After his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, Napoleon was removed from power. He died in this room in 1715. On January 24, 1966, Indira Gandhi was sworn in as India's first female prime minister. King Louis XIV, the Sun King, spent nearly 50 years expanding the palace, and in1682, he moved both the royal residence and French seat of government to Versailles. Over the centuries, much of the art and furniture that was stolen or auctioned off has been returned to the palace. Instead he will turn his father’s hunting lodge into a palace; a temple to the gods, with himself as the sole authority in France. Fabien Marchal was Louis XIV's Chief of Police and functions as the King's eyes and ears both within and outside the palace. The apartments were later dramatically altered first by King Louis XIV, who annexed several rooms in the palace to create his royal bedchamber, and later by Marie-Antoinette. Paintings depicting France’s involvement in the Crusades, including the arrival of troops in Constantinople, hang from the walls, and the entrance is marked by the Rhodes Door, a 16th century cedar gift from Sultan Mahmud II of the Ottoman Empire. The Grand Trianon was built as a summer residence where the royal family could take refuge from the ever-expanding court at Versailles. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the longest recorded of any monarch of a sovereign country in European history. Let’s start with the fact that the attitude toward hygiene was different back then from what we have now. These mirrors reflect the 17 arched windows that look out onto the dramatic gardens of Versailles. The Palace of Versailles was originally constructed in 1624 as a simple, two-story hunting lodge. He does whatever needed to be done to make his country great. The Congress Chamber was constructed to house the new National Assembly and Congress, a reminder of the governmental power once held at Versailles. Versailles During and After the French Revolution (1789 -1870). Europe’s grandest palace became a center of political power and a symbol of the king’s dominance and wealth. After years of persecuting Protestants and constricting their rights, the Catholic king revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685 through his issuance of the Edict of Fontainebleau, which ordered the destruction of Protestant churches, the closure of Protestant schools, and the forced baptism and education of children into the Catholic faith. And he is adamant that he will not return to Paris. As one of the most frequented attractions in the world, millions of tourists come to the Palace of Versailles annually to see the 120 galleries, 120 residential rooms, and nearly 2,000 acres of gardens. Marie-Thérèse gave birth to six of the king’s children, but only one, Louis, survived past the age of 5. Though the main function of the contemporary Palace of Versailles is as a museum, it also plays host to important political and social events throughout the year, including presidential addresses, state dinners, and concerts. After King Louis XVI was guillotined, the Palace of Versailles was forgotten for almost a decade. Louis XIII died in 1643, leaving the monarchy in the hands of the four-year-old Louis XIV. It is considered to be the most important addition by Louis-Philippe to the Palace of Versailles. Louis XIV, however, had a healthy libido and fathered more than a dozen illegitimate children with a number of mistresses. As a skilled medic, Louis admired said skills that she had for being a woman in that time period. The first queen to reside in these apartments was Maria Theresa, wife of King Louis XIV, but she died in 1683 soon after arriving in Versailles. Versailles today is used to house symbolic meetings of Congress, state dinners, concerts, and other political and social gatherings. Below are the additions made by Louis-Philippe to the Palace of Versailles. After the civil war known as the Fronde forced a young Louis XIV to flee his palace in Paris, the monarch took a dislike to the capital city. Check out these seven surprising facts about one of the longest-serving monarchs in European history. After the civil war known as the Fronde forced a young Louis XIV to flee his palace in Paris, the monarch took a dislike to the capital city. Louis XIV of France is the main character of the series. Louis and William Credited as one of the great minds of the Scientific Revolution, here are a few interesting facts about the father of modern science. (Painting: Charles Beaubrun [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons). Reflecting that belief, Louis XIV believed any disobedience to his edicts to be sinful, and he adopted the sun as his emblem since France revolved around him as the planets revolved around the sun. Mistress Louise de La Vallière bore five of the king’s children, only two of which survived infancy, while her rival Madame de Montespan, who eventually became the king’s chief mistress, gave birth to seven of the monarch’s children. Louis and Liselotte Below are the elements of the Palace of Versailles that were added during the reign of King Louis XIV. Today, more than 10 million people visit the Palace of Versailles annually. Anne Marie (niece) Marie-Antoinette altered the appearance of the queen’s apartments several times during her reign. Mckenzie Perkins is a writer and researcher specializing in southeast Asian religion and culture, education, and college life. A network of paths open to pavilions, fountains, statues, and an orangery. By removing government from Paris, Louis XIV solidified his omnipotent power as a monarch.