This document provides details about the daily schedule and rituals of the French royal court at Versailles under King Louis XIV in the late 17th century. It describes the elaborate morning ritual known as the levée where Louis awoke and dressed in front of hundreds of courtiers. It then outlines Louis's daily activities which included religious services, councils, hunting, and evenings spent with his mistress Madame de Maintenon. The document also provides historical context about the construction and design of Versailles and its famous Hall of Mirrors.

1. Professor Will Adams
Valencia College

3.  On May 6, 1682 Louis XIV
proclaimed the Palace of Versailles
to be the seat of the French
government.
 The court consisted of 20,000
people that included 9,000 soldiers,
5,000 servants, 1,000 great lords
and members of the nobility, 1,000
lesser aristocrats (who visited the
court on a daily basis) and 4-5,000
bureaucrats to manage the official
business.

4.  The court was further supported
by 2,500 horses, 200 coaches,
and 5,000 hunting dogs.
 The great lords and members of
the nobility were required to live
at Versailles – in the palace –
so that the king could keep
track of them.
 In effect, the entire bureaucracy
moved from Paris to the suburban
villa of the king.

5.  Courtiers were required to
wear entirely new clothing
(down to their linens) for the
king’s parties (fêtes) and
other important social
occasions.
 They could beg permission to
return to their lands
periodically in order to
regroup financially.

6.  The King's day had to be perfectly timed so that the
officers serving the monarch knew exactly what they
should do & when.
 As a result, he court’s schedule was regulated like
clockwork.
 Referring to Louis XIV, the Duc de Saint-Simon wrote,
“with an almanac and a watch, even at a distance of
three hundred leagues, you could say precisely what he
was doing”.

7.  8:00 AM: 'It is time, Sire', declares
the First Valet de Chambre, waking
the King.
 The levée, or ceremonial rising, thus
begins.
 When Louis XIV awoke, he was
examined by his doctor and surgeon.
 Then, his Valet washed his face and
hands with cold water.
 The King then relieved himself in
front of all the courtiers (noblemen
of court).

8.  As monarch, Louis XIV never had
any privacy, and was always on
ceremonial display.
 His aides would even converse
with him about state matters as
he sat on the toilet!
 The most important officials of
the kingdom were admitted
during the levée; and it is
estimated that the usual number
of people attending numbered one
hundred, all male.

9.  Within fifteen minutes, a crowd
was crammed into the Royal
Chambers.
 This group of nobles was made
up of courtiers favored by the
King.
 Louis then chose his wig and his
clothes for the day, while he
drank two cups of chicken stock
soup or bread dipped in wine.
 Then the courtiers dressed him.

10.  It was a great honor to be
permitted to watch him don his
undergarments, breeches,
stockings, etc.
 It was an even greater honor to be
the noble selected to hand the
King his shirt – only after he was
presented to the King by the Valet
de Chambre.
 This could happen five times to
accommodate all the courtiers who
wanted the honor.

11.  In Louis’s day, people thought a
good, thick, grimy layer of filth
would keep you healthy and strong!
 They believed water spread diseases
by penetrating the pores of the skin
and then infecting the bloodstream.
 Most people didn’t bathe more than
once a year.
 The wealthy did change their linen
throughout the day because they  As a result, members of Louis'
believed that the linen wicked away court would douse themselves
sweat and dirt, but they still stunk. with perfumes & powders.

12.  Ironically, Louis was so clean that he was
almost fussy about it.
 He often bathed in a big Turkish bath in
his palace at Versailles.
 When not in his bath, he rubbed spirits or
alcohol on his skin (perfume gave him
headaches), which acted as a disinfectant.
 And, as if that were not enough, he
changed his underwear three times per
day!
 All of this cleanliness must have paid off,
because Louis lived to the ripe old age of
77 and was King for 72 years, longer than
any other French monarch in history!

13.  There were so many crazy rules of
etiquette during the levée, I don't know
how they kept it straight.
 For example, when it came to helping
the King with his coat (justacorps), the
Valet de Chambre could help only with
the right sleeve.
 Whereas the Master of the Wardrobe
could only assist with the left.
 Only the Master of the Wardrobe was
permitted to place the King's cravat on
him, but he wasn't allowed to tie it,
that was the job of the Royal Cravatier.

14.  The King's hat, gloves,
and cane had to be
handed to him in a certain
order and by certain
people.
 Thefts were frequent at
Versailles, despite the
guards and staff.
 Once, during the King's
levée, the royal doctor had
his watch stolen!

15.  Louis was completely bald by
age 35, so he made wigs
mandatory for all members
of his court – both male &
female.
 Louis XIV had fourteen
personal wigmakers on staff
and a repertoire of 1,000
wigs.

16.  10:00 AM: Upon leaving the
King's apartments, a procession
would form in the Hall of
Mirrors.
 The King would lead the
procession of courtiers through
the Hall toward the Royal
Chapel for his morning
prayers.
 During this procession, the
public could now see the King
and even petition him with a
written request for favors.

18.  The space is 73 meters long - more than
half a soccer field!
 The space is12 ½ meters high – about the
same as a three-story building!
 This is where the King received all
important foreign visitors.
 Each week there are were parties, masked
balls, and concerts held here.
 There was a limit on the number of
courtiers who could attend – only those of
high status!
 Each of the 17 windows is directly across
from 17 huge mirrors that reflect the light
and cast a divine glow.

19.  The world-famous Hall of Mirrors at
Versailles was designed by Jules Hardouin-
Mansart, and the interior decoration was
by Charles Le Brun in 1678.
 The Hall of Mirrors served as a passage
between the King's and the Queen's
apartments.
 In this historic room the German Empire
was proclaimed in 1871 and the Treaty of
Versailles, which ended World War I, was
signed here in 1919.
 The ceiling’s painted heavens were meant
to remind the viewers of the King’s divine
right and the glorious moments of the
King’s life.

20.  The Hall of Mirrors remains, as
was the Sun King’s intent, a
sight breathtaking in its majesty.
 The Hall of Mirrors contains:
 357 mirrors,
 17 glass doors
 17 large chandeliers
 26 small chandeliers
 Marble walls
 Painted plaster ceilings

21.  10:30 AM: The King enters the
Royal Chapel, which has two
stories.
 The galleries (the upper stories)
were reserved for the King, the
royal family, and important
members of the Court, while the
rest of the congregation
occupied the ground floor.
 Mass would last roughly thirty
minutes.

22.  The choir, known as the Chapel
Music, famous throughout Europe,
always sang new music composed
by French composers such as Lully
& Lalande.
 Consecrated in 1710, the Chapel is
dedicated to St. Louis, ancestor
and patron saint of the royal
family.
 The Chapel was the last building to
be constructed at Versailles under
the reign of Louis XIV.

23.  11:00 AM: Upon returning to his
apartments, the King holds council
in his cabinet.
 Sundays & Wednesdays:
Councils of State
 Tuesdays & Saturdays:
Finances
 Mondays, Thursdays & Fridays:
Another Council of State, the
Dispatch Council on Domestic
Affairs, a Religious Council, or
discussion the King’s building
programs.

24.  Five or six ministers usually
advised the King on any issue.
 When being advised, Louis
famously spoke little and
listened a great deal before
coming to a decision on any
issue.
 Once his decision was issued,
it was non-negotiable and
final.

25.  1:00 PM: The King dined
in his bedchamber, at a
table facing the windows,
looking out onto the palace
grounds.
 This meal was theoretically
private, but Louis XIV
routinely admitted the men
at court, making attendance
similar to that of the levée.

26.  It was a huge ceremony, with a
large number of different
characters in attendance.
 The most noble person had the
right to give the King his towel in
order for the King to clean his
hands before eating.
 Six gentlemen served the King and
some of them had useless duties.
 Because of the length of the
ceremony, the King always ate cold
food.

27.  2:00 PM: The King would announce the
program for the afternoon that he had
decided upon earlier that morning.
 In every season, Louis XIV loved to be
outside in the open air.
 Every afternoon he went hunting, or for a
long walk or carriage ride through the
gardens (promenade).
 During those occasions, the King was relaxed
and in a good mood, so the courtiers liked to
accompany him to get his attention and ask
for favors.
 His gardens even had a zoo (ménagerie)
filled with animals like zebras & giraffes
given to him from countries in Africa and
Asia.

28.  If he had decided on a
promenade, it might be taken on
foot in the gardens, or in a
carriage with ladies of court.

29.  Versailles’ grounds are landscaped in the
style of French formal garden design.
 The garden’s strict formality and precision
were meant to reflect the King’s power and
control over the environment, his court &
his country.
 The first plans for the garden were made
in 1630, when Louis XIV hired the
preeminent landscape architect of the
time, Andre Le Nôtre, to design the palace
grounds.
 There were ultimately four phases of
garden construction, eventually ending
under the reign of Louis XVI.

30. PHASE I
 When the first phase of the gardens’
construction began in 1662, the first
order of business was modifying and
rearranging all the existing bosquets
(groups of trees of the same species) on
the grounds.
 When the first phase was completed in
1664, one of the most impressive
parterres (garden divisions), the
Orangerie was completed.
 The Orangerie contains over 1,000
exotic, non-native trees, with the
majority being varieties of citrus.

32. PHASE II
 From 1664 – 1668, new fountains were
constructed as well as new bosquets.
 With this phase, the gardens assumed their
iconic, topographical, symmetrical design.
 Additional features of the garden were
completed at this time: Grotte de Téthys
(fountain of the Greek sea nymph Thetis),
Bassin de Latone (fountain of the Greek god
Apollo’s mother), and Bassin d’ Apollon
(fountain showing Apollo & his chariot
emerging from the sea).
 In the early days of Versailles, fountain
guards were ordered to whistle when Louis
XIV approached, so that the fountains could
be turned on.

33. Above: Bassin de
Latone
Above: Bassin d’Apollon Left: Grotte de
Téthys

34. PHASE III
 The period 1680 – 1685 marked a
stylistic change from Le Nôtre’s
design.
 The King recruited a new architect:
Jules Hardouin-Mansart!
 Hardouin-Mansart modified Le Nôtre’s
design by expanding the lawns
between fountains, completing the
fountains to their present size &
adding twin octagonal basins (called
the Grand Canal [vertical] & Petite
Canal [horizontal]) to represent the
two major rivers of France.

35. PHASE IV
 The final phase ran from 1704 – 1785.
 Between 1704-1709, the existing
bosquets on the grounds were modified
 However, on September 1,1715, Louis
XIV died from gangrene at Versailles.
 His great-grandson Louis XV was to
succeed him.
 In 1722, Louis XV returned to
Versailles.
 He did not spend large amounts of
money on the palace like his great-
grandfather, instead performing minor
changes.

36.  All told, the construction of
Versailles’ gardens consisted of:
 At least 200,000 trees
strategically placed throughout the
property
 81 miles of tree rows
 About 210,000 flowers distributed
throughout the parterres, an
replanted at least twice annually!
 50 water fountains fed by 21
miles of water piping
 12 miles of roads
 Over 1900 acres of parks

38.  Hunting activities, the Bourbon
royal family’s favorite pastime,
would take place on the grounds or
in the surrounding forests.
 The head officer organized the
royal hunts.
 During the royal hunt, only Louis
XIV was allowed to carry a weapon
and had the right to shoot.
 This was to prevent him being
injured or killed by a hunting
accident.

39.  Louis was very attached to his
hunting dogs and fed them
himself.
 He had over 100 hunting dogs
and knew all of their names.
 On horseback, and with the help
of his dogs, Louis would track a
stag for hours throughout
Versailles.
 Occasionally, he hunted by foot
with only one or two dogs.

40.  The female nobles would follow
the hunt in horse-drawn
carriages.
 At the end of the day’s hunt,
King Louis XIV would offer the
best prizes (stags) to his
favorite women of the court.
 Receiving the King’s daily prize
was considered a huge honor at
Versailles.

41.  6:00 PM: Following the
hunting party’s return to the
palace, Louis XIV often
allowed his son to preside over
the private social gatherings in
the evenings known as soirées
d'appartement.
 During that time, the King
might sign the many letters
prepared for him by his
secretary throughout the day.

42.  Louis XIV married Queen Marie-Thérèse
in 1660, but he did not remain faithful to
her.
 Following the soirées d'appartement , the
King would then go to Madame de
Maintenon's quarters each evening.
 The Madame de Maintenon was Louis’s
mistress, and eventually became his second
wife (though the marriage was never
officially announced or admitted).
 C'est un scandale!
 While there, he might study an important
file with one of his four secretaries of
state, in addition to enjoying the Madame’s
company.

43.  10:00 PM: A crowd would fill
the antichambre of the King's
Suite to witness the King’s public
supper.
 The King would be joined at the
Royal Table at the end of the
antichambre by the princes and
princesses of the royal family.
 The royal family ate while on
public display, all the while
having live music performed for
them.

44.  A typical royal supper service consisted of
40 plates that would be reused five times
during the meal.
 The meal would consist of soups, salads,
meats, vegetables, and desserts.
 All the dishes were tasted by a servant first
to check for poisons.
 It took 1,500 food servers kept busy by
“master of the kitchen” Chef Vatel to
prepare and serve the courses of food.
 The servers, or “officers of the mouth”,
brought the dishes to the table.
 In addition, another force of staff, referred
to as the “officers of the goblet” poured
the drinks.

45.  The plates, napkins, and food
covers were the colors of the
Bourbon royal family: gold,
scarlet, or silver.
 The drinking glasses were made
of cut Baccarat crystal.
 The King’s personal utensils and
spices were kept in a box called
the “the padlock”

46.  Ironically, Louis XIV preferred to eat
with his fingers.
 Since the kitchens were so far from
the dining room, the food got cold
before being served.
 It is because of this distance that
they invented the silver bell food
covers to place over plates to keep
the food warm.
 These are still used today in
restaurants.

47.  Throughout the year, Louis XIV
organized big parties (fêtes),
which typically lasted for several
days and nights.
 There were hundreds of guests
invited, and while at Versailles,
they would admire the gardens,
go to the theatre, and dance at
costume balls.
 In the evenings, to end the
parties, there would be a
fireworks show.

48.  When the King decided to throw a
party, he entrusted the preparations to
the service of the Menus-Plaisirs du
Roi, or royal party planners.
 They were responsible for making
costumes, fabricating the decorations,
and preparing the food.
 Louis XIV’s parties usually had a theme
that was based upon Greek mythology,
stories of knights from the Middle Ages,
or upon contemporary poetry.

49.  The Grand Canal was the largest water feature on the palace
grounds, and was modeled after the canals of Venice.
 The Grand & Petite Canal formed the major axes of the gardens,
around which the pomp & frivolity of the fêtes centered.
 All of the actual ships in the French navy were duplicated in
miniature for entertainment uses in the canal.
 There were even gondolas in the canal given to Louis by the city of
Venice.
 Sometimes, as part of the entertainment, Louis XIV had the
miniature ships act out battles.

50. An artist’s rendering of the Versailles’ Grand Canal stocked with miniaturized French naval ships and
gondolas during one of Louis XIV’s fêtes du nuit.

51.  Once the meal or fête was
over for the evening, the
King would retire to his
cabinet (private sitting
room) where he could
indulge in conversation with
his close acquaintances,
members of the royal
family, or mistress.

52.  11:30 PM: The ceremonial
day of the court at Versailles
ends with the couchee, or
public ritual of retiring, is a
reverse, shortened version of
the levée.
 It was considered a great
honor to hold the candle by
which the King was undressed
during this final ceremony.

53.  The French monarchy had
separated and centralized
itself at Versailles, away from
the French population – all of
whom were bankrolling
Louis’s lavish spending
without enjoying its benefits.
 This inequality would surely
be able to sustain itself, right?
 We shall see…