Tea at Trianon: Fêtes Galantes 2019

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Friday, May 31, 2019

Fêtes Galantes 2019

Some of the costumes are rather grotesque but some are authentic. To clarify the text, Marie-Antoinette was the wife of Louis XVI, while Madame de Pompadour was the mistress of Louis XV. From EuroNews:

A costume party at the Palace of Versailles gave 630 guests the chance to realise their 18th-century dreams on Monday night. The annual event attracts lovers of fashion and history alike from across the globe. "We really feel like we're living in the time, in the 18th century, and people look so nice. It's really great to see people dressed in fine costumes. Everyone's playing a character, and I really like it" said 45-year old Isabelle Lapeyre.

This year's theme "Marie-Antoinette and fashion" gave guests the opportunity to indulge in the decadence of the controversial queen's lifestyle. Visits to the private chambers of Louis XIV and Marie-Antoinette were organised, along with a trip to the apartments of Madame Pompadour, Louis's mistress.

37-year old hairdresser from Texas who has always admired French fashion had wanted to attend the party for a long time. "It's a dream. Where we're from, we're from Houston, Texas - we don't have a lot of events that cater to this style of clothing, so this was always a dream for us to come here, and we finally made it happen" he said.

Guests paid between €150-€510 for the event. Activities included Baroque dance lessons and guided visits with the highest paying attendees being treated to a private concert in the queen's room. The finale of the evening featured a grand closing ball, followed by a fireworks display over the palace gardens. The Palace of Versailles is one of France's most notable historic sites. Viewed by the French as both a hallmark of their culture and a symbol of the flagrant injustice of the monarchy, the palace attracts more than 8 million visitors every year. (Read more.)

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