Versailles in England: Culture, Commerce and Diplomacy, from Charles II to Louis XVI

Abstract

The English fascination for Versailles and the French court was reflected not only in numerous visits to the palace in France, but also in gardens, architecture, decoration and manners in England. Diplomats, such as Ralph Montagu, later Master of the Great Wardrobe in England, craftsmen such as Daniel Marot, a Huguenot refugee who had worked for Louis XIV, and travellers brought their direct experience of Versailles to England. Particularly in its use of frescoes with monarchical themes and in the prominence and furnishings of the King’s Bedchamber, Versailles was one of the models (although not the only one) for Hampton Court Palace, Boughton and Chatsworth, among other houses. Recent work by Anna Keay, Simon Thurley and others confirms that some rituals and fashions followed at Versailles also influenced the English court: especially under Charles II, the first English king to have a lever and a coucher; William III, who planned his own Trianon beside Hampton Court; and the future George IV, who filled Carlton House with furniture like that at Versailles. The influence of Versailles in England shows the power of court culture to outweigh wars and national rivalries.