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Home , Great King, Kingdom of France, Louis XIII, Louis XIV, Louis XV, Palace of Versailles

{ 300 YEARS AGO } On 1st September 1715, Louis XIV (14th) died. Also known as the Sun King, he was 76 years old and had Special reigned over since before his 5th birthday – edition that meant he was king for a record 72 years! His 2015-2016 death ended an important chapter in French history.

{ Internet } For all the info about the “The King is dead” exhibition, go to Le Petit Journal du Grand Roi: www.leroiestmort.com/en

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A special edition in collaboration with the of Versailles www.monquotidien.fr © - de C. Versailles Fouin

Portrait on Portrait horseback

CHRONOLOGY Discover the key dates in the history of Louis XIV’s reign.

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, Antoine Benoist, 1706 © - Château de C. Versailles Fouin The King is dead 2,500 The number The last days of people who followed the Sun King’s funeral of Louis XIV .

Wax of Louis Wax XIV aged 68 This paper was made using recycled fibres. page II-MonQuotidien - A madeby a king. as theheadofChurch. do notrecognise thePope Catholics, Protestants . Unlike a faith known as A Christian whofollows Protestant DISCOVERY star – the Sun. the – star brightestpower,ownmightiest, his the toof confidentcomparedhimself so he France’sin history. wasking famoushe most Because the probably is XIV Louis when his father,his (13 when XIII Louis yearsold 5 nearly was XIV Louis 1643: The child king child The 1643: of Austria, protected the little boy.little protectedAustria,the of mother,Anne his but Queen power,seizeto tried noblemen Some Louis XIV,(1638-1715)Louis King Sun the www.playbacpresse.fr parties and there.entertainments and parties exceptionalpalace. Heheld vast truly a it maketo time the of artists greatestthe hired He extendedit. quitesmall atthetime, soLouis Versaillesof PalacewasThe VersaillesMovinginto 1682: the advice of his loyalministers.his of advice the tolistening after decisions the all made king the – absolute royalreign, his powerbecame government. the Under controlof personal took XIV Louis died, minister,chief his WhenMazarin, Taking1661: power th ), died. died. ),

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Texts: Isabelle Nicolazzi / Illustration: Frédéric Kucia Download other articles and resources at www.chateauversailles.fr TOP STORY

{ CONTEXT }

Immortal I By the time Louis XIV Many people had lived and died to a new sovereign. died, the while he was still on the throne. Heir I Philippe of Orléans governed had grown tired of this king Power I When the king died, until his cousin and heir to the who seemed to be immortal. power had to be handed over throne, Louis XV (15th), was 13.

The Death of Louis XIV at the , T.-J. Barke, circa 1835-1840. © Saint-Quentin musée (Aisne), Antoine-Lécuyer

GOOD The last days { TO KNOW } The king’s farewell of Louis XIV to court During the 2 days which followed t was 10th August and The king is dead, long live King Louis XV! Saint Louis’ day he had just come back ‘ ’ celebrations on August 25, I from the Château de Marly The grand ’s official the king felt he was (another of his pleasure , close to death. He said located near Versailles, now announcement that the king had died. farewell to all the , destroyed) when Louis XIV felt cardinals, court officers an intense pain in his leg On Saturday 24th August, the king collapsed. Cardinal and , and summoned his doctors. his doctor, Fagon, realised de Rohan performed the rite and to his successor His condition got worse very that the king had . of extreme unction. Three days (his great-grandson, quickly. Within a few days, Louis XIV knew that he was later, he was given a remedy Louis XV, aged 5) he was no longer able to get up, seriously ill and that he was to drink by a man from and his secret wife, stroll in the Trianon gardens, going to die. He confessed Marseille who claimed he could Madame de . attend his huge public meals or to a priest, Le Tellier – cure the king. An hour passed go to mass at the royal Chapel. he admitted the mistakes and the king felt better. Gangrene he had made and the wrong But it did not last long. A disease which rots By 17th August, he was he had done so God would part of the body then spending all day in . forgive him. By Saturday 31st August, contaminates it completely The pain was getting worse the king was dying. if proper treatment is not and the remedies he was given On Sunday 25th August, there Most of the time he was given quickly. were not working. Medicine was a grand party at Versailles unconscious. He died at 8.15 Extreme unction was still not very advanced to celebrate Saint Louis’ day. the following morning, A rite performed by in those days, even for kings! As the day was ending, on Sunday 1st September. a priest for dying people, to ease their suffering

Where did the grand chamberlain announce the king’s death? and gain strength from From a balcony at the Palace of Versailles. of Palace the at balcony a From Christ.

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MOURNING Careful preparations RITUALS }{ to preserve the king’s body Degrees of mourning

he day after Louis XIV and surgeons embalmed 25 died, his body was the body. The number of different moved into another plants used to embalm T room of the Palace Embalming stops Louis XIV’s body. of Versailles, the Bull’s the body from rotting Eye . and helps to preserve it. Surgical instruments This was necessary In keeping with tradition, because Louis XIV’s body Louis XIV’s coffin physicians opened up would not be buried in the Salon the king’s body so for another 7 weeks. at Versailles. © Musée national des châteaux de Versailles de Versailles des châteaux © Musée national et de Trianon

they could do an autopsy. When a body is embalmed, de Versailles © Château After a king had died, By studying his corpse, it is filled with odoriferous court had to be they could tell what caused powdered herbs (such as The king’s body lies in mourning for a year, his death. They wanted bay leaves, basil, lavender which was split into to be sure that the king and lemon peel) which in at Versailles 2 stages – deep mourning had not been poisoned. also dry it out. It is then and half-mourning. sewn up and wrapped hree days after The king’s heart was placed There were certain Once the autopsy was in bandages before his death, Louis XIV’s in a gold box on top of the traditions to follow finished, his heart and being placed in its coffin. coffin was placed in coffin. The viscera were placed for both. During deep © , musée de l’École de médecine musée de l’École © Paris, T When they were doing viscera were removed the Mercury Salon in the King’s in a lead cask at the foot mourning, for instance, the autopsy on so they could be buried We still know exactly Grand Apartment to lie in state of the bed. performances and games the king’s body in a different place from what happened, because for 1 week. Masses were offered were banned at court. and embalming it, the rest of his body. lots of people who were up constantly, both with and In many European countries doctors used scalpels This was known as there wrote their own without music. The room was at this time, court could Royal purple to cut the skin, scissors, ‘tripartition’ (read below). eye-witness accounts. kept under guard. come to pray in front of saws and then needles His heart was locked Doctors wrote reports an open coffin or a wax effigy and thread to sew it all in a box and his viscera and the grand officers The coffin was put on a bed of the king. This tradition back up. were put in a separate of the court copied them Stages of surgery, 1707. and covered with several was supposed to prolong

coffin. Then the doctors down in the kingdom’s records. BIU santé © Paris, cloths. The top one was the deceased person’s life

Plants and products gold-coloured and decorated artificially. But in a break What is the name of the plant painted on the white and pitcher in room 8 of the exhibition? lily. The with ermine. The bed was with custom, no likeness surrounded by candlesticks. of Louis XIV was made.

Word of { DID YOU KNOW? } { Image of the day } {}the day © Musée national des châteaux de Versailles de Versailles des châteaux © Musée national et de Trianon While the rest of the court had to wear , kings had to wear purple.

© Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Musée municipal © Saint-Germain-en-Laye, This included the young Apothecaries (the Louis XV. Even the walls pharmacists of these days) of his Apartment were preserved their precious completely draped wares such as salt and In the context of French in purple. medicinal plants in glass kings, ‘tripartition’ means bottles or earthenware separating their bodies into national Musée - Cluny de musée Paris, © Âge du Moyen pots. 3 parts so they can be buried Copper plaque Two coffins Ermine in 3 different places. A copper plaque was put After it had been White fur from stoats, on Louis XIV’s coffin. It said embalmed, Louis XIV’s popular with kings. Autopsy Louis XIV’s body was buried that the king had died body was enclosed Cask Examining a body to find at the Saint-Denis Basilica, in the Palace of Versailles in a lead coffin, which was A container. out why the person died. but his viscera went to on 1st September 1715. then put inside another Effigy Viscera Notre- de Paris Cathedral The plaque was torn coffin, made of oak. When A representation Organs in the chest and his heart to the Jesuit off during the French the coffins were opened up or likeness of a person. and stomach (intestines, Revolution, but it was church on Rue Saint-Antoine during the Revolution, de France Bibliothèque nationale © Paris, Mourning liver, kidneys, lungs, etc.). in Paris (which is now re-found and is now owned it was discovered During the period of mourning, some rooms of the Apartments in the Palace of Versailles were The sad feeling people Odoriferous the church of Saint-Paul- by the Musée de Cluny that Louis XIV’s body draped with black wall hangings, as were the carriages. Persons from the court who had come to pay experience when Giving off a pleasant smell. Saint-Louis). in Paris. was very well preserved. their respects to young King Louis XV were also dressed in black (picture from Langlois Almanach). a loved one has died. page IV - Mon Quotidien - www.playbacpresse.fr To subscribe: +33 (0)825 093 393 (€0.15 incl. VAT/min) www.playbacpresse.fr - Mon Quotidien - page V UNDER THE MICROSCOPE Louis XIV goes to his final resting place n 9th September 1715, Louis XIV’s body was taken away 42 kings onO a carriage draped in black 32 queens, 63 princes and pulled by 8 horses. and princesses and 10 other He left Versailles at 7pm important people are and arrived at Saint-Denis buried in the Saint-Denis Basilica at 7am the next day. Basilica, which is a bit like Thousands of people followed a cemetery for French the coffin, including civilians, kings. soldiers, priests, monks and nuns, and ‘Menus-Plaisirs’ members of the . At the back of the procession was a group of poor people carrying torches. Louis XIV’s Louis XIV’s funerary gauntlet. © Paris, musée de l’Armée © Paris, night-time journey symbolized resurrection (coming back in the basilica, which had been family vault. The royal family to life) after death. The coffin richly decorated (read left). returned to Versailles. stayed in the basilica Because Louis XIV loved The treasurer of the Saint- for 43 days while the funeral music, the king’s musicians Denis Basilica then removed was being organised. Masses played many pieces, including the precious objects that had were constantly offered up the funeral march by Philidor. been thrown in the vault and the bells were rung and added them to 3 times a day to commemorate When the lavish ceremony the Basilica’s own treasury. The king loved to be the king’s death. The funeral was over, Louis XIV’s coffin Today, some of these objects at the centre of magnificent took place on 23rd October was buried in the Bourbon are owned by the . spectacles. He believed that celebrations boosted his kingdom’s prestige and should show him off as a great king. Louis XIV Changing funeral had a department of staff to organise his ceremonies, parties and court , called traditions the Menus-Plaisirs (or ‘little pleasures’). It organised élène Delalex, his funeral, which was historian at the Palace presented like a show. H of Versailles, tells us A grand, theatrical how important funerary rituals set in black, gold were to royal families in France and silver was created and Europe: ‘Deaths, in the Saint-Denis Basilica. like births, and , were all important moments for royalty. A person who lived This is still true today. in the court, as part They are very popular events of the king’s entourage. and the chance for a country Procession to unite and come together.’ A group of people who follow another Louis XIV’s death was more sombre and religious of their European cousins. in order to honour them. no different. ‘Because than funerals for previous ‘The main stages of royal Lavish he reigned for 72 years, kings. But they still had to be funerals were similar Very luxurious. everyone had forgotten impressive, so the decor was everywhere – the body lay in Bourbon what royal funerals were like. very luxurious and the funeral state, then it was placed The name of They needed to look through procession and ceremony were in the coffin, taken in Louis XIV’s family. the archives to find descriptions theatrical and spectacular!’ the funeral procession Vault of the funeral held for his father, to the religious ceremony Tomb. Louis XIII. So their funerals The funerals of French called the “Grand Service”, Funerary ritual were quite similar. They were kings were quite like those then placed in its tomb.’ Ceremony carried

out during the burial In which year did Louis XIII die? 1643. of a dead person. page VI - Mon Quotidien - www.playbacpresse.fr DISCOVERY funerals. Only the religious side of the ceremony became less important. less ceremonybecame the of side religious the Only funerals. royalof stylelavish the kept politicians and soldiers scientists, artists, writers, as such people important France,forfunerals in abolished monarchywas Afterthe carriage pulled by severalby pulled horses. carriage magnificent a Cathedralin Paris de Dame Faure’sNotre-Félixtotaken was coffin PresidentFrench when 1899 in happened what flowers.is Thisand flags cloths, processionroutecoveredthe are black in streetlightsalong and Statues, respected.was person deceased the more the ceremonyis, a lavishmore the that feel People dies. person important verya organizedarefuneralswhen State Extravagantceremonies Triomphe.de Arc the World3 War)statefor in lay First the win helped (who Foch Marshal of history.Frenchcoffin of the 1929,part In a people important making wayof a is This buried. aredeceased the where and placetake lying-in-stateceremoniespublic where places historicsymbolic, the of Invalidessome are des TriompheHôtel de Arcthe the and Cathedral,Paris de Notre-DamePanthéon, The locations Symbolic Funerals throughout historythroughoutFunerals days beneath daysbeneath a coffin gives funerals a ceremoniala givesfunerals coffin a feel. Soldiers line the route.Atfirstthe line Soldiers feel. to more recent times. This includes includes Thisrecent moretimes. to newspapersreportedprocessions, then radio and now the televisionthe now and radio then a national event. In 1885, 1 1885, event.nationalIn a the streets of Paris from the Arc the fromParis streetsof the an important part of ceremoniesof part important an singersperformed athisfuneral www.playbacpresse.fr singing, orchestras and military orchestrasmilitary singing, and do too. Mourning has become has too.Mourning do de TriomphePanthéon.de the to since the days of French kings kings Frenchdays of the since The procession which followsprocessionThewhich bands. Louis XIV loved XIV music Louis bands. and about 150 musicians and and musicians 150 about and Impressiveprocessions people followedwriter people the Victor Hugo’s coffin along VictorHugo’scoffin at the Saint-Denis Basilica. Saint-Denis the at Music has always has been Music Music everywhereMusic Solemn andimpressive. Ceremonial - MonQuotidien -page VII million

Texts: Isabelle Nicolazzi / Illustration: Frédéric Kucia

Loi n° 49-956 du 16 juillet 1949 sur les publications destinées à la jeunesse. la à destinées publications les sur 1949 juillet 16 du 49-956 n° Loi

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Answer: The Sun King. Answer: Mad-dam-deux-man-ten-on – Madame de Maintenon.

secret wife. secret

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My fifth is the square root of 100. 100. of root square the is fifth My

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My third is the French for ‘two’. ‘two’. for French the is third My

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that started in Louis XIV’s leg. leg. XIV’s Louis in started that

The name of the infection infection the of name  The 3.

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