I’m sitting on my bed as I write this post, and I can’t help but look around and notice the stark contrast between my simple surroundings and those created for the French Queens and Empresses.
While I don’t have what you’d call extravagant tastes, it’s easy for me to imagine spending my days amongst such lavishness.
Just. Look. At. This. Room.
The bed was made for Marie Antoinette but it didn’t arrive until after The Revolution (we all know how that ended) so, sadly, she never got to see it.
Imagine waking up so see that beautiful canopy above your head. I open my eyes and look at an ugly popcorn ceiling.
Le sigh.
The chandelier cornice is intricately decorated with flowers, fleur-de-lis, random half naked figures and chubby cupids at its centre.
Next to the Queen’s bedchamber was a boudoir made especially for Marie Antoinette. It served to give her a bit of privacy from the prying eyes of the Court.
The parquet floor is gorgeous. Notice the monogram at the centre? I think the floor is my favourite part of the entire room, which says a lot since it’s chock full of beautiful features.
It’s fun to imagine living there but practicality eventually kicks in and I wonder how long it takes to dust.
And on that note, I’ve got to get started on Spring cleaning.
Bonne journée!
Marla
Nicely done! I do like the comments that go with your photos — too many blogs just put in a lot of photos, with no captions to describe the subject of the photo. And your photos are, themselves, very well composed. Congrats!
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Thank you, Loren! What a lovely comment to wake up to this morning. I really appreciate your feedback. 😊
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I’ve just finished reading a biography of Marie Antoinette and, despite all the luxury, she really had a very unhappy and tragic life, even before the Revolution. She hated all the elaborate hairdos and heavy make up, preferring a simpler life. She also hated the invation of privacy. I wouldn’t swap for all the tea in China. Did you know she never saw the sea once in her life? She was a very misunderstood figure. Still is, sadly.
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I have the same impression of her as you do. What book was it that you read?
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Marie Antoinette, The Journey by Antonia Fraser: an excellent insight into the period, not just in France, but Europe in general. Great portraits too!
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Thank you! I’ll add that to my list. I own Abundance by Sena Jeter Naslund, which was a bit annoying with the writing style but does give a neat insight into what her life could/would have been like.
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Thank you! 😊 Just so you know, when I click your profile from the comments on my blog it brings me to your old blog and not to your newer blog. I think you can change your “primary” blog on your profile page so people clicking your name will be directed to the blog you prefer. 🥂
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Thank you for that. I thought you just needed to follow sayselltravels.wordpress.com and you’d get notifications when I publish a new post. I will try what you say. 👍
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