A Day In The Life Of Louis XIV At Versailles
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ค. 2022
- A Day In The Life Of Louis XIV At Versailles: As you know, life at Versailles was dictated by etiquette and protocol. But what did a day in the life of Louis XIV actually look like ? Let’s find out ! In the heart of the Palace of Versailles just outside Paris lies the bedroom of His Majesty Louis XIV, King of France. All is still quiet in the nerve centre of French power, but this all changes when the first valet awakens the king, thus setting in motion the proceedings of daily Court Ritual. The king's daily schedule determines the rhythm and meaning of life at court: a lavishly staged play with Louis as its protagonist and director. His stage is the sumptuous château with its beautiful gardens, and the king's props and costumes are expensive and elegant. The aristocrats who live at court act as the audience and extras in his self-staged play. But the court ceremonial with which the king surrounds himself is much more than just a show-off. The absolute monarchy has stripped all the power from the nobles living at court and has locked them into the strictness of court ceremony.
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By the time he got settled to fall asleep, it was practically time to get back up in a few hours. I definitely couldn't do dinner at 10pm.
Eating late is very french.I love eating late rather than earlier.☺️
Thanks for watching Meela !
By the time the King ate, I'm usually already in bed lol...
@@jacquesrenou2850 when she said both his dinner and his rituel of "Bonsoir aux dames" , all in just an hour and a half -- I immediately thought that wasn't very French. Maybe he ate with everyone starting at six, but I can't imagine fitting an entire, formal French souper (re: at least 7 courses) -- especially as he is the King, so I imagine each course is très gourmand -- and still having time to say goodnight (etc) to all the "most important" ladies of the palace? All in an hour and a half?!
Great video! Two hours to get dressed…exhausting.
Yes, his life would've been hell for an introvert for sure ! Thanks for watching, Jane !
Fantastic video. The Kings kept their courtiers extremely busy so no one had time to plot against the King. It must have exhausting.
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That is EXACTLY it Alain ! Thank you so much for watching !
I would love to see another with Louis 15 and 16 to see how tradition changes
Louis XV still adhered to strict traditions, but I do know that during the reign of Louis XVI the protocol started to ease up more... I'll see if I can make a comparison video...
I liked this! Thank you
So glad you liked it !!
I paused the Netflix series Versailles to watch this video. What a coincidence 😊
Hope you liked it, thanks for watching and commenting Mimi !
I know Spain has dinner at 10pm. It’s bc most other countries have a siesta during the day, so it pushes mealtimes back. In America you try to rush to eat on your break and they still pop their head in and go “hey can you be quick? We need you.”
Pretty sad not allowing people to take their breaks imo…
He was such a fascinating king! I'd love to see more "daily life of..." videos.
Thank you for making these!
You're very welcome Sarah !
Louis's favorite Valet was Alexander Bontemps cousin by marriage to Madame Colbert
This bedtime ritual thing is completely insane
Excellent video. What a lifestyle - so regimented, although I do envy his ability to command everyone to sit around him in silence! Kinds Regards, Cherie
Louis XIV had the strict regiment and etiquette in place for one single reason : to keep the nobility at his side at all times, so they couldn't go off making plans the king didn't approve of.
Great video! Why so many people first thing in the morning?
Hi Toni, the whole ritual was set up in order to keep the courtiers busy, so that they wouldn't plot or conspire against him.
I loved this! Thank you
Thanks James !
He made them all sit around him in silence unless spoken to for hours every morning!?😆😆😆 Gosh I love Louis XIV 😂 He was so extra omg 😍
Lol yes, I suppose you could definitely call him 'extra'. Thanks for watching !
@@TheKingsofFrance Your channel is great! And I have some French in my family tree with the name of Marchand. He was a colonel in the revolution in America and met my Creek Indian ancestor and fell in love ❤️
Very interesting video! Loved it.
Fun Fact: in Argentina we tend to dinner at around 9:00 to 10:00pm. most countries consider it late.
Thanks for watching, and yes, that is rather late, but then again I assume you probably take lunch a bit later as well ?
I didn’t know that. Greetings from Florida.
Wow, what a daily protocol! Merci for the excellent video! 🌸♥️!
Thank you Christine ! 🌻🌻🌻
I agree with everyone here that this is a great video, but I'm curious . . . . the other commenters obviously liked it, but didn't give it a thumbs up. Why not? It helps the channel if you do that.
Thank you so much for watching Bev ! We cant force anyone to like, or subcribe, but obviously it's always appreciated if people do !
It's funny but Samuel Pepys and other English visitors to Versailles weren't so impressed. They described the smell from so many male courtiers peeing all over the place, the food being generally cold or overcooked, lice being omnipresent, and a lot of the big events being shambolic and disorganized. It was a fancy prison for the nobility, who were forced to attend, and all ruled over and spied upon by Louis.
Les pipis sauvages.
Yes, you're very right. A video about hygiene at Versailles is on my to do list, but i have to do a bit more research and I'm at a loss how I'll edit it. Difficult to photoshop Louis XIV on a chamberpot haha. Anyway.. it'll come sooner or later.
I suspect alot of it is utter BS like most things such as the 'fact' medieval people disguised bad meat with spices and didnt bathe.
@@justinwilliams7290 What part of what is utter BS? Just curious.
@@cerberus6654 That it smelled so strongly of urine and people just pissed anywhere they like.
This is really cool. I've always been a history nerd, so this is fascinating to me.
So glad you liked it !
Ditto. I love learning new things.
Wonderful video! I've always found Louis XIV's daily life rather interesting, the fact that (if Saint-Simon is to be believed, which I think he can) it was all strictly timed must have been very tiring for the Courtiers and Nobles new to the Court. I wonder how people would do if such a thing was re-implemented into Modern times...
I assume monastic organizations still have something like this.
@@Alusnovalotus I doubt that they would have a 'Sun King' though...
@@nathanpayne6765 They would have a King though...
@@williamknox9087 A monastic organization? I don't quite understand what you mean...
@@nathanpayne6765 "To you, therefore, my words are now addressed, whoever you may be, who are renouncing your own will to do battle under the Lord Christ, THE TRUE KING, and are taking up the strong, bright weapons of obedience." (Emphasis added.) Prologue, St. Benedict's Rule for Monasteries
Interesting video, thank you! A small note, the King must have gone to bed at 1 am, not 1 pm.
Ah yes, you're right, that's a small mistake ! I apologize.
Wow! I sleep at that time as well! When I was 11, I would stage plays I would write and have musical numbers and a ballet piece. I would play on my guitar and sing. I would get my siblings involved. It was a big production complete with curtain hanging from the arch in living room. All our aunts, uncles, cousins and our parents would watch the spectacle while sipping cool lemonade. My the time I grew up after dancing ballet for years since I was 7, I would choreograph ballet in a local dance school. Had a recital at The American Ballet Theatre, then came the accident where I sprained my ankle so badly I had to give it up! It never healed. So this story means so much to me. Thank you. More please!
So sorry to hear you had to stop dancing... Otherwise you might have given one of Louis' ballets a chance ! Have you seen the movie 'le roi dance' (the king dances) ?
@@TheKingsofFrance Thank you. Yes, it was very unfortunate as it was a big passion of mine. I would have loved to have done my ancestor's ballet. No. I don't believe so. Is it good? I will look it up. Thank you. I will let you know when I see it. 😘😘
This video is a brilliant idea brilliantly executed. I love the video. The editing is fantastic.
Thanks Vishnu, it took me quite some time to make but it was fun to do. Still not nearly as good ad the videos of those 'professional' youtubers obviously...
Great video!
Glad you liked it !
That is some time table, protocol and etiquette were strictly followed, thank you Nieke superb as always.
Thank you so very much Robert !
@@TheKingsofFrance Thank you Nieke, a plesure as always.
can you do a video between relationship with Louis XIV and James II of England?
i'll see what I can do, thank you for watching.
I could do without the 2 hour prep ceremonies to get dressed but I would love to experience walking down the hall of mirrors everyday from my bedroom 😁
The Hall Of Mirrors is spectacular indeed ! Thank you for watching !
Great history video I enjoyed it can't wait to see more soon 😀
Thank you very much Michelle !
6:38 1 AM* for those confused hehe. mistakes happen all the time love it
So sorry, you're absolutely right. Mistakes do slip in, I try to avoid them as much as I can but I have no one editing or checking my videos, it's all a one man job and honestly, sometimes I can't filter them out anymore... Thank you so much for watching ! Glad you are here !
Jesus H. Vishnu -- what arrogance and pomp! I could not imagine being on either the giving or receiving end of such an exhausting, frivolous routine of displaying utter devotion to the king for literally every waking moment of every day!
But if you'd have been there as a noble, you'd have had no choice. Not to go along with the king would've meant social and political suicide.
Wonderful video!
Thank you so much !
Im watching this to prepare for a history test thanks!
Good luck on the test !
Another great video! Thank you!
Thank you so very much for watching again !
Fantastic vid! It makes me feel certain I enjoy more comforts living on a rural farm in 21st century Kentucky than enjoying the regalia and retinue offered at 17th century Versailles. And to be one of the courtiers... I'd think it'd be a life of hell.
As on old man of 66 years of age, I can attest that nature calls nearly 45 to 60 minutes of every waking hour. Sorry to be so blunt ladies, but it's a fact with us old guys. So this has left me wondering... Would Louis excuse himself "to do his business," command his courtiers to turn their backs while he relieved himself, or would he just provide a royal show to all in attendance?
That sounds like something an elementary school kid would ask. Maybe I'm just getting childish in old age.
If I'm not mistaken, he had very good control of when he had to do his business, and expected his courtiers to also have good control. There were certainly a few times when people unfortunately didn't do their business in time and somehow managed to get a seat in the royal carriage, where drinks would be served every now and again which were expected to be consumed, but these people were so scared of what the consequences might be if they asked to relieve themselves, they just sat there and hoped not to do _it_ in the carriage!
I am the same age as you and in no way do I consider myself "an old man" and nature calls, as you say, maybe two or three times a day. I go to the gym every other day, walk for miles and weigh the same as I did 20 years ago. Are you looking for pity? You'll get none from me lol.
Les pipis sauvages.
Louis would’ve most likely commanded his courtiers to turn away because looking at the royal package probably would’ve been a death sentence for anyone who looked
@@phillipsesate1364 No, not really. His court routine turned the highest nobility (male) in France into, in every sense, personal servants. And back then they had a completely different sense of 'privacy'. For a duke or a count to be present and to watch while Louis used the commode, or changed his shirt - which would reveal his genitals - was a priviledge they did everything possible to obtain. While the gentlemen of the bedchamber watched, his doctors would examine the urine Louis had just peed, sniff it and taste it for any irregularities. He made it clear that HE was France - his body was France. At least seventeen male nobles watched, for instance, when he had an extremely painful surgical procedure to correct an anal fistula performed.
This entire ritual is perplexing to me. I have never understood it or its importance. Furthermore, I wonder whether it was created for Louis XIV or whether it or some form was present for earlier monarchs. Louis XIV was influence by the Fronde. So the idea of moving the entire court to Versailles is understandable for the time. I just cannot get my hands around it. I suppose it helps to be French.
Thanks for watching Paul. The court ritual was a means to occupy the nobility so they'd have not time to plot or scheme against him. If you want more information on that, there a video available on my channel called 'Life at Versailles' which explains a bit further !
The French etiquette is the most famous of all the etiquettes throughout Europe, because it was the heaviest to live.
But your supposition is right : there is a common ground to the French, the Spanish and the Austrian etiquette, which comes from a common ancestor : the duke of Burgundy.
The first duke of Burgundy (14th century) was a French prince, brother to king Charles V of France. His dukedom became prominent in Europe during the 15th century. It was huge (it was not only the modern Burgundy, but also Franche-comté, part of the modern Netherlands, Belgium and Flanders), very rich (the last heiress, Marie de Bourgogne, was known as the "Europe's wealthiest heiress") and very sophisticated. The dukes of Burgundy developed the first codified etiquette. And this is how it was transmitted to France, Spain and Austria : Marie de Bourgogne married Maximilian of Austria, bringing with her the Burgundian étiquette. So when the Habsburg family finally ruled over both Spain and Austria, the Burgundian étiquette was imported along with them. In parallel, French king re-used the same protocol, and changed it to what became the French étiquette.
@@heliedecastanet1882 Thank you. You should start your own TH-cam channel. I have always been fascinated by the Dukedom of Burgundy. One of my least explored countries in Europe is France and I have made a commitment to travel there more extensively, specially to the south and east of Paris.
@@paulkoza8652 Where are you from ? 🙂
@@heliedecastanet1882 USA
Super
Granted, l am a bit reclusive, but l cannot imagine being on stage with so many court rituals.
I don't think anyone can !
Beautiful, perfect video, love it! 👍🥰
Glad you liked it Christine !
And we know to this very day what he did and at what time, bc he wanted the whole world to know what the french king does at any minute.
Indeed... Thank you Renias, I hope you are well.
I looked with great pleasure. thank you! ✅
Glad you enjoyed the video Mina !
You must have really done your homework , it's a wonderful site 🐦
Thank you so much Jill, glad you enjoyed the video !
What about the queen's ceremony?
Very interesting video. They seemed to eat a lot. I wonder they weren't fat. And everyone knew the King's timetable. Seems a bit dangerous. It seems so odd nowadays that the King did not even wash himself or get dressed. But so it was 🤗❤️
Thanks Maarit... some royals were indeed chubby or obese. Think about Louis' son, Le Grand Dauphin, Louis XVI etc...
If you look at the portraits of the French kings and princes (the first portrait is from the 14th century and before that, you can read the chronicles of the diverse diarists), except two of them (le Grand dauphin and Louis XVI), none of them was fat. Obesity was not something the kings of France had to deal with. The only king who had a real problem with that was Louis XVI, but everyone suspected his German mother to have brought this problem.
Contrary to a popular belief, kings did not eat a lot. They ate normally. A bit of everything. So, you wonder why there were so many dishes at their table. The answer is simple : the meals were a public show. People had to see all the products the Realm could produce : meat, vegetables, fruits, cheese, etc, etc. All was meant for the public. The king tasted just a bite of each dish, and then it was sent back to the kitchen, where servants and employees of the château ate it.
@@TheKingsofFranceI believe that Louis XVI was the great grandson to Louis XIV not the son.
He ate out of frustration and emotional distress possibly due to his inferiority complex due to his younger brothers taunting him as well as his tutor.
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How did the footman know how to wake up at 8am every morning? Did they have some type of alarm clock?
Wonderful documentary, but Lord, what a terrible life!
Agreed. Thank you Robert !
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J'aime vos videos tres bien, moi-meme dans le reenactement du 17eme et 18ieme siecles en l'ere du jacobite ecosse... les traces des polities europeenes dans ces temps sont entierment negliées, je craigne. Pardonnez svp ma pauvre commande de votre language sublime, mes derniers etudes de ma lecture du "Cyrano" par Rostande (mon favorite avec les contes drolatiques du Balzac et les histoires par Voltaire) est un peu "d'autre temps"....
Ten in the evening is extremely late to have dinner. I wonder whether they suffered from indigestion?
Good question. Thanks for watching !
This is why the French revolution occurred. The extravagance of the royals and nobles at the expense of the poor. The nobles and clergy paid no taxes while the peasants bore the expense.
Must have been lonely for Queen Marie Therese as she had so little time with her husband.
None of these were royal ceremonies. Rather, it was his morals and personality. These were to hide anxiety and depression. Wasting time to overcome anxiety. May God forgive him. He was very lonely. Sometimes a person forgets that paying attention to God and his holy attributes such as justice, power, wisdom and ... they are the most important things. Maybe if he was less selfish, the history went other way.
I agree that the court rituals were set in order to combat a certain anxiety. Louis suffered from nightmares all his life due to events which happened during the Fronde, and thus, he set up the ritual and gathered all nobility around him at Versailles in order to control them. They were so caught up in court theatre, that none of them had time to scheme or plot against him. Thank you very much for watching.
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Was he bald? I mean when he got older sure, but when he was younger?
All at the expense of the peasants who paid for this.
Very very confused about what accent is attempted here..
I’m Flemish.