The Real Versailles

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The Real Versailles (2016)

Directed by Rosie Schellenberg

“Could you be a courtier to the Sun King at Versailles?”

Documentary, History, TV Movie · 54m

As BBC Two premieres its lavish new drama set in the sumptuous surroundings of Versailles, Lucy Worsley and Helen Castor tell the real-life stories behind one of the world's grandest buildings. They reveal the colourful world of sex, drama and intrigue that Louis XIV and his courtiers inhabited. Lucy untangles Louis's complex world of court etiquette, fashion and feasting, while Helen delves into the archives and unpicks the Machiavellian world of court politics that Louis created. We meet the people behind the on-screen characters and discover what drove Louis to glorify his reign on a scale unmatched by any previous monarch, examine the tension between Louis and his brother Philippe, a battle hero and overt homosexual, and they meet the coterie of women who competed for Louis's attention. We see that Louis was ruthless in his pursuit of glory and succeeded in defeating his enemies. In his record-breaking 72-year reign, France became renowned for its culture and sophistication.

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Cast

Crew

Director
Rosie Schellenberg
Director of Photography
Jim Petersen
Producer
Rosie Schellenberg

Details

Release date
2016-05-30
Runtime
54m
Genres
Documentary, History, TV Movie
Original language
EN
Spoken languages
English
Countries
United Kingdom
Production
BBC