Château de Versailles - The centre of power and etiquette

Versailles was from the beginning a simple hunting castle until the reign of Louis XIV who in 1682 moved his court away from Paris and in to versailles.

The court of Versailles was the centre of political power in France from 1682, when Louis XIV moved from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in October 1789. Versailles is therefore famous not only as a building, but as a symbol of the system of absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime.

But the hall of mirrors or Galerie des Glaces wasn't finished until 1684. Here in Versailles Louis XIV gattered all the nobility under his watchfull eye. In the hall of mirrors there are 357 mirrors, and it is 73 meters long, 10 meters wide, and 12 meters high. The hall of mirrors is located between the Peace hall and the war hall. In the diary of Marie-Antoinette the hall is often mentioned.




In the centre of the castle is the King's Bedchamber (La Chambre du Roi), and everyone passing have to bow in front of it. Rank and status dictated everything in Versailles; not least among that list was one's lodgings. Louis XIV envisaged Versailles as a seat for all the Bourbons, as well as his troublesome nobles. These nobles were, so to say, placed within a "gilded cage" (Duc de Saint-Simon). Luxury and opulence was not always in the description given to their residences. Many nobles had to make do with one or two room apartments; forcing many nobles to buy town-houses in proper Versailles, keeping their palace rooms for changes of clothes or entertaining guests, rarely sleeping there. Rooms at Versailles were immensely useful for an ambitious courtier. They allowed to palace residents easy and constant access to the monarch, essential to their ambitions, and gave them constant access to the latest gossip and news.

Life at the court was narrowly regulated by court etiquette. Étiquette became the means of social advancement for the court.
Louis XIV’s elaborate rules of etiquette included the following:

People who wanted to speak to the king could not knock on his door. Instead, using the left little finger, they had to gently scratch on the door, until they were granted permission to enter. As a result, many courtiers grew that fingernail longer than the others;

A lady never held hands or linked arms with a gentleman. Besides being in bad taste, this practice would have been impossible because a woman’s hooped skirts were so wide. Instead, she was to place her hand on top of the gentleman’s bent arm as they strolled through the gardens and chambers of Versailles. It is also mentioned that the ladies were only allowed to touch fingertips with the men.

When a gentleman sat down, he slid his left foot in front of the other, placed his hands on the sides of the chair and gently lowered himself into the chair.

Women and men were not allowed to cross their legs in public.

When a gentleman passed an acquaintance on the street, he was to raise his hat high off his head until the other person passed.

A gentleman was to do no work except writing letters, giving speeches, practicing fencing, or dancing. For pleasure, he engaged in hawking, archery, indoor tennis, or hunting. A gentleman would also take part in battle and would sometimes serve as a public officer, paying the soldiers.

Ladies’ clothing did not allow them to do much besides sit and walk. However, they passed the time sewing, knitting, writing letters, painting, making their own lace, and creating their own cosmetics and perfumes.

In addition, etiquette ordained the order of prominence at court, limited or extended access based on rank or favor, rigidly maintained complex customs of address, and even who could sit or stand under what circumstances in the royal presence or that of the great nobles.