 the king is believed to have had a secret marriage with Madame de Maintenon.

I often wonder about all of the people who lived at the court during the seventeenth century.

It was a very real time for them, even though now the ancien regime may often be dismissed

as being irrelevant.

Louis XIV achieved success and created wonders with his beautiful gardens

and chateau. He encouraged arts, literature, plays, theatre, music, dance (he was a great dancer himself for many years) and architecture.

The people of the court would have enjoyed the entertainments of the king, sometimes held in an

outdoor setting of the gardens, which would have been very beautiful and decorative for the festive occasion.

A brief synopsis of the characters of the court:

To my mind both Louise de la Valliere in the seventeenth century and Marie Antoinette in the eighteenth century stand tall:

Louise de la Valliere – beautiful, serene, her love for the king shone through.

She understood that

material values had no place in a spiritual love;

Marie Antoinette: naïve, innocent, impulsive, her inner beauty also shone through;

Princess Henriette from the seventeenth century:

a younger sister of Charles II of England

who was married to the king's brother at an early age known as Madame, Duchess of Orleans, often referred to as “Minette”: vibrant personality, friendly and popular, who

unfortunately died at a young age;

Madame de Montespan: vivacious, daring, innovative, challenging;

A great personality and rival for the king's affections;

Lisa Hilton has written a comprehensive book about Athenais de Montespan:

“Athenais, the Real Queen of France.” I enjoyed reading this book.

Great books to read:

“Farewell, My Queen” by Chantal Thomas, which gave a unique perspective of Marie Antoinette from the Queen's reader, an old lady who was subsequently based in Vienna and wrote in her letters of the reverential respect the servants had for Marie Antoinette.

“Antoinette” the play by Kathy Davis;

Antonia Fraser's book of “Marie Antoinette” is written from a sympathetic view point and gives a detailed account of the unfortunate queen's life;

“Royal Flush” by Margaret Irwin who gives a riveting account of the life of Princess Henriette of England which depicts the court of Louis XIV in all of its magnificent splendour.

I will return to this post at a later time as there are many fascinating characters

who lived at the court of Versailles and many great books written.

As was mentioned in “Royal Flush” Princess Henriette belived that it was one of the best times to be at the court i.e. during the time of Louis XIV's court in the seventeenth century.

The Reign of the Sun King

I thought it was time for a few more posts about Louis XIV and Versailles:

The Reign of the Sun King:

The sun set its golden shadows over distant hills

and the reign of the Sun King ceased to be;-

A reign spectacular for its magnificence and splendour:-

All this time the Sun King seemed to live his life upon a stage:-

a court revolving round a golden age;

the Grand Siecle;

Philippe d'Orleans,

son of Monsieur and the second Madame, Liselotte, a princess of the Palatinate,

governed as the Regent from 1715.

He is reputed to have introduced champagne to the royal court.

Louis XIV,

a king so young who came to the throne,

who made the court of Versailles his home;

So much drama in his young life,

The Fronde,

Fleeing palaces in stealth by night

Seeking safety in his flight;

An arranged wedding-

Infanta Marie Therese,

his wife:

Glinting in that golden sun

bedecked upon a glittering horse

And all of Paris seemed to shine

On that spring day of June summer time;

A new beginning from the old

And all the crowds cheered so bold:

“Louis, Louis”

A magnificent king,

the crowds seemed to sing

And were wont to say

Looking at the king that day;

So caring, kind, colourful and good,

A king, sometimes not always understood.

He strove for excellence and all good things

In dance, music, art and décor;

A king and court from before

Gives grace and understanding

Now, for history and the arts-

A model-

which echoes still in time.

Thinking of a glorious past

herein are treasures which do last.

Conceived on a night of a storm;-

the day Louis XIV was born

the fountains of Paris

flowed free with wine

People looking forward to a better time

Three days to spread the good news

to the south

With all good wishes for his health;

At St Jean de Luz

A wedding so fine;

Celebrations

and decorations-

Ostentations

the reasons why

occasioned by

the birth of a son,-

Louis's only royal one:

Quadrilles of horses trotted in time

Spectators formed in illustrious line

in the magnificent June springtime;

Tuileries and Louvre arena surrounds

and the stories do abound;

A roundabout of a Carousel

as later on the Bourbons fell

Imagining a lost Dingle Dell

Looking for dreams

in a Wishing Well:

For, as in an old-time nursery rhyme

the king, as Emperor

was dressed to shine,-

Looking back,

perhaps a sign
In a glimpse of time;

Pageantry-

wonderful to see

A spectacle-

remembered still:

And as the people went back to work

Recalling a Prince dressed as a Turk

rebel prince in his surrender

Holding aloft the Moon in Splendour
Gracing his presence
 displaying its crescent
in the shadow of the sun
Louis XIV's Apollo had won-

The Sultan- Prince of Conde;

And as the people went upon their way

prone merrily to say:

“What a wonderful display!”

Remembered for ever a day:

For later on,

a consul,- general

Napoleon

Did throw his hat into the ring

The status of Emperor did bring

With Josephine as his queen-

could this ever be foreseen?

Napoleon's army,
Had this ever been rehearsed
A dance across the universe?
Not until Waterloo reversed;

And I cannot forget

As a montage of images

from a film set

The Sun, The Moon

and the distant Stars

Reflecting a Universe

Saturn to Mars-

Did shine upon this princely court

Imagery which astronomy taught;

Themes which had always been

now could often be seen-

At Marly, a beautiful place

Versailles- The Sun's ace

Sun shadows and arrows

Sun-flowers bright yellow

Hornbeam which seemed

In nature so green

and mythical garden scenes:

“Le Roi Soleil” danced to music on a make-believe stage

Lived his life on a gilded stage

Created his world a golden age;

And now his life is reflected in song

A make-believe stage of a real age

This seventeenth century stage;

People turn the pages of time

Splendours and wonders achieved so fine

Passion in art and beauty sublime:

Brought up on stories of Alexander the Great,

Looked back to a time past

Of the Greeks and Romans

As though seeking truths and answers from stories

of long ago.

It is believed that Louis XIV did not allow himself to

be influenced in his decision making by women as regards

the governing of the country. However, the gardens may have

been a different matter at various times, depending upon who

was in favour and who the king was in love with. The gardens of Versailles

were designed with Louise de la Valliere as an inspiration for the king.

His priests may have influenced him in later years regarding the revocation

of the Treaty of Nantes, which reversed the freedom of religion which had

been put in place by Louis XIV's grandfather, Henri IV, which granted freedom

to the Huguenots. As a consequence many talented artisans did leave the country

which may have affected the economy.

Louis XIV's reign was a triumph in many respects with industry, arts and culture,

the tapestries of the Gobelins, the gardens and fountains of Versailles,

fashion, etiquette, manners (Louis XIV always dressed well, which befitted his royal role and acted with dignity and decorum)

engineering, science and technology.

He may have become a little subdued in later years and a little more religious

minded as he became older. He attended chapel services every day.

It was sad when his reign was nearing its end.

He was aware of speculation in the foreign press.

He did a great deal for the country and ruled at a time when it was not an unusual

occurrence for countries to be at war with one another.

A life of wonder,

full of joy,

He created beauty at Versailles.

The early years of the reign of the Sun King are recalled as the happiest times with the fetes

and celebrations, the gardens his joy.

In later years, with sorrow and sadness, the court of Versailles was not the happy place of

earlier times.

When Princess Marie-Adelaide of Savoy came on the scene the court of Versailles reflected some of its earlier gaiety and merriment of previous times with the many balls whch were given in honour of the new princess, who would eventually marry the king's grandson, the Duke of Bourgogne.

I wonder whether the king reflected upon the golden age of Elizabeth I of England.

He did enquire once of the plays of Shakespeare, however, Princess Henriette was not informed or did not seem to be aware of the great

playwright at the time. This was after one of her visits to England.

Louis XIV wrote his own madrigal or motet once though through of lack of encouragement from

a friend, he threw it away. This is described in Louis XIV by Vincent Cronin, a recommended

book, which details the achievements of his reign with a view to the arts, beauty and architecture.

There is a reference in the introduction of “The Sun King's Garden” by Ian Thompson that the gardener, Le Notre,

has been likened to Shakespeare. Very little known about him but his works well known. The gardens of seventeenth century Versailles were a show piece of the Sun King's domain and

remain a beautiful show piece even still today. The Sun King and his gardener, Le Notre, became friends and shared a wonderful vision for the gardens of Versailles which became a reality with the beautiful gardens and fountains which were created.

Angelique and the Ghosts

Angelique and the Ghosts

I love reading the Angelique series of books because they seem so real.

The wonderful settings and beauty of prose give these novels

a dimension which is magical. Once again, following on from

the adventures and misadventures of Angelique and Joffrey de Peyrac,

I loved reading

Angelique and the Ghosts by Sergeanne Golon, which also gave an understanding

of the goals which Joffrey de Peyrac was setting for himself.

Joffrey has given assistance

and passage on his boat to people who are agents of the government of France, also

the governor of one of the provinces, Ville d'Avray, who again makes an appearance with his

quite welcoming and also

sometimes (for Angelique) over the top personality. However, he proves as always to

be a good companion. Joffrey also assists traders with their goods.

Joffrey hopes to meet with officials in Quebec, and hopefully one day

would wish to return to France. He has explained this to Angelique. He does not

always wish to be an exile from his country of birth. Angelique was also made

to understand this. Even though they had a new life in Canada, it was important

that one day they would be able to return to France and their children would also

be able to return. It was a dream on the horizon.

From the beginning of this novel, acting on intuition, Angelique rescues Joffrey

from a trap which endangered his life. Joffrey had given Angelique a set of

very finely crafted pistols at the end of the last novel, “Angelique and the Demon,”

which came into good use so early in this new adventure of “Angelique and the

Ghosts.”

Angelique and Joffrey de Peyrac travel the St Lawrence river en route to Quebec,

stopping at various small towns and communities on the way. Angelique befriends

 Marguerite de Bourgeoys, a nun who was renowned for the work she did for

setting up schools in early Canada.

Angelique had a talent for helping people with

cures for their ailments.

For early colonial history of the New World,

these books of Angelique are well worth reading and would serve as excellent study

guides in an educational forum for early history of the time and also literature.

Angelique reminiscences about her early days in Paris, the Court of Miracles (which

was the Paris underworld and best forgotten as Angelique moved on from these

troubled times) and her acceptance at the glittering court of Louis XIV at Versailles

as Madame la Marquise, Madame du Plessis-Belliere,

after her marriage to a distant cousin, the Marquis, Philippe du Plessis-Belliere.

How far Angelique had journeyed in life since these

early days!

She has not forgotten her poet, who had such a great fondness for Angelique. She had

met him early one morning on a river barge on the River Seine, when she did not have a home.

Unfortunately, perhaps as being a poet it may have been inherent in his nature to write of

truth, which in seventeenth century France may have been upsetting certain persons in

authority and her poet paid the ultimate price for his truthfulness and bringing misdemeanours

and crimes to attention in the gutter press.

This is a fictional novel, though the story is quite

believable which is set in “Angelique- The Road to Versailles” which was one of the earlier books of Angelique's

adventures and a magnificent novel to read.

One of my all time favourites is “Angelique and the

King” as there are so many wonderful depictions of the court of Louis XIV at Versailles and

references to many of the people at the court at the time, including Louise de la Valliere, Madame de Montespan (who Angelique has an altercation with) and Madame de Maintenon who acts as a

peace-maker between the two women.

(There is a reference to an altercation between Madame de Montespan and Madame des Fontanges in one book I was looking at on google books of the history of the court of Louis XIV.

Perhaps Madame de Maintenon may have been a peace -maker in such a situation.)

The scenes

of court life, decorations, dress and etiquette described in the book seemed to ring with authenticity.

In “Angelique and the Ghosts” Angelique also recalls her good friend, the police inspector,

Desgrez, who has come to her assistance in the past. Perhaps it is difficult for Angelique

not to think of the many good people from her past as she travels on her new path in life with her

husband.

Angelique and her husband also save good friends from a depraved captain as they had been taken

prisoners on the river. Angelique also looks out for her good friend and his bear, who decides to hibernate

for the winter at an inconvenient time.

All in all, a marvellous read. Full credit to Anne and Serge Golon for another magnificent story.

The next three books in the series have not been translated into English at this time.

I look forward to reading “Angelique in Quebec” when an English translation becomes available.

The Land of Colour

Picture of Orangerie at gardens of Versailles from wikipedia:

Louis XIV was a king who loved the outdoors and the land.

He created beauty with his landscape designer, Le Notre, over the

years at the gardens at Versailles with their magnificent designs,

fountains, parterres and flower displays.

He was also inclined to sometimes work in his gardens when time

permitted and befriend his gardeners and workers. The Marquis of

Dangeau often reported on the activites of the king and would make

note of these occasions, e.g. one year at Christmas the king set about

planting in his gardens and pruning his Indian Chestnut trees at the Trianon

in the New Year and working industriously for most of the

day. These are rare glimpses of the king which have been recorded

in the book “The Sun King's Garden” by Ian Thompson. (A wonderful

and favourite book for the magnificent pictures and illustrated colour plates.)

The Hall of Mirrors at Versailles was built to face west and capture the beauty of

the setting sun and the magnificent colours which would have been

reflected over the landscape:

The magnificent 17^th century is called “Le Grand Siecle”

described as “The Splendid Century” in the title of the book by W H Lewis,

who was a brother of C E Lewis, author of the Chronicles of Narnia:

The Land of Colour

The land of colour

A man of the earth

• a mystery be:

As the king was wont to be;-

I want to dance with the fishes in a golden sea

Sing with the angels in the land of the free

Visit Giverny in the Spring,

The colours, paintings of Claude Monet

Seeing life in a different way;

The light and laughter of a thousand years

Walk in the spaces of the kings and their peers;

A spiritual love not always seen

Louise de la Valliere and her king;

Reims Cathedral in its golden light

An inspiration for those who see

And Joan of Arc who brought them

to their knees;

To march through life to a golden beat;

Mont St Michel and its gleaming sea

Beauty, spirituality, majesty be-

And the bubbles in a crystal glass overflow for me;

Imagination/inspiration

The land for me;

A place I always would like to be;

I want to dance to the magic of a different beat;

See life and its images from a different street;

Seek goodness and mercy for the days of my life

Finding life fullsome in God's given sight;

A wonderful earth in its glory and might;

Wandering around Paris

on a sunny afternoon

Seeking out the places

where the flowers do bloom

Coloured little awnings

and my heart does yearn:

Chasing rainbows from a different shore:

Searching for answers of a life before:

Green leaves fluttering by the River Seine

Swirling and twisting,

Once a King's Domain

A sign that some things stay the same;

I call out to the Parisian gods upon their throne

“Why was there a revolution in your home?”

Beauty in statues, costumes,

architecture too;

A masked ball in a Marble Hall

visit the sights at Les Halles:

some things always do last

glimpsed through a prism of the past:

The colours of the landscape never dim with time

Paintings and musings by the river bank

The Sun and the Moon will always glance back;

shining forth light, energy,

serenity

and beauty sublime; -

on wonderful Paris in May Spring-time;

A stream of many colours sweeps a distant vine

glorious crimson colours in a sunset chime

indigo, yellow, gold and crimson wine

Enhanced by chestnut trees and the fragrant pine;

A ray of sunshine beckons from a distant time;

A song of love and hope plays across the fields

Patterned by the moon light of a thousand yields:

I heard it through the grape-vine of a thousand years

Echoes in the distance for all to hear

Lifted ever so sweetly which the breezes bear;

Through the mists of Carcassonne and the early morning dew

never so firmly planted and the life we knew

Down through the valleys and mountains too

the beauties of nature sing life anew:

the wonders of nature all day through-

A song of the sparrows in a sun blessed land;

And sea-birds wheel and cry as they take flight,

gliding so gracefully over sea-shore and sand:

Winging their messages of joy in a sky blue refrain:

Romans set their standards, planted vines

In the beautiful countryside, its contours and lines,

Built their houses, settled in old time Gaul

land of colour, beauteous wonder for the soul,

the earth, the soil and all to behold

land of people, the Franks and their gold;s

and the people came “par-ici”

“By this way”

Came to say: “Parisi!”

A Land of Many Colours,

Thy Destiny:

Louis XIV

Gardens at Versailles October 2009

Versailles La Cour from wikipedi:

A picture of Marie Mancini from wikipedia:

An engraving of Vaux-le-Vicomte,

an inspiration for the Chateau of Versailles

Louis XIV holds a special place in history and also for me,

a favourite person to enjoy reading about. His time on the

throne spanned many years and he certainly is remembered

today for the wonderful achievement of the Chateau of Versailles and

the magnificent gardens which hark back to a more structured time in

society. A time of magnificence and grandeur, respect and admiration for

the young king, who became king at such an early age, when his father Louis XIII passed away and

Louis XIV was still at a young and at an impressionable age.

He was brought up by his mother, Anne of Austria, and Cardinal Mazarin,

who in turn brought his three nieces to the court of Versailles, where at

one stage, Louis XIV wished to marry Marie Mancini and Charles II of

England wished to marry her sister, Hortense Manicini. Unfortunately,

at the time, both kings being young, though for very different reasons

these marriages were not approved.

Marie Mancini was considered not a suitable prospect for the king of France.

This situation caused great distress for the young king. There was a musical

play on the stage in Paris “Le Roi Soleil” which was wonderful to watch on

you tube where the king

invites Marie Mancini to dance with him. At the end of the scene Marie

Mancini appears to be seated on a throne.

Had not Louis XIV been a king,

with the prospects of marrying a royal princess not been expected of him,

and perhaps if he had been Louis de Bourbon and not a king, his life would have been

very different. Louis XIV married Infanta Maria Theresa from Spain and

Marie Mancini was sent away from the court.

It was from the time spent with Marie Mancini and the influences of Cardinal

Mazarin that Louis XIV developed a love of Italian culture and art which

later was reflected in the beauty of the artistic designs of the chateau of

Versailles and its surroundings and landscape.

Unfortunately for Charles II of England, although his mother and sister,

Princess Henriette of England, (popularly known as Minette who subsequently

married the king's brother, Monsieur) were welcome at the court, Charles II for

political reasons was expected to move on. Louis XIV was young at this

stage and not in control.

Charles II spent many years in exile in Europe in

poverty, though with many loyal followers, who had also left England during

the Cromwell years. As Charles II was a king without a throne, his prospects

were suitably diminished and Cardinal Mazarin declined the marriage proposal

on behalf of his niece, Hortense Mancini.

Later, in years to come, when Charles II

was restored to the throne of England, Cardinal Mazarin broached the subject of

marriage again with the king regarding Hortense Mancini. By this time,

Charles II would have experienced many adventures during his travels and time

on the Continent and by this stage he did not wish to marry Hortense, probably for

various other reasons as well. Charles II, because of his experiences so different

from those of Louis XIV, may have had a different outlook on life, perhaps

more understanding of poverty and its consequences. Charles II married Katherine

of Braganza.

Charles II had started to build a palace at Winchester of which the plans were drawn by Sir

Christopher Wren, designer and architect of St Paul's Cathedral in London. He viewed the

beginnings of the building works with Nell Gwynn. Unfortunately, even though this palace

was to be built on a similar design of Versailles, surrounded by town houses, this plan did

not come into fruition and the palace was not completed due to the death of Charles II.

Versailles is a magnificent wonder of beauty and is a favourite place to visit. A real showpiece

of seventeenth century endeavour. The Chateau of Vaux-le-Vicomte may also have been an

inspiration for the young king with its wonderful gardens, fountains and outdoor entertainment

venues. Quite modern in concepts and design for the seventeenth century. Previously, many of the

older chateaux may have been more of a gothic design and built for defense purposes. Louis XIV

and his family lived at the Louvre in Paris and St Germain-en-Laye where he was born. When he first visited Vaux-le-Vicomte for the entertainments provided there,

he travelled with his family by carriage from the renaissance palace of Fontainebleau.

Castle of Fontainebleu from wikipedia:  a beautiful and serene place to visit;

Louis XIV by Le Brun