PRIVATE APARTMENTS OF MADAME ADÉLAÏDE AND MADAME VICTOIRE: Forgotten Princesses of Versailles

PRIVATE APARTMENTS OF MADAME ADÉLAÏDE AND MADAME VICTOIRE: Forgotten Princesses of Versailles

Bonjour. Welcome back to our channel. Today we are taking you to the apartments of Louis 15’s daughters in Versailles. So [Music] Versailles the name alone evokes splendor, absolute monarchy and etiquette. But if you have been watching our videos long enough, you probably know by now that this domain is far more complex with history stretching beyond the French Revolution of 1789. Today we will discover a more intimate part of the palace that is ironically placed right front and center but is often forgotten or simply skipped. We are taking you into the oldest part of Versai, the old shot of Lu 13th built back in 1623. We are going to show you the apartments of Madame the daughters of Lu 15th. Who were his daughters? Well, the king and the queen Marzinska had 10 children, eight girls and two boys. Entering through Lur Dear or the marble courtyard with its black and white tiles that originally come from Chateau de Vouont, we cross the Vistul and find ourselves in the lower gallery. Here some outdoor sculptures find refuge from the outside elements. [Music] As we enter the apartments, we find ourselves in the first anti-chamber of Madame Vikto, which was originally the former bath cabinet of Louis 14th. These spaces were originally used by the Sun King as his bath quarters. For example, the second anti chamber of Madame Vikto used to be Louis 14th’s bathroom chamber that was covered in marble. Once Madame moved in, however, these apartments were remodeled and became the most beautiful atai only after those of the sovereign. The six daughters settled in these apartments from 1752. But only two of them Adelaide and Viktore who did not marry lived here until the revolution. Today these apartments reflect their state at the end of 18th century when two of the madame occupied them. Initially this room was occupied by Madame Adelaide then Madame Viktoa when she first shared this apartment with sisters Sophie and Louis. During the revolution, the furniture was sold while the woodwork and decor remained largely untouched until their destruction during the creation of historic galleries under Leaf Lip in 1837. Over a century later, these apartments became the subject of a long restoration and refernishing campaign that began in the 1980s and was only completed in 2013. [Music] The grand cabinet of Madame Viktoa is one of the most impressive parts of these apartments. Originally this space housed the octagonal cabinet of Louis 14th bath apartment. Only the cornice the paneling at the corners of the room as well as the beautiful fireplace remain from that decor. Today two harpsicords remind us that Madame Vikto played this instrument and that it was here in 1763 that Mozart played in front of the royal family. The prodigy dedicated one of his first two sonatas for the same instrument to this princess. The following year we finally reached the chamber of Madame Vikto which initially was the ionic anti-chamber of the bath’s apartment. Here 12 marble columns decorated the space. Among madame it was initially occupied by Madame Delay then Madame Cadet Vikto Sophi Louise then Madame Sophi and finally by Madame Vikto in 1769. Here we were told a funny story about the numbering nicknames the king gave to his daughters. You see, at the time children were only given proper names once they were baptized. At the court of France, children were only baptized between the ages of 9 and 11. So until their baptism, the girls were called by numbers in order of birth. When one got married or died, the next ones then went up a rank. Louis Elizabeth de France was Madame I the first who by the way was the only one of the eight daughters to be married in 1739 and then sent off to Philip I of Parma in Spain. She later returned to Versailles on several occasions prolonging her stays here on purpose as she dearly missed France and her family. In fact, she eventually caught Pox on one of her stays here and succumbed to the illness at Versail. Enriad de France was Madame II, Mar Louise de France, Madame II, Maria de la de France, Madame the fourth, then becoming Madame the Third after the passing of her sister Mar Louise de France, Vika de France, Madame IVth, Sophia de France, Madame Vifth, Terz Felicity de France, Madame V 6th, and finally Louise de France as Madame the 7th, who later became Mother Tz, the Sant Augustan after her departure from Versailles and entry into the Carmel of Sandeni in 1770. So technically, we never got to Madame VI. Speaking of Louis, her departure was significant as she was the last of the sisters to leave the core group of Madame Adelaide Vtoa and Sophie who remained at Versailles. This reduced the group to three, altering their social and emotional dynamic as Louise was known for her piety and may have influenced the group’s religious tone. Her exit left the remaining sisters particularly Adelaide and Viktoa as the dominant figures in their insular circle. The interior cabinet of Madame Viktoa along with her library highlight the intellectual proess of madame particularly in the case of Adelaide and Viktoa. Today the library holds some books linked to the arms of Madame from Versailles or that of the chat de Belvu. The small slop in office was delivered to Madame Sophie or Madame Louise in 1760. The chairs were part of Madame Victto’s furniture at the Chateau de Bel. Despite the effort made, these rooms could only benefit from a partial refernishing due to the absence of the original furniture. The recent deposits made by the Louv and the mobile definitely contributed to the overall enrichment of the apartments. It was also deemed appropriate to evoke the taste of Madame through the furniture brought from their chat dev. It must be highlighted that madame were educated, well read and maintain a pious reputation which gave them a degree of moral authority. They influence court dynamics through their alliances, patronage and opposition to certain figures, particularly those of Madame de Pampadu and Madame Dubari. Therefore shaping the court social and religious tone even if they lacked formal power. [Music] Madame Adelate was particularly known for her sharp wit and interest in court politics. Her part of these apartments starts with the interior cabinet that is furnished with the greatest refinement and its memories of the chat deto. Ironically, this space used to be occupied by Madame de Pompadur until her death on 15th of April 1764. In the next room, which became the chamber of Madame Delay 5 years later and even though the decor might be luxurious and sumptuous, Madame preferred a private lifestyle and often dined together in their apartments, avoiding the formal public bunkets of the court. This practice reflected their desire for privacy and their retreat from the ceremonial life of Versailles while maintaining a shared household including servants who served their collective needs reflecting their close-knit lifestyle. And yet they especially Adelide and Vikto remained largely influential as with the example of Louis 15th favorites. They were known for their hostility towards Madame Dempadur and later Madame Dubai. They viewed these women as morally and politically objectionable, aligning themselves with the devout faction at court. Their opposition was expressed through social exclusion, sharp remarks, and support for rival factions, making them significant figures in court intrigues. After Louis departure in 1770, Sophie died in 1782, leaving Adelaide and Vikto to live closely together until the French Revolution disrupted their lives. Between October 1789 and February 1791, the two sisters stayed at the chat Belu near Maidon, their preferred residence. After leaving Versailles, Adelaide and Vtoa attempted to escape to Italy in February 1791, though not without incident, they were temporarily detained at Arneluk by local revolutionary authorities. Thanks to the intervention of Mirabu, who downplayed their political significance and emphasized their pretext over religious pilgrimage, the Assembly ultimately permitted their release. They reached Turin in April 1791 where they were received by King Victor Amado’s third of Sardinia. They were later joined by the Comance the future Eli 18th in June 1791 after his own successful escape. In the summer 1792 as the French revolutionary wars reached PMO they fled Trin and took refuge in Rome under the protection of Pope P 6. By 1796 facing Napoleon’s advancing armies in Italy they fled again and found refuge in Naples. welcomed by the Neopolitan royal family. On June 7th, 1799, Madame Vikto died of breast cancer in Thiesta. Madame Adilai died there as well on February 27th, 1800. 8 months later, likely of old age. After their repatriation from Italy, their bodies were buried at the royal necropolis of France, Le Basilic Cathedral de Sandini, on 20th of January 1817 under the rule of Louis 18th. If you’d like to visit the incredible Basilic Cathedral de Sandini, our visit from a couple of years back is pinned in the first comment of this video. As we approach the end of these apartments, we find ourselves in the grand cabin of Madame Adelaide. The centerpiece of this cabinet is the organ installed here for a member of the royal family, but its identification is still uncertain. It highlights the great attraction for music and arts of madame and their ability to play several instruments along with the doa. Among the paintings of Madame Benier, those of the young Louis 16th and Marianette graced this magnificent room. [Music] We realized today that we are almost done with Versailles series. We almost recorded everything. This was the visit of the daughters of Louis 15th which was super interesting in my opinion. The apartments were absolutely beautiful as expected and um yeah and we were really lucky today because there were not so many people. Normally it’s like full of people but it worked. So yeah, that’s what I wanted to say. We’re just relaxing, having ice cream. It’s nice. I’m so happy that the weather is back to normal. Everything is beautiful and green. And Versa is so beautiful. Honestly, honestly, I think we should move here cuz I’m just like, it’s just tiring to be taking trains to come here all the time. You want to live just live here. And that’s it for today. We hope you like this episode as much as we did. If you would like to see more of these videos, please don’t forget to like, share, and comment below. And until the next on how

In this video, we explore the private apartments of Madame Adélaïde and Madame Victoire, two of the daughters of King Louis XV, at the Château de Versailles. Delving into their daily routines, personal tastes, and the refined interiors they inhabited, we reveal a lesser-known side of life within one of France’s most iconic royal residences.

Known at court by their numerical titles—Madame Première, Madame Deuxième, Madame Troisième, and so forth—the daughters of Louis XV occupied a unique and often complex position within the Bourbon monarchy: highly ranked, yet politically sidelined.

Who were Madame Adélaïde and Madame Victoire? What role did they play at the French court—and what can their secluded rooms tell us about their identities, ambitions, and limitations? Through detailed analysis of architecture, surviving furnishings, and historical accounts, we uncover the nuanced lives of these forgotten princesses of Versailles.

Recorded in June 2024, May and June 2025.

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CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro
1:09 Apartment of Madame Victoire
3:24 Numbered princesses of Louis XV
6:10 Apartment of Madame Adélaïde
7:48 Escape to Italy
9:14 Grand cabinet of Madame Adélaïde

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