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Articles on Marie Antoinette

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Louis XIV (played by George Blagden) cavorts with a young nymph (Alexia Giordano) in Versailles. Capa Drama

Fornication, fluids and faeces: the intimate life of the French court

TV shows such as Versailles and Reign dwell on sex. But the French royals were preoccupied with life’s intimate moments, from bodily emissions to the crowds that gathered to watch the queen give birth.
The Hall of Mirrors at Versailles Palace. Benoit Tessier/Reuters

Friday essay: what is it about Versailles?

Donald Trump has a Versailles-inspired apartment. There’s a popular TV series and now, a new exhibition of treasures from the palace. A glittering symbol of aristocratic frivolity, Versailles was, in fact, a place of awesome royal power.

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