Versailles - Palace & some Statues

Lillian : Versailles of course is famous for ... the Palace.

Audrey : Weally enormous and full of tourists - even first thing in the morning!

Lillian : Well, we were tourists too ...

 

Lillian : It says on this building 'A Toutes Les Gloires de la France' – 'To all the glories of France' 

 

Audrey : And glorious it is!

Audrey :  There is the Sun - and here is the Sun King!

Lillian : I think that was Louis XIV - though it might have been someone else.

Audrey : He seems to be wearing a skirt and shaving his legs with a big knife - very stwange!  There is no accounting for those Louis!  This is the next one, Louis XV - also wearing a nice little frock.

Lillian :  Not really my dear, it is a coat.

Audrey : Is he the Louis who was Madame Pompadour's ahmm "fwiend"  or was he the one who lost his head?

Lillian :  The former.  Louis No: 15 was king for a very long time, he was only 5yrs old when his great-grandfather died.

Audrey : Our stylist liked all the statues and paintings - for their outfits she said.  Here are some Reines (Queens).

Ermentrude de Orleans

Beatrix de Bourbon, Reine de Boheme

Audrey : A close-up of her surcoat - not sure it would keep you warm but it is a pwetty idea.

 

Audrey : This man has impwessive curls - and a nice lace collar

Lillian : It ties on - see the tassels ... 

Audrey :  Now this chap is wonderfully dashing - looks like a real buckler of swashes ...

though we might have to do something about his baggy trousers!



Lillian : And his name - he was Anne Hilarion de Costentin, comte de Tourville.  A naval commander who served under King Louis XIV.

Audrey : Oh dear - that's quite Hilarious   tee hee ....

 Lillian : Here is another swashbuckler.


Audrey :  Ooo, his trousers are even baggier ... but I do like his boots with the square toes.  Wonder where I could get a pair of boots like those ...

Lillian : Next post we'll show the people the pictures of some of the palace rooms.
Audrey : Sounds like a good idea, although we didn't spend much time in the big palace because we wanted to explore the grounds and the Trianons.  
Lillian :  Still, we did get to see some of the really grand rooms.