0:00:09 > 0:00:14In the 17th century, there was only one place to see and be seen.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17The Palace of Versailles.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20The greatest legacy of Louis XIV.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22The Sun King.
0:00:23 > 0:00:28Louis XIV spent a whopping 72 years on the throne.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32During his reign, he turned France from a country racked by civil war,
0:00:32 > 0:00:36its dukes and nobles constantly at each other's throats,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39into the most glorious and powerful state in Europe.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42And he came up with a way of running a royal court
0:00:42 > 0:00:45that's never been beaten.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Key to his success was this -
0:00:47 > 0:00:49his Palace of Versailles.
0:00:50 > 0:00:56I'm Lucy Worsley, chief curator at Britain's Historic Royal Palaces.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00And I'm Helen Castor, a historian with an unhealthy interest
0:01:00 > 0:01:02in court politics and intrigue.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07Together, we're taking a look at the new French-produced drama
0:01:07 > 0:01:10being shown on the BBC.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14It's set during the building of Versailles.
0:01:14 > 0:01:18This was a world where life revolved around endless court rituals.
0:01:18 > 0:01:23Where fortunes rose and fell with the latest fashions.
0:01:23 > 0:01:28And where the quickest way to royal favour was through the king's bedchamber.
0:01:28 > 0:01:29Take it off.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33Behind the facade, Louis XIV's survival
0:01:33 > 0:01:36depended on his creation of Versailles.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39It was his power base, his safe house
0:01:39 > 0:01:44and the gilded cage in which he trapped his enemies.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Never before had a king
0:01:46 > 0:01:50and his entire court lived together in a single palace.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54This was a new type of building for a new type of ruler.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58It was a huge risk. It could all have gone horribly wrong.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02But if anybody could pull it off, it was Louis XIV.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Louis's Palace at Versailles sprang from
0:02:18 > 0:02:20surprisingly humble beginnings.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26Even the king's only brother, Philippe, was in for a shock.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31I am about to drag this country out of the darkness into the light.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34We must build our own destiny.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38Right here a new France will be born and this palace will be her mother.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41What palace?
0:02:41 > 0:02:43That one.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Our father's hunting lodge?
0:02:48 > 0:02:50Versailles.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01The dilapidated hunting lodge and the tiny hamlet around it was
0:03:01 > 0:03:05buried in the countryside, 12 miles from Paris.
0:03:08 > 0:03:13The only link between Versailles and the capital was an old drover's track.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16It had been used for bringing cattle to the markets of Paris.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20In other words, Versailles was in the middle of nowhere.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22The seat of power was Paris,
0:03:22 > 0:03:25the royal residence was the Palace of the Louvre.
0:03:25 > 0:03:26The nobles had their homes close by,
0:03:26 > 0:03:31which meant they could attend on the king and still enjoy salon society
0:03:31 > 0:03:34in the capital and vive la difference.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37But Louis was passionate about outdoor pursuits.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39He really enjoyed country life.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42He began to spend more and more time at Versailles.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Louis expected his courtiers to join him.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53But not everybody wanted to travel out into the sticks.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57You really are out in the wilds here.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Defences are porous, non-existent.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02The sooner we return to Paris, the better.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05And even after the dukes and duchesses,
0:04:05 > 0:04:09the counts and marquises that had made it out to Versailles,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12there was nowhere decent for them to stay.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15According to Madame de Sevigne, after one visit to Versailles
0:04:15 > 0:04:17the courtiers were in a fury,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20because they said the king didn't take care of any of them
0:04:20 > 0:04:23and there were scarcely a hole to take shelter in.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27The courtiers came up with a new witticism - a bon mot -
0:04:27 > 0:04:31"Versailles..." they said, "..is a mistress without merit."
0:04:34 > 0:04:38But the modest hunting lodge was about to have a makeover.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42When I hosted a party a few years ago,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45we did not have the room to accommodate my friends.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Most of them had to take rooms in town.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50So I'm building some myself.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52400 apartments, all told.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00Louis incorporated this hunting lodge into his plans.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04And it's still there, right at the heart of the later building.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Louis added additions that are still known as the "enveloppe",
0:05:07 > 0:05:10literally enveloping the original building.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14From sleeping a cosy 15 or so extra guests,
0:05:14 > 0:05:16this first phase of construction provided room
0:05:16 > 0:05:21at Versailles for 600 of Louis's closest friends.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23And that was just the start.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28But Louis didn't build Versailles to be nice to his chums.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32He did it for the survival of the monarchy.
0:05:32 > 0:05:33HE SIGHS
0:05:36 > 0:05:40You might be forgiven for wondering why Louis XIV would go to
0:05:40 > 0:05:43such lengths to keep his throne safe.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47As a royal historian, it's hard to think of another ruler
0:05:47 > 0:05:51who comes across as so supremely confident.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Louis inherited from his mother a passionate belief
0:05:54 > 0:05:57in the divine right of kings.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02The idea that kings were like little mini-gods who ruled on Earth.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05In case anyone had missed the point, at Louis's birth,
0:06:05 > 0:06:09he was given the name of "Dieudonne", "Given by God".
0:06:09 > 0:06:13This is because, miraculously, he was his parents' first
0:06:13 > 0:06:19surviving child after 23 years of marriage, a gift from God indeed.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Louis took these ideas very much to heart.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29Louis's self-glorification knew no bounds.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35He had himself painted in the guise of Roman emperors.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37As Alexander the Great.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41Even as the omnipotent Greek God, Zeus.
0:06:41 > 0:06:47No hero was too glorious, no God too mighty to escape the comparison.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51And Louis took as his personal emblem a symbol
0:06:51 > 0:06:55he thought fitting for his dazzling godlike status.
0:06:57 > 0:06:58The sun.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05The sun is the centre,
0:07:05 > 0:07:09the heart, the mother of the universe.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13Without its warmth and light, all life is gone.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15Man will cease to exist.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20One could almost believe he was talking about you.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Louis was a master of propaganda.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28But don't let all this grandstanding deceive you.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32In some ways, it was a sign of weakness.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35If he had been absolutely powerful and totally secure
0:07:35 > 0:07:38on his throne, then he needn't have bothered.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45Louis had learned that being king was a dangerous business.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49THUNDER CRASHES
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Are you scared?
0:07:53 > 0:07:54Of course you are.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59If history teaches us one thing...
0:08:00 > 0:08:02..it is this.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05Terrible things happen to kings.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09HE SOBS
0:08:14 > 0:08:17Louis's greatest fears were founded in the deep divisions
0:08:17 > 0:08:20within the country he inherited.
0:08:21 > 0:08:22In the 17th century,
0:08:22 > 0:08:26France wasn't by any means the unified nation we know today.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Different regions had different laws, customs,
0:08:29 > 0:08:31even different languages.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34And vast parts of the country were controlled
0:08:34 > 0:08:37not directly by the king, but by great noblemen.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44The North and East, who defies me there?
0:08:44 > 0:08:48The Duke of Cassel, sire, to my mind, commands great influence.
0:08:48 > 0:08:49Half the nobility are in his debt,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53his family have occupied those lands since before memory.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58These nobles had huge independent powers in the regions they dominated.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02They didn't even have to pay the king's taxes.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05So the king was locked in a deadly power struggle,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08constantly competing with the nobles.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12Louis knew only too well how vulnerable he was.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15And he'd known it pretty much since the day he was born.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18During Louis's childhood,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21the monarchy had tried to wrest control from the nobles.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24The result was a bitter civil war.
0:09:25 > 0:09:30In 1651, while Louis was staying in Paris, a riot erupted.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33The violence came a little too close to home.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39The mob broke into the palace and demanded to see the young king.
0:09:40 > 0:09:44They marched into his bedroom where Louis pretended to be asleep.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50The royal family managed to escape, but Louis was traumatised.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02The incident had a profound effect on Louis.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06From that moment on, he saw Paris as a crucible of danger,
0:10:06 > 0:10:10where the people and the nobles could plot against him.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15Never again would he let chaos and violence threaten his very being.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20For Louis, the safest place from which to rule was not Paris,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22but Versailles.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24We must lay our own foundation here.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30- Why here, Sire?- Because I will not be the king of Paris.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34I know who I am.
0:10:36 > 0:10:37I'm Louis XIV.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41I'm king of France.
0:10:44 > 0:10:50To prove who was in charge, Louis made himself an absolute monarch.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55He declared he was the sole ruler of France
0:10:55 > 0:10:58and set about reining in the power of the nobles.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03This is your king's new law.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Stripping away the dignity of a true noble,
0:11:06 > 0:11:09defiling the reputation of a man whose family forms the bedrock
0:11:09 > 0:11:11of this country.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13Now, once, not long ago, we knew where we stood.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18But now we must prove ourselves. Now we must sing for our supper.
0:11:18 > 0:11:19Now the King says, "I am France!"
0:11:19 > 0:11:23But I say it is we who are France.
0:11:30 > 0:11:35In this battle, Louis had some subtle new tactics in his armoury.
0:11:35 > 0:11:40Louis's solution to the problem of his nobles shows just how good
0:11:40 > 0:11:44he was at wielding what you might call soft power.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46He watched and learned from the mistakes of other kings,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49like Charles I of England, for example.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53He had taken up arms to defend his Royal prerogative,
0:11:53 > 0:11:54and look what happened to him.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00But Louis wanted to wage war with refinement.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04He planned to devastate his enemies with his hospitality.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06He was going to overwhelm them
0:12:06 > 0:12:09with fancy titles that didn't necessarily mean anything.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13And above all, he intended to emasculate them
0:12:13 > 0:12:16by making them do trivial jobs in his household,
0:12:16 > 0:12:20here at his new country home of Versailles.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31It's no bigger than a broom cupboard!
0:12:31 > 0:12:34As a matter of fact, I believe it WAS a broom cupboard.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Welcome to Versailles.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46Louis loved to play the host.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50He kept his courtiers busy with gambling, feasting,
0:12:50 > 0:12:54hunting and to top it all, fabulous parties.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11APPLAUSE
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Louis made sure his dazzling hospitality
0:13:15 > 0:13:18would always be remembered.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20Let's have a look at our massive book of pictures
0:13:20 > 0:13:22of one of Louis's parties.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26And here is Versailles, looking extremely splendid.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30These specific drawings were of an entertainment called
0:13:30 > 0:13:33"The Pleasures Of The Enchanted Island".
0:13:33 > 0:13:35- That's a very alluring name, isn't it?- It is.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Although after six whole days and six whole nights,
0:13:38 > 0:13:40I'm not sure how allured anyone would have felt!
0:13:42 > 0:13:48It was an epic party based on an epic poem, The Frenzy Of Orlando.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50The lead role was Roger.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Could it be possible that Roger himself was played by the King?
0:13:53 > 0:13:55I think you might have spotted Louis's role
0:13:55 > 0:13:57that he chose for himself!
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Here, right in the middle, on his magnificently rearing horse,
0:14:00 > 0:14:02is Roger.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04I wonder who was in charge of casting?
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Louis was a natural showman.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14GUESTS GASP
0:14:15 > 0:14:18He had a reputation as a fine dancer.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28And he never missed an opportunity to display his talents.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38But here, the real star of the show was Versailles.
0:14:39 > 0:14:40Ooh, look at this!
0:14:40 > 0:14:43This is the marble courtyard in the heart of the palace, isn't it?
0:14:43 > 0:14:46Decorated with orange trees on either side,
0:14:46 > 0:14:48to make it look even more beautiful.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50It's splendid.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Hundreds of candles all around the top.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Look at them standing on the ledges inside the windows.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58It is truly... It was beautiful enough before,
0:14:58 > 0:15:02but now it's transformed into an night-time spectacular.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05And look, here's an orchestra. So this is a musical performance.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07And they seem to be dancing on the stage.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09Oh, it says it's a ballet! That's right.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12And a ballet... Alceste.
0:15:12 > 0:15:17"A tragedy in music", composed by Louis's own court composer,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20Jean-Baptiste Lully, one of the greatest musicians of his day.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22Only the very best for Louis.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28The king was at pains to make sure his guests didn't miss a single
0:15:28 > 0:15:29detail of his palace.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34One visitor gushed that the festivities astonished
0:15:34 > 0:15:39the spectators by their magnificence, novelty and pomp.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Now, this really is a scene, isn't it?
0:15:47 > 0:15:51A night-time scene of fireworks and illuminations.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54The palace in the background, the fountains in the foreground.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58What do you think, Helen, was the point of this book of engravings?
0:15:58 > 0:16:01This is a big PR exercise.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05These are impressive pictures, even centuries later, in black-and-white.
0:16:05 > 0:16:10But for the rest of Europe in 1664, this is how you do it.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12So Louis compiled all the engravings,
0:16:12 > 0:16:14gave them to ambassadors
0:16:14 > 0:16:17who would then take them home to their own European king or
0:16:17 > 0:16:20queen and say, "Look and learn! This is how they do it in France,
0:16:20 > 0:16:22"this is the way to hold a party!"
0:16:22 > 0:16:24And not just in France,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27but specifically at Versailles.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Forget Paris, that was yesterday's news.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Louis wanted the eyes of the world
0:16:32 > 0:16:35to be on the palace that he was building.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Once Louis had captivated his courtiers with the entertainments
0:16:40 > 0:16:45at Versailles, he found other ways to keep them in thrall to him.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50To keep everybody in their places,
0:16:50 > 0:16:54Louis turned his life into a kind of public spectacle.
0:16:54 > 0:16:59Every minute of every day was filled with these weird rituals,
0:16:59 > 0:17:01some of them quite ridiculous,
0:17:01 > 0:17:05which all of the courtiers had to follow, as if it were a religion.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10All the noblemen at court are required to present
0:17:10 > 0:17:12themselves at the appointed hour.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14A-ah! Dukes before Marquis, I believe?
0:17:15 > 0:17:17I'm with the Duke.
0:17:17 > 0:17:22Only a few, however, will be given the privilege of entering,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25observing and in some cases, participating.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30Taking part in Louis's daily routines was a strictly
0:17:30 > 0:17:32controlled business.
0:17:32 > 0:17:38Only a chosen elite could share in his more intimate moments.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42The most important ceremony was the King's levee.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47His rising in the morning.
0:17:47 > 0:17:52It was as essential to life at Versailles as the rising of the sun.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54At eight o'clock sharp,
0:17:54 > 0:17:59the curtains of the state bed were drawn back to reveal the king.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02He may not have slept here, but he had to get back in time.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04And then he was greeted by his valet.
0:18:05 > 0:18:06Good morning.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11Next, in came the king's physician, to check him over.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15His chamberpot was carried out and, this is really nice,
0:18:15 > 0:18:18in came the king's nurse that he'd had since he was a child,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21to give him his good morning kiss.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Then came the privileged few who had the right to attend what was
0:18:24 > 0:18:26known as the "Grande Entree".
0:18:26 > 0:18:32They were all highborn nobles and they helped the king into his shirt.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34It sounds menial, but it was a huge honour.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43All you do is designed to be seen and admired.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46Dressing, shaving, drinking and eating.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49They are no longer actions. But a performance.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Everything you do is a display of wealth,
0:18:57 > 0:18:58authority,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00harmony and modesty.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04And last, but by no means least,
0:19:05 > 0:19:07piety.
0:19:10 > 0:19:16Louis thought of himself as a god and now, he was worshipped like one.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21Even the most powerful nobles were forced to bow and scrape.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28But observing Louis's strict daily routine could reap rewards.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33The clockwork timing of Louis's day meant the courtiers always
0:19:33 > 0:19:37knew exactly where the king was and what he was doing.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40And that meant they could engineer meetings with him,
0:19:40 > 0:19:44opportunities to ask for the favours that only the king could give.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Like other monarchs,
0:19:50 > 0:19:54the king had the power to transform a courtier's fortunes.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01But Louis had his own special criteria for granting requests.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08As Louis progressed for mass, courtiers would line his route,
0:20:08 > 0:20:12pressing on either side, desperate for a word in the King's ear.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14If they succeeded in catching his attention,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16they might ask a favour for a friend.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19But if Louis thought that that particular nobleman hadn't
0:20:19 > 0:20:21spent enough time at Versailles,
0:20:21 > 0:20:26he turned the request down with the words, "We never see him!
0:20:26 > 0:20:30"I don't know him!" It was as if that noble had never existed.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36The message was clear - courtiers had better sharpen their elbows
0:20:36 > 0:20:39and fight their way to the front of the queue.
0:20:39 > 0:20:40If they wanted to get ahead in life,
0:20:40 > 0:20:44they had to put in the hours at Versailles.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47The nobles were now too busy vying for the King's
0:20:47 > 0:20:50attention to plot against him and they weren't allowed to go
0:20:50 > 0:20:53back to their country seats, where they could have fermented rebellion.
0:20:53 > 0:20:58It was all part of this strange cult of the Sun King.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01It's as if Louis used his magnetism to trap his nobles
0:21:01 > 0:21:04here in the gilded cage of Versailles.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12Now Louis could get on with enjoying the pleasures of life.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25And there was nothing he enjoyed more than the ladies.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31He pursued one beauty after another - married and single,
0:21:31 > 0:21:33highborn and low.
0:21:33 > 0:21:38Not for nothing was his time in power known as the reign of love.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44Here are some of Louis' leading ladies.
0:21:46 > 0:21:53Now, kings of France often had two wives - one a wife for business.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55In Louis' case, it was Maria Theresa of Spain.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00It was her job to represent an alliance with another country
0:22:00 > 0:22:04and to give him his official children or heirs.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08But then, he would have a wife for fun - a mistress or,
0:22:08 > 0:22:10in Louis' case, mistresses.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14At any one moment, the chief of them
0:22:14 > 0:22:19was called the maitresse declaree - the declared mistress.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22I think it's very French that she had a sort of semi-official
0:22:22 > 0:22:23job title!
0:22:25 > 0:22:29Louise de La Valliere was Louis' first maitresse declaree.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33The story of Louise de La Valliere
0:22:33 > 0:22:35is intertwined with the story of
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Versailles itself because Louis
0:22:38 > 0:22:39was falling in love with her
0:22:39 > 0:22:42at the same time as he was falling
0:22:42 > 0:22:44in love with the idea of his palace.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46They held trysts there
0:22:46 > 0:22:48and the magnificent party
0:22:48 > 0:22:50The Pleasures Of The Enchanted Isle
0:22:50 > 0:22:52was held to celebrate their love.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58Now, Louise's position as chief mistress was far from secure.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02The other ladies of the court all had their eye on Louis
0:23:02 > 0:23:05and he was all too susceptible.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09When Louise came onto the scene, Louis was already having
0:23:09 > 0:23:13rather a scandalous relationship with Henrietta of England.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16She was - wait for this - his brother's wife
0:23:16 > 0:23:18and his own first cousin.
0:23:18 > 0:23:19Dodgy!
0:23:26 > 0:23:27Spring has sprung.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35And there were plenty of other contenders vying for
0:23:35 > 0:23:39Louise de La Valliere's prized role of chief mistress.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Enter Athenais de Montespan.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49- How many have you had? - I do not recall.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53In which case why would one more make any difference?
0:23:55 > 0:23:59- Hard to say without partaking. - Why is that?
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Surely, after a certain time, it's just a number, is it not?
0:24:06 > 0:24:08That depends on the number.
0:24:10 > 0:24:15Athenais was devastatingly intelligent and confident
0:24:15 > 0:24:18and pretty and manipulative.
0:24:18 > 0:24:23She made friends with Louise in order to get close to the King.
0:24:23 > 0:24:24False friend.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29I am boring and you are funny.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Perhaps, when he returns, you might put him in a good mood for me -
0:24:32 > 0:24:34talk to him, make him laugh.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38If he's in a good humour, I might just have a chance.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40- Would you do that? - I suppose I could try.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51Now, Louis didn't stand a chance.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53He fell under the spell of Athenais.
0:24:53 > 0:24:59Very soon, he just had to make love to her three times a day
0:24:59 > 0:25:02and he was so keen that he would start to undress her,
0:25:02 > 0:25:05even before her ladies had left the room.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09And she was equally enthusiastic.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13It was said that her powder lit very easily.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15KISSING SOUNDS
0:25:20 > 0:25:25It wasn't long before Athenais usurped her so-called friend,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Louise, and took her place at the top table.
0:25:43 > 0:25:48Athenais reigned supreme as official mistress for the next decade.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57And it was during this time that Louis
0:25:57 > 0:26:02fulfilled his dream of creating a palace not just fit for any
0:26:02 > 0:26:06old king but fit for the Sun King.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Now, the gardens on this side will extend from here to here.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17- Very good, sire. What is this large rectangle here?- A lake.
0:26:18 > 0:26:23- You wish to put a lake in this area? - The area is the lake.- That is...
0:26:23 > 0:26:26- A big lake, yes.- Sire...
0:26:26 > 0:26:30A lake that size would dwarf any structure that looks out upon it.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33That depends on the structure, does it not?
0:26:34 > 0:26:38Nothing could stand in the way of Louis' grand plans.
0:26:38 > 0:26:44He drained swamps, moved forests and diverted rivers to
0:26:44 > 0:26:49make way for the world's most opulent royal playground.
0:26:49 > 0:26:54Its size and splendour trumpeted Louis' wealth and power.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58But a project worthy of such a prince required a workforce
0:26:58 > 0:26:59to match.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04The palace was under scaffolding for years at a time
0:27:04 > 0:27:07and the gardens here looked pretty much like a quarry.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11Up to 36,000 people were slaving away here and they were
0:27:11 > 0:27:15labouring under conditions you could only describe as horrendous.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Builders toiled from dawn till dusk.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23A common bricklayer earned five sous a day -
0:27:23 > 0:27:26about the cost of a tiny piece of butter.
0:27:28 > 0:27:33Accidents was so frequent that three hospitals were built to deal
0:27:33 > 0:27:34with the casualties.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37And even in his exalted position,
0:27:37 > 0:27:41Louis could not quite escape the hardships that his workers endured.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50You say you are France.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53If you truly were, you'd know our suffering,
0:27:53 > 0:27:58you'd feel it in your bones and you'd take the pain away.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Builders went on strike in a bid to improve their lot.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08Their grievances are many, sire.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11Many suffer from injuries sustained at their work
0:28:11 > 0:28:13but are as yet untreated.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17They claim that working conditions are too harsh,
0:28:17 > 0:28:21- not enough attention's paid to their safety.- Is this true?
0:28:21 > 0:28:25We lose half a dozen men per week, Sire. Many more are injured.
0:28:27 > 0:28:28From the archives,
0:28:28 > 0:28:32I've dug out a document that gives a real-life example of Louis
0:28:32 > 0:28:36being brought face-to-face with the human cost of Versailles.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40In the summer of 1668, there was
0:28:40 > 0:28:44an accident involving some of the heavy machinery in use
0:28:44 > 0:28:47at Versailles that's reported here in the Gazette of Amsterdam.
0:28:47 > 0:28:52We're told that there was an accident and some debris fell
0:28:52 > 0:28:56and underneath it were caught five or six workmen, "ouvriers",
0:28:56 > 0:28:58who were "ecrases dessous".
0:28:58 > 0:29:01- "Ecrases" - what does... - They were crushed.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04- Crushed?- Crushed underneath, crushed to death.- Five or six of them?
0:29:04 > 0:29:05My goodness.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Five or six, and that's all we're told - one sentence at this point.
0:29:08 > 0:29:13But we get a little bit more detail, a few days later, when the King
0:29:13 > 0:29:18was confronted by the mother of one of these poor dead workmen.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22She managed to get close enough to ask the King
0:29:22 > 0:29:25if she could have the body of her son back,
0:29:25 > 0:29:28the newspaper says, with many insults directed at the King.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32Now, whether that's exaggeration for journalistic effect
0:29:32 > 0:29:34or what the King felt had happened...
0:29:34 > 0:29:37Do you think it was quite shocking that she just got close enough
0:29:37 > 0:29:38and dared to speak to him?
0:29:38 > 0:29:42Absolutely, that someone of her status should be able to speak
0:29:42 > 0:29:47directly to the King himself in terms that were not complimentary.
0:29:47 > 0:29:48And it didn't go well for her.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51We're told that she was put in prison,
0:29:51 > 0:29:54where she still is locked up, the newspaper says.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58So, hang on - Louis' machine has crushed to death this woman's son,
0:29:58 > 0:30:02she has asked for his dead body, and for that, she's been put in prison?
0:30:02 > 0:30:07She has. The human cost of his great enterprises is irrelevant to
0:30:07 > 0:30:11Louis in comparison with his grand purposes.
0:30:11 > 0:30:16The question is to what extent this is representative of something
0:30:16 > 0:30:19bigger, more characteristic of Louis' rule as a whole.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23Well, I guess you could say, this is an absolute monarch doing his job,
0:30:23 > 0:30:25the needs of the state must come first,
0:30:25 > 0:30:29he has the power to override the trivial needs of the individual.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32But it does seem to me that there's something really cold
0:30:32 > 0:30:35and uniquely determined about Louis himself.
0:30:39 > 0:30:43I will not be pushed into the sea by a builder on a scaffold!
0:30:47 > 0:30:51Louis' determination and his ruthlessness made him
0:30:51 > 0:30:56many enemies but he had ways of keeping one step ahead
0:30:56 > 0:30:59of anyone who might plot against him.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04You might think that surveillance is a modern concept,
0:31:04 > 0:31:08but Louis, who was insecure to the point of paranoia,
0:31:08 > 0:31:10kept a watchful eye on everyone.
0:31:13 > 0:31:19No-one understood better than Louis that information was power.
0:31:21 > 0:31:28That is one of 948 journals gathered by our services
0:31:28 > 0:31:31detailing every single member of your court.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35Their height, weight, hair and eye colour.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37Their daily movements, from your valet...
0:31:39 > 0:31:42..to your cook's assistant, Madeleine DuBois.
0:31:44 > 0:31:48And Louis even knew everyone's innermost thoughts.
0:31:48 > 0:31:49How?
0:31:49 > 0:31:54Because all mail to and from Versailles was intercepted.
0:31:54 > 0:32:00Historian James Daybell is guiding me through the lost world of 17th-century espionage.
0:32:00 > 0:32:05This is so much more significant and atmospheric
0:32:05 > 0:32:08- than licking the flap, isn't it? - It is, it is.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12We really feel like this is a special thing to do.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16Now, we're going to get our seal, which is a fleur-de-lis.
0:32:18 > 0:32:19Peel it away slowly.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21- Oh...- And there we are.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23- That's not bad.- Very good.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26So if we got this letter in the post, you would know that I had sent
0:32:26 > 0:32:29- it?- Yes.- And that it hadn't been tampered with?
0:32:29 > 0:32:31- And that it hadn't been tampered with, yes.- Theoretically!
0:32:31 > 0:32:34So it's secure.
0:32:34 > 0:32:35But at the court of Versailles,
0:32:35 > 0:32:40we know that Louis's espionage masters were reading the letters.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43How did they do that when they were sealed up with wax?
0:32:43 > 0:32:45This is a dark art.
0:32:45 > 0:32:50We have an example of a letter from a courtier close to the king
0:32:50 > 0:32:53in which she warns a German cousin about this
0:32:53 > 0:32:55opening of letters and she writes,
0:32:55 > 0:32:59"Just because letters are poorly sealed does not mean anything.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02"They have a material made of mercury and other stuff that can be
0:33:02 > 0:33:06"pressed onto the seal, where it takes on the shape of the seal.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09"After they've read and copied letters,
0:33:09 > 0:33:13"they neatly reseal them and no-one can see that they have been opened."
0:33:14 > 0:33:18So that method involves making a replica of the original seal?
0:33:18 > 0:33:22Absolutely. And once you have that, you're then able to open
0:33:22 > 0:33:26and reseal people's correspondence all the time.
0:33:26 > 0:33:27That's pretty sneaky stuff.
0:33:27 > 0:33:32James, what happened to the people whose mail was read, then, contrary to their knowledge?
0:33:32 > 0:33:38Once he found that you were talking in a critical tone about his court,
0:33:38 > 0:33:41his policies, his friendships, you would be out of favour.
0:33:41 > 0:33:46And so many courtiers were destroyed in this way.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50This surveillance state that he develops in the 17th century
0:33:50 > 0:33:55is incredibly powerful and it's used to keep tabs on the courtiers
0:33:55 > 0:33:58at the very heart of his power base at Versailles.
0:34:02 > 0:34:07Disloyal courtiers wised up to Louis's tactics
0:34:07 > 0:34:10and found other ways to convey their messages.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17With all of this surveillance going on,
0:34:17 > 0:34:19there was only one way to keep a secret.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21You had to write it in cipher.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23(Secret code!)
0:34:27 > 0:34:31I have identified this as a Cistercian Codex
0:34:31 > 0:34:32from the Low Countries.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35Very rare, almost forgotten. Used, it appears,
0:34:35 > 0:34:38as an alternative to Roman numerals.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41So these are merely numbers?
0:34:41 > 0:34:43Which correspond to letters.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47But Louis beat the courtiers at their own game by employing
0:34:47 > 0:34:50cryptographers to crack the codes.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53The first message is very simple.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55"Kill the men who bring this map."
0:34:57 > 0:34:59The second one is more intriguing.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01A riddle, in fact.
0:35:07 > 0:35:08"The end is near.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12"Make your peace with God."
0:35:18 > 0:35:21To make sure his own messages remained secret,
0:35:21 > 0:35:25Louis engaged the services of Antoine Rossignol.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31Rossignol was the greatest cryptographer of the 17th century.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35He came up with a code that was so complex, that after it
0:35:35 > 0:35:39fell out of regular use, it baffled cryptographers for centuries.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43It was called the Great Cipher.
0:35:45 > 0:35:49All this secrecy sounds extreme, but it worked.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53After all, Louis wasn't assassinated.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58But the king's paranoia grew.
0:35:58 > 0:36:04In this world of fear and intrigue, who could he rely on?
0:36:10 > 0:36:14As so often, Louis didn't put his trust in the most powerful men in the land,
0:36:14 > 0:36:16potential rivals all,
0:36:16 > 0:36:20but those with whom he spent his most intimate hours.
0:36:20 > 0:36:21His chosen servants.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31And there was one servant who was forever by Louis's side.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34His valet for over 40 years,
0:36:35 > 0:36:38Alexandre Bontemps.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41Bontemps was the first to see the king in the morning,
0:36:41 > 0:36:44and the last to tuck him up in bed at night.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47He was one of the few people allowed to go through the gate in the
0:36:47 > 0:36:53golden balustrade into the king's private area of the bedchamber.
0:36:53 > 0:36:57Bontemps himself slept just here, on a camp bed.
0:36:57 > 0:36:59The first valet was the only person
0:36:59 > 0:37:02allowed to sleep in the king's bedchamber.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04Not even the queen could do that.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08Constantly vigilant, attentive to every need,
0:37:08 > 0:37:11he was like a faithful old hound.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17Sire, we received word the Parthenay family will arrive this morning.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21- Will my goddaughter, Charlotte, be with them?- Yes, Sire.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23A little ray of sunshine.
0:37:25 > 0:37:29Bontemps's devotion to Louis dominated his life,
0:37:29 > 0:37:32almost to the exclusion of his own family.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34When asked one day how his wife was doing,
0:37:34 > 0:37:37he automatically replied, "I'll ask the King."
0:37:39 > 0:37:42- You have a woman?- My wife lives in Paris.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45- With you?- I live with the King.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49- Now I am confused. - Wherever the King sleeps, I sleep.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51This is as far as I go.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57His bed must be very crowded.
0:37:58 > 0:38:03Bontemps knew everything about the King's most private affairs.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06All personal correspondence went through his hands,
0:38:06 > 0:38:10and he acted as a go-between for Louis and his lovers.
0:38:10 > 0:38:15It was said that Bontemps was most secret, most faithful
0:38:15 > 0:38:18and entirely devoted to the King.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22This was one of Louis's closest relationships.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24Pull up a chair.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30I said a chair, not a stool.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32A chair with arms.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43Only a king may sit next to His Majesty in a chair with arms.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45You are more than a king.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49You are my friend.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07So, could Louis XIV and his trusty valet really have been friends?
0:39:07 > 0:39:11- What do you think?- Kings were surrounded by servants all the time.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15There was huge intimacy there. But real friendship?
0:39:15 > 0:39:18The difference in status made that much more complicated.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21It does seem, though, that Louis was more at ease
0:39:21 > 0:39:24with his retainers than almost anyone else.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26Ah, and there is the evidence of the Duke of Saint-Simon,
0:39:26 > 0:39:30who says that the King loved his servants more than his own children.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35In return for his devoted service,
0:39:35 > 0:39:40Louis showered Bontemps with gifts of land, titles and lucrative posts.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45Bontemps could even afford a townhouse in Paris
0:39:45 > 0:39:48with his own staff of 12.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53Louis didn't just elevate his personal servants, he made
0:39:53 > 0:39:56a point of promoting ministers from more humble backgrounds.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00And his decision to promote them at the expense of his nobles
0:40:00 > 0:40:03brought about a change in the way that France was governed.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06It began what the resentful Saint-Simon called
0:40:06 > 0:40:08"the reign of the vile bourgeoisie".
0:40:12 > 0:40:16Louis transformed life at court down to the smallest detail.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21He even changed what people wore.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25From the hats on their heads to the shoes on their feet.
0:40:28 > 0:40:33Louis's own love of drama and splendour was reflected in HIS wardrobe.
0:40:44 > 0:40:48This was power dressing... Louis XIV style.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53I must tell you all,
0:40:53 > 0:40:56I believe that very soon we shall have a revolution in our country.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02The world knows France to be a master of the battlefield.
0:41:02 > 0:41:06But one glimpse around this glorious place will tell you, soon it will be
0:41:06 > 0:41:10our textile mercers and our master tailors who shall transform the world.
0:41:10 > 0:41:15Our fashions will be revered just as much for their beauty,
0:41:15 > 0:41:19elegance, refinement and grace.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21The finest in the world.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23APPLAUSE
0:41:23 > 0:41:28To achieve his ends, Louis introduced a strict new dress code.
0:41:29 > 0:41:34We are trying it on for size with the help of costume historian Mark Wallis.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40How did Louis make his courtiers look the way he wanted them to?
0:41:40 > 0:41:42By the royal edict,
0:41:42 > 0:41:44you could not wear anything not made of French manufacturer.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47If you were caught wearing something made from a different country,
0:41:47 > 0:41:50it would be taken off and burnt. And fined of course, too.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52He did something that never had happened before,
0:41:52 > 0:41:56which was to invent a court uniform called the justaucorps a brevet.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59Now, these coats are entirely new.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02Made of blue cloth, covered in gold and silver, lined with red.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06Only 50 men, the King, the royal dukes, the princes etc,
0:42:06 > 0:42:08were allowed to wear this coat.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10That really showed you were in with the in crowd.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12And if you died, your coat would be handed on to the next person
0:42:12 > 0:42:16- considered suitable enough to wear it.- So he's using the carrot and the stick.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20They want to look like they're part of the club, they want to look good.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22- And if they break the rules, they get fined.- Yes.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25And of course, it suited Louis's ego. The more splendid his court
0:42:25 > 0:42:26looked, the better he looked.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29And was the envy of all Christian princes.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33Thanks to Louis, France became the capital of haute couture,
0:42:33 > 0:42:36something it's remained to this day.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40And Louis found that forcing his courtiers to follow fashion
0:42:40 > 0:42:42had other advantages.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48So how much of an investment would an outfit like this have been?
0:42:48 > 0:42:51So you have around your collar this bertha, as it's known.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54This would be the equivalent, around your shoulders, of perhaps
0:42:54 > 0:42:57a very expensive sports car. Perhaps even a yacht.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59You also have lace upon your gown, down the front
0:42:59 > 0:43:01and all around the hem of the skirt.
0:43:01 > 0:43:05Again, just to show your wealth, or your husband's wealth,
0:43:05 > 0:43:06and your extravagance.
0:43:06 > 0:43:10Now, turning to Lucy, again with your coat made of silk, and of
0:43:10 > 0:43:15course the gold galloon running down the front, vertically on your coat.
0:43:15 > 0:43:16The wonderful detail.
0:43:16 > 0:43:19Lots of buttons, made in France, of gold.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21So, really, everything is the best.
0:43:21 > 0:43:24Yet you've got to afford not just one outfit, you had to have
0:43:24 > 0:43:26lots of different outfits for lots of different occasions.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28All of which cost a fortune.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37This one is nice.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40We'll need more than just a dress, a filigree bracelet
0:43:40 > 0:43:42and a necklace of diamonds, believe me.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45- But how will we pay?- Oh!
0:43:45 > 0:43:47Let me worry about that.
0:43:50 > 0:43:52What happened if they couldn't afford it?
0:43:52 > 0:43:54It was so expensive, it would bankrupt people.
0:43:54 > 0:43:57So you'd borrow from the King, at a certain interest level,
0:43:57 > 0:43:59and that gets you deeper in. You're in a royal circle of debt.
0:43:59 > 0:44:01It's incredible how he managed it.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03Like a spider in the great golden web.
0:44:07 > 0:44:11It was typically clever of Louis to use fashion to show off his
0:44:11 > 0:44:16courtiers' wealth, while at the same time stripping it away from them.
0:44:16 > 0:44:20As one marquis said, "No-one at Versailles was really rich
0:44:20 > 0:44:23"because they'd spent their fortunes on all this."
0:44:33 > 0:44:37The ruthless side of Louis's nature was also evident
0:44:37 > 0:44:41in his treatment of his closest relative - his brother, Philippe.
0:44:43 > 0:44:46- Now, give it to me.- I knew it, the minute you get the chance,
0:44:46 > 0:44:49you belittle me again.
0:44:49 > 0:44:53- Brother.- The magic word, what is it?
0:44:53 > 0:44:55Do not forget who addresses you.
0:45:05 > 0:45:07You never were good at sharing.
0:45:10 > 0:45:13Throughout history, the relationship between a king
0:45:13 > 0:45:16and his younger brother has been tricky.
0:45:16 > 0:45:20It's no fun being the spare when you want to be the heir.
0:45:20 > 0:45:22And the relationship between Louis
0:45:22 > 0:45:25and HIS younger brother was understandably tense.
0:45:39 > 0:45:42Do you think it's hard to be a king?
0:45:42 > 0:45:44Try being a king's brother for a day.
0:45:46 > 0:45:50The differences between Louis and Philippe were clear
0:45:50 > 0:45:51from very early on.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54Here's Louis as a little boy,
0:45:54 > 0:45:57and he's already dressed as a little king,
0:45:57 > 0:45:59in his beautiful leather boots,
0:45:59 > 0:46:04his red breeches with gold fringing, his hat with the white plume.
0:46:05 > 0:46:08And, at first glance, you might assume this is his sister.
0:46:08 > 0:46:12He looks like a girl with pink cheeks and wearing a dress,
0:46:12 > 0:46:17but actually it's Louis's younger brother, Philippe.
0:46:17 > 0:46:19Now, don't read too much into this.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22Little boys in the 17th century were put in dresses
0:46:22 > 0:46:25until they were old enough to be breeched at the age of seven,
0:46:25 > 0:46:28put into a man's clothing or breeches.
0:46:28 > 0:46:31But in this case, the boy's mother was determined that Philippe
0:46:31 > 0:46:34should never present a threat to Louis.
0:46:34 > 0:46:38To this end, she nurtured his feminine side.
0:46:38 > 0:46:42She called him "my little girl", and she always encouraged him
0:46:42 > 0:46:43to wear dresses.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48This had a lasting impact on Philippe.
0:46:48 > 0:46:49Philippe, Duc d'Orleans.
0:46:53 > 0:46:57As an adult, Philippe sometimes chose to dress up as a woman,
0:46:57 > 0:47:00and he loved ladies clothing.
0:47:03 > 0:47:08One court chronicler said that he was always decked out like a woman,
0:47:08 > 0:47:13"covered everywhere with rings, bracelets and jewels, with a long black wig.
0:47:13 > 0:47:17"He also wore such high heels that he looked like he was wearing stilts."
0:47:17 > 0:47:21- So good of you to come.- A pleasure.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24You spent 50,000 on shoes.
0:47:26 > 0:47:29Well, you haven't seen the shoes.
0:47:30 > 0:47:32Madame de La Fayette said that
0:47:32 > 0:47:38"the miracle of inflaming the heart of this prince was not reserved for any woman."
0:47:40 > 0:47:44Philippe was married to Henrietta of England,
0:47:44 > 0:47:48but his true love was the Chevalier de Lorraine.
0:47:48 > 0:47:53A handsome, blond-haired nobleman of princely rank.
0:47:53 > 0:47:57He lived with Philippe, and was a sort of male official mistress.
0:48:00 > 0:48:02It was a crowded marriage.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09Philippe flaunted his femininity.
0:48:09 > 0:48:11Everybody knew that he had male lovers.
0:48:11 > 0:48:15On the one hand, this was an embarrassment to Louis, but on
0:48:15 > 0:48:19the other, it meant that Philippe served as a foil to the King.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22They were two halves of a whole, a perfect double act.
0:48:22 > 0:48:24Philippe's lack of manliness
0:48:24 > 0:48:28only served to emphasise Louis's masculinity.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30But, as it turned out,
0:48:30 > 0:48:34and perhaps surprisingly for a man who loved shoes so much,
0:48:34 > 0:48:38Philippe would upstage his brother in one crucial area.
0:48:39 > 0:48:43Philippe dreamed of being a soldier.
0:48:45 > 0:48:48In the 1670s, when France was at war with Holland,
0:48:48 > 0:48:51he demanded to join the action.
0:48:51 > 0:48:53Bontemps.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58I have a sword, armour and a horse.
0:48:58 > 0:49:00Why the delay? When will I go to war?
0:49:00 > 0:49:05- The King has not yet set a date. - What am I supposed to do until then?
0:49:09 > 0:49:12In the spring of 1677, the French launched a rapid
0:49:12 > 0:49:15attack on enemy-held towns in northern France.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23Philippe was finally posted to the front line.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32At the Battle of Cassel, he commanded the troops
0:49:32 > 0:49:34and personally led the charge.
0:49:37 > 0:49:40BATTLE CRIES
0:49:44 > 0:49:47Eyewitnesses said that he charged like a grenadier.
0:49:47 > 0:49:50Philippe fought so bravely that his troops were inspired to
0:49:50 > 0:49:52perform miracles.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02The result? A complete victory against the Dutch.
0:50:05 > 0:50:08Afterwards, on the road back to Paris, people shouted,
0:50:08 > 0:50:12"Long live the King, and Monsieur, who won the battle!"
0:50:12 > 0:50:14Louis didn't like the sound of that.
0:50:15 > 0:50:17CHEERING
0:50:26 > 0:50:30Louis made sure that when the Battle of Cassel was painted,
0:50:30 > 0:50:33it represented his version of events.
0:50:35 > 0:50:39In this glorious painting, the battle rages, a gun is fired,
0:50:39 > 0:50:41and a soldier falls.
0:50:41 > 0:50:43And here, in the thick of the fighting,
0:50:43 > 0:50:47is the king on his warhorse in his white-plumed hat.
0:50:48 > 0:50:52But in life, not art, Louis wasn't even there.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55The hero of the hour was Philippe. And where's he?
0:50:57 > 0:51:00Here, stuck in the corner, in his brother's shadow.
0:51:03 > 0:51:08Seen nursing a bump on the head at Versailles, Louis receives word
0:51:08 > 0:51:09of his brother's victory.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14"We report with joy the success of the king's
0:51:14 > 0:51:17"infantry against the troops of the Spanish.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20"Siege is now laid to the town of Cambrai."
0:51:20 > 0:51:23At last, some good news.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26"Most remarkable of all heroes present in the king's name,
0:51:26 > 0:51:30"is His Majesty's own brother, Prince Philippe,
0:51:30 > 0:51:34"the Duke of Orleans, who has shown bravery on the battlefield..."
0:51:34 > 0:51:39- That's enough news for now. - "A true and everlasting hero..."
0:51:39 > 0:51:40I said enough!
0:51:40 > 0:51:43And so it was in real life.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46Louis was so jealous of his little brother's achievement
0:51:46 > 0:51:49that he never again put him in charge of an army.
0:51:49 > 0:51:51No-one could outshine the Sun King.
0:51:54 > 0:51:57If Louis was the sun, Philippe was the moon,
0:51:57 > 0:52:01only allowed to shine in his brother's reflected glory.
0:52:13 > 0:52:19At Versailles, everyone revolved around the Sun King.
0:52:19 > 0:52:21Louis officially moved the seat of government
0:52:21 > 0:52:25and installed his court here in 1684.
0:52:26 > 0:52:29And for the remaining 30 years of his reign,
0:52:29 > 0:52:32he only returned to Paris eight times.
0:52:32 > 0:52:35It was a staggering transformation in the way
0:52:35 > 0:52:38the French monarchy ruled.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41Louis had created the ultimate power base,
0:52:41 > 0:52:455,000 souls living firmly underneath the royal thumb.
0:52:47 > 0:52:51It's tempting to see all this crazy ritual and extravagance
0:52:51 > 0:52:57as just another example of absolute power corrupting absolutely.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00You'd think that this combination of luxury and cruelty
0:53:00 > 0:53:03would lead to violent collapse.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05But in Louis' case, it didn't.
0:53:05 > 0:53:09The country was no longer torn apart by feuding nobles,
0:53:09 > 0:53:13and France became renowned for its culture and sophistication.
0:53:13 > 0:53:15On his deathbed, Louis pronounced,
0:53:15 > 0:53:20"I depart, but the state will always remain."
0:53:20 > 0:53:23Well, remain it did, at least for a while.
0:53:23 > 0:53:28And what will surely always remain, is Louis' Palace of Versailles.