Photographer Page

Christophe Fouin

Although Louis XV used the Deer Park Pavilion as a “bachelor flat,” his favorite mistresses usually lived in palace rooms accessible by a private staircase. Madame de Pompadour’s Grand Cabinet was decorated in pink damask, one of the marquise’s favorite colors.

The intricately designed decor of the Queen’s Library in shades of green and yellow gold displayed books from Marie Antoinette’s private collection. While the doors are covered with fake bindings, the engraved drawer handles feature the House of Austria’s emblem.

Included in the mistresses’ apartments was this elegant library overlooking the Royal Courtyard. When Louis XV’s last mistress, Madame du Barry, lived here, she kept her parrot in this birdcage decorated with porcelain flowers and her own coat of arms.

On the opposite side of the mistresses’ apartments, the rooms have a view of Stags’ Courtyard—a walled area where Louis XV mounted stag sculptures in honor of his passion for hunting.

The Queen’s Bedchamber has been restored to appear as it did when Marie Antoinette fled Versailles in October 1789 through this room’s secret door. The flowery silk wall hangings and light color palette—changed based on the season of year—reflect her summer decoration, even though it was fall at the time.

The most important decisions for the nation between 1682 and 1789 were made from the king’s residence in the Council Chamber. Only the king sat in the velvet armchair while the other council members sat on folding stools. During these discussions, an usher stood watch outside the doors to stop curious eavesdroppers.

The largest of all salons in the palace, the Hercules Salon paneled in red and green marble hosted various balls and banquets, such as one in honor of Louis XV’s eldest daughter. Because of the massive crowds and thousands of candles filling the room that night, the windows had to be broken to accommodate the extra heat.