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The Real Versailles

Could you be a courtier to the Sun King at Versailles?

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  • History
  • TV Movie
  • Documentary

Overview

As BBC Two premieres its lavish new drama set in the sumptuous surroundings of Versailles, Lucy Worsley and Helen Castor tell the real-life stories behind one of the world's grandest buildings. They reveal the colourful world of sex, drama and intrigue that Louis XIV and his courtiers inhabited. Lucy untangles Louis's complex world of court etiquette, fashion and feasting, while Helen delves into the archives and unpicks the Machiavellian world of court politics that Louis created. We meet the people behind the on-screen characters and discover what drove Louis to glorify his reign on a scale unmatched by any previous monarch, examine the tension between Louis and his brother Philippe, a battle hero and overt homosexual, and they meet the coterie of women who competed for Louis's attention. We see that Louis was ruthless in his pursuit of glory and succeeded in defeating his enemies. In his record-breaking 72-year reign, France became renowned for its culture and sophistication.

Keywords

  • versailles

Details

Status
Released
Release date
May 30, 2016
Original language
English
Spoken languages
English
Countries
United Kingdom
Production
BBC
Cinematography
Jim Petersen
Budget
Not recorded
Revenue
Not recorded
The Real Versailles (2016) | Kinocult