WALKS OF ART
The Queen's Apartments

The Queen's Apartments

Versailles · 17th centuryDraft
PreviousNext

The Queen's apartments were home to 3 consecutive queens - Maria-Theresa (Louis XIV's wife), Marie Leszczyńska (Louis XV) and Marie-Antoinette (Louis XVI).

Their proximity to other public rooms in the palace highlights how closely the King and Queen lived amidst the court's drama and intrigue.

The Queen's Apartments — image 1
The Queen's Apartments — image 2
The Queen's Apartments — image 3
The Queen's Apartments — image 4
The Queen's Apartments — image 5
The Queen's Apartments — image 6
The Queen's Apartments — image 7
The Queen's Apartments — image 8
The Queen's Apartments — image 9
The Queen's Apartments — image 10
The Queen's Apartments — image 11
The Queen's Apartments — image 12
The Queen's Apartments — image 13
The Queen's Apartments — image 14
The Queen's Apartments — image 15
The Queen's Apartments — image 16
The Queen's Apartments — image 17
The Queen's Apartments — image 18
The Queen's Apartments — image 19
1 / 19

19 royal children were born here - in public, to make sure the heir was legitimate - and 2 queens died here - Maria-Theresa and Marie Leszczyńska.

The Queen's Apartments — image 1
The Queen's Apartments — image 2
The Queen's Apartments — image 3
The Queen's Apartments — image 4
The Queen's Apartments — image 5
The Queen's Apartments — image 6
The Queen's Apartments — image 7
The Queen's Apartments — image 8
The Queen's Apartments — image 9
The Queen's Apartments — image 10
The Queen's Apartments — image 11
The Queen's Apartments — image 12
The Queen's Apartments — image 13
The Queen's Apartments — image 14
The Queen's Apartments — image 15
The Queen's Apartments — image 16
1 / 16

The queen's position could be a very lonely one, as kings essentially married to forge political alliances and produce male heirs.

The Queen's Apartments — image 1
The Queen's Apartments — image 2
The Queen's Apartments — image 3
The Queen's Apartments — image 4
The Queen's Apartments — image 5
1 / 5

Louis XIV wed Maria-Theresa when they were both 22.

She was the daughter of the King of Spain and had a claim to the Spanish throne.

Intensely devout, she had little interest in the French court

The Queen's Apartments — image 1
The Queen's Apartments — image 2
The Queen's Apartments — image 3
The Queen's Apartments — image 4
The Queen's Apartments — image 5
The Queen's Apartments — image 6
The Queen's Apartments — image 7
The Queen's Apartments — image 8
The Queen's Apartments — image 9
The Queen's Apartments — image 10
The Queen's Apartments — image 11
The Queen's Apartments — image 12
The Queen's Apartments — image 13
The Queen's Apartments — image 14
The Queen's Apartments — image 15
The Queen's Apartments — image 16
The Queen's Apartments — image 17
1 / 17

She suffered through many of the king's numerous public affairs - including with Louise de La Vallière, Madame de Montespan, the Duchess of Fontanges and Madame de Maintenon.

When she died at age 44 Louis XIV remarked : "This is the only trouble she has caused me".

The Queen's Apartments — image 1
The Queen's Apartments — image 2
The Queen's Apartments — image 3
The Queen's Apartments — image 4
The Queen's Apartments — image 5
The Queen's Apartments — image 6
The Queen's Apartments — image 7
The Queen's Apartments — image 8
1 / 8

Louis XV married Maria Leszczyńska when he was 15 and she was 22.

A poor Polish princess, she was also deeply devout and remained uninvolved in court politics.

The Queen's Apartments — image 1
The Queen's Apartments — image 2
The Queen's Apartments — image 3
The Queen's Apartments — image 4
1 / 4

Louis XV, on the other hand, had many high-profile affairs, including the Marquise de Pompadour and Madame du Barry.

The Queen's Apartments — image 1
The Queen's Apartments — image 2
The Queen's Apartments — image 3
The Queen's Apartments — image 4
The Queen's Apartments — image 5
The Queen's Apartments — image 6
The Queen's Apartments — image 7
The Queen's Apartments — image 8
1 / 8

Marie-Antoinette, in contrast to her predecessors, was far less discreet.

Louis XVI was not known as a womanizer.

Marie-Antoinette married Louis XVI she was 15 and he was 16.

As the daughter of the powerful Holy Roman Emperor, she was initially well-received, but her extravagant spending and perceived disconnection from the common people soon made her a target of public hatred.

This growing animosity played a significant role in fueling the French Revolution.

The Queen's Apartments — image 1

Comments

Loading comments...