All language subtitles for The Real Versailles. Dr. Lucy Worsley. Subtitles- ENG

In the 17th century, there was
only one place to see and be seen: …

…the palace of Versailles,…

…the greatest legacy of Louis XIV,…

…the Sun King.

Louis XIV spent
a whopping 72 years on the throne.

During his reign, he turned France,
from a country wrecked by civil war,…

…its dukes and nobles
constantly at each other's throats,…

…into the most glorious
and powerful state in Europe.

And he came up with a way
of running a royal court…

…that's never been beaten.

Key to his success was this:
his palace of Versailles.

I'm Lucy Worsley, Chief Curator
at Britain's historic royal palaces.

And I'm Helen Caster, a historian
with an unhealthy interest in court politics and intrigue.

Together, we're taking a look at the new
French-produced drama being shown on the BBC.

It's set during the building of Versailles.

This was a world where life revolved
around endless court rituals.

Where fortunes rose and fell
with the latest fashions.

And where the quickest way to royal favor
was through the king's bedchamber.

Take it off!

Behind the facade, Louis XIV's survival
depended on his creation of Versailles.

It was his power base,
his safe house,…

…and the gilded cage
in which he trapped his enemies.

Never before had a king, and his entire court,
lived together in a single palace.

This was a new type of building,
for a new type of ruler.

It was a huge risk

It could all have gone
horribly wrong.

But if anybody could pull it off,
it was Louis XIV.

Louis' palace at Versailles
sprang from surprisingly humble beginnings

Even the king's only brother, Philippe,
was in for a shock.

i am about to drag this country
out of the darkness, and into the light.

We must build
our own destiny, right here.

A new France will be born,
and this palace will be her mother!

What palace?

That one!

Our father's hunting lodge.

Versailles.

The dilapidated hunting lodge,
and the tiny hamlet around it,…

…were buried in the countryside,
12 miles from Paris.

The only link between Versailles and the capital
was an old drover's track.

It had been used for bringing cattle
to the markets of Paris.

In other words, the site
was in the middle of nowhere.

The seat of power was Paris.
The royal residence was the palace of the Louvre.

The nobles
had their homes close by,…

…which meant they could attend on the king,
and still enjoy salon society in the capital.

And "Vive la différence!"

But Louis was passionate about outdoor pursuits.
He really enjoyed country life.

He began to spend
more and more time at Versailles.

Louis expected his courtiers
to join him.

But not everybody
wanted to travel out into the sticks.

We really are out in the wilds here.
???? are poorest, non–existent.

The sooner
we return to Paris, the better.

And even after the dukes and duchesses,
the counts and marquises,…

…had made it out to Versailles,
there was nowhere decent for them to stay.

According to Madame de Sévigné, after one visit
to Versailles, the courtiers were in a fury,…

…because they said the king
didn't take care of any of them,…

…and there was scarcely a hole
to take shelter in.

The courtiers came up
with a new witticism, a "bon mot".

Versailles, they said,
is "a mistress without merit".

But the modest hunting lodge
was about to have a makeover.

When I hosted a party here, a few years ago,
we did not have the room to accommodate my friends.

Most of them
had to take rooms in town.

So I'm building some myself.

400 apartments, all told.

Louis incorporated
this hunting lodge into his plans.

And it's still there,
right at the heart of the later building.

Louis added additions that are still known
as "the envelope", literally enveloping the original building.

From sleepinga cozy
15 or so extra guests,…

…this first phase of construction…

…provided room at Versailles
for 600 of Louis' closest friends.

And that was just the start.

But Louis didn't build Versailles
to be nice to his chums.

He did it
for the survival of the monarchy.

You might be forgiven
for wondering…

…why Louis XIV would go to such lengths
to keep his throne safe.

As a royal historian, it's hard to think of another ruler
who comes across as so supremely confident.

Louis inherited from his mother
a passionate belief…

…in the "divine right" of kings.

The idea that kings were
like little mini–gods, who ruled on Earth.

In case anyone had missed the point,
at Louis' birth he was given the name of…

…"Dieudonné", "given by God".

This is because, miraculously,…

…he was his parents'
first surviving child,…

…after 23 years of marriage.
A gift from God, indeed.

Louis took these ideas
very much to heart.

Louis' self–glorification
knew no bounds.

He had himself painted
in the guise of Roman emperors,…

…as Alexander the Great,
even as the omnipotent Greek god Zeus.

No hero was too glorious,
no god too mighty, to escape the comparison.

And Louis took as his personal emblem
a symbol he thought fitting…

…for his dazzling god–like status: …

…the Sun.

The Sun is the centre,…

…the hearth,
the mother of the universe.

Without its warmth and light,…

…all life is gone,
man will cease to exist.

One could almost believe
he was talking about you.

Louis was a master of propaganda.

But don't let
all this grandstanding deceive you.

In some ways,
it was a sign of weakness.

If he had been absolutely powerful, and totally secure
on his throne, then he needn't have bothered.

Louis had learned that being king
was a dangerous business.

Are you scared?

Of course you are!

If history teaches us one thing,…

…it is this: …

…Terrible things happen to kings.

[Weeps]

Louis' greatest fears were founded
in the deep divisions within the country he inherited.

In the 17th century, France wasn't, by any means,
the unified nation we know today.

Different regions
had different laws, customs,…

…even different languages.

And vast parts of the country were controlled,
not directly by the king, but by great noblemen.

The north and east,
who defies me there?

The duke of cassell, sir,
to my mind.

Commands great influence,
half the nobility are in his debt,…

…his family have occupied those lands
before memory.

These nobles had huge independent powers
in the regions they dominated.

They didn't even have
to pay the king taxes.

So, the king was locked
in a deadly power struggle,…

…constantly competing
with the nobles.

Louis knew only too well
how vulnerable he was.

And he'd known it
pretty much since the day he was born.

During Louis' childhood, the monarchy had tried
to wrest control from the nobles.

The result
was a bitter civil war.

In 1651, while Louis was staying in Paris,
a riot erupted.

The violence came
a little too close to home.

The mob broke into the palace,
and demanded to see the young king.

They marched into his bedroom,
where Louis pretended to be asleep.

The royal family managed to escape,
but Louis was traumatized.

The incident
had a profound effect on Louis.

From that moment on,
he saw Paris as a crucible of danger,…

…where the people and the nobles
could plot against him.

Never again would he let
chaos and violence threaten his very being.

For Louis, the safest place from which to rule
was not Paris,…

…but Versailles.

We must lay
our own foundation here.

Why here, sir?

Because i will not be
the king of Paris!

I know who i am.

I'm Louis XIV.

I'm king of France.

To prove who was in charge,
Louis made himself an absolute monarch.

He declared he was
the sole ruler of France,…

…and set about reining in
the power of the nobles.

This is your king's new law.

Stripping away
the dignity of a true noble,…

…defiling the reputation of a man
whose family forms the bedrock of this country.

Now, once,…

…not long ago,
we knew where we stood.

But now we must prove ourselves,
now we must sing for our suppers,…

…now the king says:
"I am France!"

But I say:
"It is we who are France!"

In this battle, Louis had
some subtle new tactics in his armory.

Louis' solution
to the problem of his nobles…

…shows just how good he was
at wielding what you might call "soft power".

He'd watched and learned from the mistakes
of other kings; like Charles I of England, for example.

He had taken up arms
to defend his royal prerogative.

And look what happened to him!

But Louis wanted
to wage war with refinement.

He planned to devastate his enemies
with his hospitality.

He was going to overwhelm them,
with fancy titles that didn't necessarily mean anything.

And, above all,
he intended to emasculate them,…

…by making them do
trivial jobs in his household,…

…here, at his new
country home of Versailles.

It's no bigger
than a broom cupboard!

As a matter of fact,
I believe it WAS a broom cupboard!

Welcome to Versailles!

Louis loved to play the host.

He kept his courtiers busy
with gambling, feasting, hunting.

And to top it all,
fabulous parties!

Louis made sure his dazzling hospitality
would always be remembered.

Let's have a look at our massive book of pictures
of one of Louis' parties.

And here is Versailles,
looking extremely splendid.

These specific drawings
were of an entertainment called: …

…"The Pleasures of the Enchanted Island".

– That's a very alluring name, isn't it?
– It is!

Although, after 6 whole days and 6 whole nights,
I'm not sure how allured anyone would have felt!

[Laughter]

it was an epic party,
based on an epic poem: "The Frenzy of Orlando".

The lead role was Roger.

Could it be possible that Roger himself
was played by the king?

I think you might have spotted Louis' role,
as he chose for himself.

Here, right in the middle,
on his magnificently rearing horse, is Roger.

– I wonder who is in charge of casting.
– [Laughter]

– Louis was a natural showman.
– [Gasps of admiration]

He had a reputation
as a fine dancer.

And he never missed an opportunity
to display his talents.

But here, the real star of the show
was Versailles.

Oohh, look at this! This is the marble courtyard,
in the heart of the palace, isn't it?

Decorated with orange trees on either side,
to make it look even more beautiful.

It's splendid!
Hundreds of candles, all around the top!

Look at them standing
on the ledges, inside the windows.

It is true it was beautiful enough before,
but now it's transformed into a nighttime spectacular.

And look, here's an orchestra,
so this is a musical performance.

And they seem to be…

– …dancing on the stage.
– Oh, it says it's a ballet! That's right!

And the ballet…

…uh,… Alceste…!

…a tragedy in music,…

…composed by Louis' …

…own court composer, Jean–Baptiste Lully,
one of the greatest musicians of his day.

Only the very best for Louis.

The king was at pains to make sure
his guests didn't miss a single detail of his palace.

One visitor gushed that the festivities "astonished
the spectators by their magnificence, novelty, and pomp".

Now, this,…

…really is a scene, isn't it?
A nighttime scene of fireworks and illuminations.

The palace in the background;
the fountains in the foreground.

What do you think, Helen,
was the point of this book of engravings?

This is a big PR exercise.

These are impressive pictures,
even centuries later, in black and white.

But for the rest of Europe, in 1664,
this is how you do it.

So, Louis
compiled all the engravings,…

…gave them to ambassadors,…

…who then take them home,
to their own European king or queen, and say: …

…"Look and learn!".

This is how they do it in France,
this is the way to hold a party.

And not just in France,
but specifically at Versailles.

Forget Paris!
That was yesterday's news!

Louis wanted the eyes of the world
to be on the palace…

…that he was building.

Once Louis had captivated his courtiers
with the entertainments of Versailles,…

…he found other ways
to keep them in thrall to him.

To keep everybody in their places,
Louis turned his life into a kind of public spectacle.

Every minute, of every day,
was filled with these weird rituals,…

…some of them quite ridiculous,
which all the courtiers had to follow,…

…as if it were a religion.

All the noblemen at court are required
to present themselves at the appointed hour.

"Dukes before marquis, I believe."

"I'm with the duke."

Only a few, however, will be given the privilege
of entering, observing, and – in some cases – participating.

Taking part in Louis' daily routines
was a strictly controlled business.

Only a chosen elite could share
in his more intimate moments.

The most important ceremony
was the king's "levée".

His rising,
in the morning.

It was as essential to life at Versailles
as the rising of the Sun.

At 8 o'clock sharp, the curtains of the state bed
were drawn back, to reveal the king.

He may not have slept here,
but he had to get back in time,…

…and then
he was greeted by his valet.

Good morning!

Next, in came the king's physician,
to check him over.

His chamberpot was carried out,…

…and – this is really nice – in came the king's nurse,
that he'd had since he was a child,…

…to give him
his good morning kiss.

Then came the privileged few who had the right
to attend what was known as the "Grande Entrée".

They were all highborn nobles,
and they helped the king into his shirt.

It sounds menial,
but it was a huge honour!

All you do…

…is designed to be seen and admired.

Dressing, shaving,
drinking, and eating.

They are no longer actions,
but a performance.

Everything you do
is a display of wealth,…

…authority, harmony, and modesty.

And last,
but by no means least,…

…piety.

Louis thought of himself as a god,
and now he was worshipped like one.

Even the most powerful nobles
were forced to bow and scrape.

But observing Louis' strict daily routine
could reap rewards.

The clockwork timing of Louis' day
meant the courtiers always knew…

…exactly where the king was,
and what he was doing.

And that meant,
they could engineer meetings with him.

Opportunities to ask for the favours
that only the king could give.

Like other monarchs, the king had the power
to transform a courtier's fortunes.

But Louis had his own special criteria
for granting requests.

As Louis progressed for mass,
courtiers would line his route,…

…pressing on either side,
desperate for a word in the king's ear.

If they succeeded
in catching his attention,…

…they might ask
a favour for a friend.

But,…!

…if Louis thought that that particular nobleman
hadn't spent enough time at Versailles,…

…he'd turn the request down,…

…with the words:
"We never see him!" "I don't know him!"

ît was as if that noble
had never existed.

The message was clear:
courtiers had better sharpen their elbows,…

…and fight their way
to the front of the queue.

If they wanted to get ahead in life,
they had to put in the hours at Versailles.

The nobles were now too busy,
vying for the king's attention, to plot against him.

And they weren't allowed to go back to their country seats,
where they could have fermented rebellion.

It was all part
of this strange cult of the Sun King.

It's as if Louis used his magnetism
to trap his nobles,…

…here, in the gilded cage of Versailles.

Now, Louis could get on
with enjoying the pleasures of life.

And there was nothing he enjoyed more…
than the ladies.

He pursued
one beauty after another.

Married and single,
highborn and low.

Not for nothing was his time in power
known as "the reign of love".

Here, are some
of Louis' leading ladies.

Now, kings of France
often had 2 wives: …

…one, a wife for business.
In Louis' case, it was Maria Theresa of Spain.

It was her job to represent
an alliance with another country,…

…and to give him
his official children, or heirs.

But then, he would have
a wife for fun, a mistress.

Or, in Louis' case, mistresses.

At any one moment,
the chief of them…

…was called the "maîtresse déclarée",
the "declared mistress".

I think it's very French…

…that she had a sort
of semi–official job title.

Louise de La Vallière
was Louis' first "maîtresse déclarée".

The story of Louise de La Vallière
is intertwined with the story of Versailles itself,…

…because Louis
was falling in love with her…

…at the same time as he was falling in love
with the idea of his palace.

They held trysts there,…

…and the magnificent party,
"The pleasures of the Enchanted Isle",…

…was held to celebrate their love.

Now, Louise's position as chief mistress
was far from secure.

The other ladies of the court
all had their eye on Louis,…

…and he was all too susceptible.

When Louise came onto the scene,
Louis was already having…

…a rather scandalous relationship
with Henriette of England.

She was…
– wait for this –…

…his brother's wife,
and his own first cousin.

Naughty!

spring is from????

And there were plenty
of other contenders, vying…

…for Louise de La Vallière's
prized role of chief mistress.

Enter Athénaïs de Montespan

How many have you had?

I do not recall!

In which case, why would one more
make any difference?

Hard to say,
without partaking.

Why is that?

Surely, after a certain time,
it's just a number, is it not?

That depends on the number.

Athénaïs was devastatingly intelligent,
and confident, and pretty, and manipulative

She made friends with Louise,
in order to get close to their king.

False friend!

i am boring, and you are funny! Perhaps, when he returns,
you might put him in a good mood for me.

Talk to him,
make him laugh!

If he's in a good humour,
I might just have a chance.

Would you do that?

I think
I could try!

Now, Louis didn't stand a chance!
He fell under the spell of Athénaïs.

Very soon, he just HAD to make love to her,
3 times a day.

And he was so keen, that he would start to undress her
even before her ladies had left the room

And she was
equally enthusiastic.

It was said that
"her powder lit very easily".

It wasn't long before Athénaïs
usurped her so–called friend Louise,…

…and took her place
at the top table.

Athénaïs reigned supreme,
as official mistress, for the next decade.

And it was during this time
that Louis fulfilled his dream of creating a palace,…

…not just fit for any old king,
but fit for the Sun King.

Now, the gardens on this side
will extend from here to here.

Very good, Sire!

What is
this large rectangle here?

A lake!

You wish to put a lake
in this area?

The area IS the lake.

That is…

A big lake! Yes!

Sire,…

…a lake that size would dwarf any structure
that looks out upon it.

That depends on the structure,
does it not?

Nothing could stand
in the way of Louis' grand plans.

He drained swamps,…

…moved forests,
and diverted rivers,…

…to make way for the world's
most opulent royal playground.

Its size and splendour
trumpeted Louis' wealth and power.

But a project worthy of such a prince
required a workforce to match.

The palace was under scaffolding
for years at a time.

And the gardens here
looked pretty much like a quarry.

Up to 36 000 people
were slaving away here,…

…and they were labouring under conditions
you can only describe as horrendous.

Builders toiled
from dawn till dusk.

A common bricklayer earned five "sous" a day,
about the cost of a tiny piece of butter.

Accidents were so frequent, that 3 hospitals
were built to deal with the casualties.

And even
in his exalted position,…

…Louis could not quite escape
the hardships that his workers endured.

You say "you are France"!

If you truly were,
you'd know our suffering!

You'd feel it
in your bones!

And you'd take
the pain away!

Builders went on strike,
in a bid to improve their lot.

The grievances are many, Sire.

Many suffer from injuries sustained at their work,
that are as yet untreated.

They claim that working conditions are too harsh.
Not enough attention's paid to their safety.

Is this true?

We lose half a dozen men
per week, Sire.

Many more injured.

From the archives, I've dug out a document
that gives a real–life example…

…of Louis being brought face–to–face
with the human cost of Versailles.

In the summer of 1668,
there was an accident,…

…involving some of the heavy machinery
in use at Versailles,…

…that's reported here,
in "The Gazette of Amsterdam".

We're told that there was an accident,
and some debris fell,…

…and underneath it were caught
5 or 6 workmen – "ouvriers" –,…

…who were "écrasés dessous".

"Écrasés" – what does it…

– Crushed!
– Crushed!

Crushed underneath.

Crushed to death.

– 5 or 6 of them!
– 5 or 6.

And that's all we're told.
One sentence, at this point.

But we get
a little bit more detail…

…a few days later,
when the king was confronted…

…by the mother of one
of these poor dead workmen.

She managed to get close enough
to ask the king…

…if she could have
the body of her son back.

The newspaper says,
"with many insults directed at the king".

Now, whether that's…

…exaggeration for journalistic effect,
or what the king felt had happened…

Do you think it was quite shocking that she just
got close enough, and dared to speak to him?

Absolutely! That someone of her status
should be able to speak directly to the king himself,…

…in terms
that were not complementary!

And it didn't go well for her.

We're told
that she was put in prison,…

…"where she still is locked up",
the newspaper says.

So, hang on! Louis' machine
has crushed to death this woman's son.

She's asked
for his dead body.

And for that,
she's been put in prison?

She has.
The human cost…

…of his great enterprises
is irrelevant to Louis,…

…in comparison
with his grand purposes.

The question is,
to what extent…

…this is representative…

…of something bigger,
more characteristic of Louis' rule as a whole.

Well, I guess you could say,
"This is an absolute monarch doing his job".

"The needs of the State
must come first".

"He has the power to override
the trivial needs of the individual".

But it does seem to me
that there's something really cold…

…and uniquely determined
about Louis himself.

I will not be pushed into the sea
by a builder on a scaffold.

Louis' determination,
and his ruthlessness,…

…made him many enemies.

But he had ways of keeping one step ahead
of anyone who might plot against him.

You might think that surveillance
is a modern concept.

But Louis,…

…who was insecure to the point of paranoia,
kept a watchful eye on everyone.

No one understood better than Louis
that information was power.

That… is one
of 948 journals…

…gathered by our services,
detailing every single member of your court: …

…their heights, weights,
hair and eye color,…

…their daily movements.

From your valet…

…to your cook's assistant,
Madeleine Dubois.

And Louis even knew
everyone's innermost thoughts.

How? Because all mail – to and from Versailles –…
was intercepted.

Historian James Daybell is guiding me
through the lost world of 17th century espionage.

This is so much more significant and…
and atmospheric than…

– …licking the flap, isn't it?
It is. It is.

You really feel
like this is an…

…special thing to do!

Now we're going to get our seal,
which is a fleur–de–lys,…

Peel it away slowly,…

– …and there we are.
– Oohh!

– That's not bad!
– Very good.

So,… if we got this letter in the post,
you would know that I had sent it,…

– Yes.
– …and that it hadn't been tampered with!
– And that it hadn't been tampered with.

Yes!

– Theoretically, heh, heh!
So,… so, it's… it's secure.

But, at the court of Versailles,
we know that Louis' espionage masters…

…were… reading the letters.

How did they do that,
when they were sealed up with wax?

This is a dark art.

We have an example of a letter…

…from a courtier
close to the king,…

…in which she warns a German cousin
about this opening of letters.

And she writes: …

"Just because letters are poorly sealed,
does not mean anything".

"They have a material made of mercury,
and other stuff, that can be pressed onto the seal,…"

…where it takes on
the shape of the seal."

"After they've read and copied letters,
they neatly resend them,…"

"…and no one can see
that they have been opened."

So, that method involves
making a replica of the original seal.

Absolutely!
And once you have that,…

…you're then able to open and reseal
people's correspondence, all the time.

That's pretty sneaky stuff!

And, James, what happened to the people
whose mail was read, then, contrary to their knowledge?

Once he found
that you were…

…talking in a critical tone about his court,
his policies, his friendships,…

…you would be out of favour.

And so many courtiers
were destroyed in this way.

This surveillance state that he develops
in the 17th century is incredibly powerful,…

…and it's used to keep tabs on the courtiers
at the very heart of his power base, at Versailles.

Disloyal courtiers
wised up to Louis' tactics,…

…and found other ways
to convey their messages.

With all this surveillance going on,
there's only one way to keep a secret.

You have to write it in "cipher".
Secret code.

I have identified this as a Cistercian codex
from the Low Countries.

Very rare,
almost forgotten.

Used, it appears,
as an alternative to Roman numerals.

So, these are merely numbers.

Which correspond to letters.

But Louis beat the courtiers
at their own game,…

…by employing cryptographers
to crack the codes.

The first message is very simple: …

…"Kill the men
who bring this map".

The second one…

…is more intriguing.

A riddle, in fact.

"The end is near".

"Make your peace with God".

To make sure his own messages remained secret,
Louis engaged the services of Antoine Rossignol.

Rossignol was
the greatest cryptographer of the 17th century.

He came up with a code
that was so complex…

…that, after it fell out of regular use,
it baffled cryptographers for centuries.

It was called
"The Great Cipher".

All this secrecy sounds extreme,
but it worked.

After all,
Louis wasn't assassinated.

But the king's paranoia grew.

In this world of fear and intrigue,
who could he rely on?

As so often, Louis didn't put his trust
in the most powerful men in the land,…

…potential rivals all,…

…but those with whom he spent
his most intimate hours: his chosen servants.

And there was one servant
who was forever by Louis' side.

His valet for over 40 years,…

…Alexandre Bontemps.

Bontemps was the first to see the king in the morning,
and the last to tuck him up in bed at night.

He was one of the few people allowed
to go through the gate in the golden balustrade,…

…into the king's private area
of the bedchamber.

Bontemps himself slept
just here, on a camp bed.

The first valet was the only person
allowed to sleep in the king's bedchamber.

Not even the queen
could do that.

Constantly vigilant, attentive to every need,
he was like a faithful old hound.

Sire, we received word
the Parthenay family will arrive this morning.

– And will my goddaughter Charlotte be with them?
– Yes, Sire.

Little ray of sunshine.

Bontemps' devotion to Louis
dominated his life,…

…almost to the exclusion
of his own family.

When asked one day
how his wife was doing,…

…he automatically replied:
"I'll ask the king".

You have a woman?

– My wife lives in Paris.
– With you?

I live with the king!

Now i am confused.

Wherever the king sleeps, I do.

Ah, this is as far as I go.

His bed must be
very crowded.

Bontemps knew everything
about the king's most private affairs.

All personal correspondence
went through his hands,…

…and he acted as a go–between
for Louis and his lovers.

It was said that Bontemps was most secret,
most faithful, and entirely devoted to the king.

This was one
of Louis's closest relationships.

Pull up a chair.

i said a chair,
not a stool.

A chair with arms.

Only a king may sit next to His Majesty
in a chair with arms.

You are more than a king.

You're my friend.

So, could Louis XIV and his trusty valet
really have been friends? What do you think?

Kings were surrounded by servants all the time.
There was huge intimacy there.

But, real friendship?

The difference in status
made that much more complicated.

It does seem, though, that Louis was more at ease
with his retainers than almost anyone else.

Ah! And there is the evidence
of the duke of Saint–Simon, who says…

…that the king loved his servants
more than his own children.

In return
for his devoted service,…

…Louis showered Bontemps with gifts
of land, titles,and lucrative posts.

Bontemps could even afford a townhouse
in Paris, with his own staff of 12.

Louis didn't just elevate
his personal servants.

He made a point of promoting ministers
from more humble backgrounds.

And his decision to promote them,
at the expense of his nobles,…

…brought about a change
in the way that France was governed.

It began what the resentful Saint–Simon called
"the reign of the vile bourgeoisie".

Louis transformed life at court
down to the smallest detail.

He even changed
what people wore,…

…from the hats on their heads
to the shoes on their feet.

Louis' own love of drama and splendour
was reflected in his wardrobe.

This was "power dressing".

Louis XIV style.

I must tell you all,…

…I believe that very soon
we shall have a revolution in our country.

The world knows France
to be a master of the battlefield.

But one glimpse around
this glorious place will tell you…

…soon it will be our textile mercers
and our master tailors who shall transform the world.

Our fashions…

…will be revered
just as much for their beauty,…

…elegance,…

…refinement,…

…and grace.

The finest in the world!

To achieve his ends,
Louis introduced a strict new dress code.

We are trying it on for size,
with the help of costume historian Mark Wallace.

How did Louis make his courtiers
look the way that he wanted them to?

By the royal edict, you cannot wear anything
not made of French manufacture.

So, if you're caught wearing something
made in a different country, it would be taken off, and burnt.

And fined, of course, too!

It is something
that never had happened before,…

…which is to invent
a court uniform,…

…called the "juste–au–corps à brevet".
Now, these coats are entirely new.

Made of blue cloth.

Covered in gold and silver,
lined with red.

Only 50 men: the king, the royal dukes,
the princes, etc., were allowed to wear this coat.

That really showed
you were in with the in–crowd.

And if you died, your coat would be handed on
to the next person, considered suitable enough to wear it.

So, it's using
the carrot and the stick.

They want to look like they're part of the club.
They want to look good.

– And if they break the rules, they get fined!
– Yes!

And, of course, it suited Louis' ego.
The more splendid his court looked, the better HE looked.

And was the envy
of all Christian princes.

Thanks to Louis, France became
the capital of "haute–couture".

Something it's remained
to this day.

And Louis found that forcing his courtiers
to follow fashion, had other advantages.

So, how much of an investment
would an outfit like this would be?

So, you have around your… your collar this "pourpoint", as it's known.

This would be the equivalent,
around your shoulders, of perhaps…

…a very expensive sports car,
maybe even a yacht.

You also have lace upon your gown,
down the front, and all around the hem of the skirt.

Again, just to show your wealth,
or your husband's wealth,…

…and your extravagance.

Now, turning to…

…Lucy, again,
with your coat made of silk,…

…and of course the gold galloon, running
down the front,vertically, on your coat,…

…the wonderful detail,…

…lots of buttons,…

…made in France, of gold.
So, really, everything is the best.

Yet, you've got to afford
not just one outfit.

You had to have lots of different outfits,
for lots of different occasions.

All of which cost a fortune.

This one is nice.

We'll need more
than just a dress,…

…a filigree bracelet, and a necklace
of diamonds, believe me!

But, how will we pay?

Oh!

Let me worry about that!

What happened
if they couldn't afford it?

It was so expensive,
it would bankrupt people!

So, you borrow from the king, at a certain
interest level, and that gets you deeper in.

You're in a royal
circle of debt, aren't you?

It's incredible how we manage it.
Like the spider, in the great golden web.

It was typically clever of Louis to use fashion
to show off his courtiers' wealth,…

…while at the same time
stripping it away from them.

As one marquis said:
"No one at Versailles was really rich,…"

…because they'd spent their fortunes…

…on all this.

The ruthless side
of Louis' nature…

…was also evident in his treatment
of his closest relative, his brother, Philippe.

– Now, give it to me!
– I knew it!

The minute you get the chance,
you belittle me again!

Brother,…

The magic word,
what is it?

Do not forget
who addresses you.

You never were good at sharing!

Throughout history, the relationship between a king
and his younger brother has been tricky.

It's no fun being "the spare"
when you want to be the "heir".

And the relationship between Louis
and his younger brother was understandably tense.

You think it's hard…!

…to be a king!

Try being a king's brother for a day!

The differences between Louis and Philippe
were clear from very early on.

Here's Louis as a little boy,
and he's already dressed as a little king.

In his beautiful leather boots,…

…his red breeches with gold fringing,
his hat, with the white plume.

And, at first glance, you might assume
that this is his sister.

He looks like a girl, with pink cheeks,
and wearing a dress.

But, actually,
it's Louis' younger brother, Philippe.

Now, don't read
too much into this.

Little boys, in the 17th century,
were put in dresses…

…until they were old enough
to be "breeched" at the age of 7;…

…put into a man's clothing,
or "breeches".

But, in this case, the boy's mother was determined
that Philippe should never present a threat to Louis.

To this end,
she nurtured his feminine side.

She called him
"my little girl",…

…and she always encouraged him
to wear dresses.

This had
a lasting impact on Philippe.

"Philippe, duc d'Orléans!"

As an adult, Philippe sometimes chose
to dress up as a woman.

And he loved ladies' clothing.

One court chronicler said
"that he was always decked out like a woman,…"

"…covered everywhere with rings, bracelets,
and jewels, with a long black wig."

"He also wore such high heels
that he looked like he was wearing stilts."

So good of you to come!

A pleasure!

You spent 50 000 on shoes!

Well,…?

You haven't seen the shoes!

Madame de Lafayette said,…

…"that the miracle of inflaming the heart of this prince
was not reserved for any woman."

Philippe was married
to Henrietta of England,…

…but his true love
was the chevalier de Lorraine,…

…a handsome, blond–haired nobleman
of princely rank.

He lived with Philippe,
and was a sort of male official mistress.

It was a crowded marriage.

Philippe flaunted his femininity.

Everybody knew
that he had male lovers.

On the one hand,
this was an embarrassment to Louis.

And on the other, it meant
that Philippe served as a foil to the king.

They were two halves of a whole,
a perfect double act!

Philippe's lack of manliness
only served to emphasize Louis' masculinity.

But,…

…as it turned out, and perhaps surprisingly
for a man who loved shoes so much,…

…Philippe would upstage his brother
in one crucial area.

Philippe dreamed of being…

…a soldier.

In the 1670s, when France
was at war with Holland,…

…he demanded
to join the action.

I have a sword,
armour, and a horse!

Why the delay?
When will I go to war?

The king
has not yet set the date.

What am I supposed
to do until then?

In the spring of 1677, the French launched a rapid attack
on enemy–held towns in northern France.

Philippe was finally
posted to the front line.

At the battle of Cassel, he commanded the troops,
and personally led the charge.

Eyewitnesses said
"that he charged like a grenadier".

Philippe fought so bravely that his troops
were inspired to perform miracles.

The result?
A complete victory against the Dutch!

Afterwards, on the road back to Paris,
people shouted: …

"Long live the King!"
"And Monsieur, who won the battle!"

Louis didn't like
the sound of that!

Louis made sure
that when the battle of Cassel was painted,…

…it represented
HIS version of events.

In this glorious painting,
the battle rages.

A gun is fired,
and a soldier falls.

And here, in the thick of the fighting, is the king,
on his war horse, in his white plumed hat.

But in life, not art,
Louis wasn't even there!

The hero of the hour was Philippe!

And where's he?

Here!

Stuck in the corner,
in his brother's shadow.

Seen nursing a bump
on the head at Versailles,…

…Louis receives word
of his brother's victory.

We report with joy the success of the king's infantry
against the troops of the Spanish.

– Siege is now laid to the town of Cambrai.
– At last!

Some good news!

Most remarkable
of all heroes present in the king's name…

…is His Majesty's own brother,
prince Philippe, the duke of Orléans.

– …who has shown bravery on the battlefield…
– That's enough news for now!

– …a true and everlasting hero…
– I said enough!

And so it was in real life.

Louis was so jealous of his little brother's achievement
that he never again put him in charge of an army.

No one could outshine
the Sun King.

If Louis was the Sun,
Philippe was the Moon.

Only allowed to shine
in his brother's reflected glory.

At Versailles, everyone revolved
around the Sun King.

Louis officially moved the seat of government,
and installed his court here, in 1684.

And for the remaining 30 years of his reign,
he only returned to Paris 8 times.

It was a staggering transformation
in the way the French monarchy ruled.

Louis had created
the ultimate power base.

5000 souls,
living firmly underneath… the royal thumb.

It's tempting to see
all this crazy ritual and extravagance…

…as just another example
of absolute power corrupting absolutely.

You'd think that this combination of luxury
and cruelty would lead to violent collapse.

But, in Louis' case, it didn't.

The country was no longer
torn apart by feuding nobles,…

…and France became renowned
for its culture and sophistication.

On his deathbed,
Louis pronounced: …

I depart,
but the State will always remain.

Well, remain it did.
At least for a while.

And what will surely always remain,
is Louis' palace of Versailles.