He is always the king, while Philippe gives his emotions (somewhat) free rein. The advice you took came from only one source. the door opens, and Montespan enters. It was quite the method du jour to get rid of a person, as the series has shown. He has poisoned all of them. plus its almost as if he has something to say, to hide. Who poisoned Henriette in Versailles? It was really interesting reading both of your viewpoints. What a pain! The steps, the swinging of the arms, the movement of the coat and their cravats. Really enjoyed reading your reviews, which I found halfway the show. This is Louis in control, in power, and he delivers a malevolent, threatening banter that is fabulous to see. Charming. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. He cripples himself with his own paranoia. Versailles (TV Series 2015-2018) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Louis, who never forgave a slight, always ensured that the guilty paid dearly. What a great mix of observation and humor. Something must be done! Louis demands and now NOW he is looking scared, helpless and not at all like the King. Whew! No wonder Philippe feels the need to claim what is his. She is not indulgent in it. And even if not, we see what Philippe is capable of when hes in a jealous snit. On the other hand, Ive never doubted for a moment Philippes loyalty to his brother or his love for him. I realise that you are not a fan of the historical figure but I am speaking strictly of the character. Louis smacks it away with the poker, Marchal steps in, Montcourt grabs a candlestick. In which case, I dont blame her one bit! Nice one, Montcourt. Learn how your comment data is processed. Claudine tries to give her something for the pain but she wont swallow, her throat is closing up. Henriette says to Philippe: Im sorry. He weeps for the loss and I am sure he also weeps for the helplessness he must now feel, a man so powerful and commanding, who rules a country and its people a true King and yet, still unable to save her. Henriette was more than happy to become second only to Marie-Therese. Because Sophie steals any scene shes in with Henriette, hands down, and she even maintains a presence with Montespan, too, though Montespan is clearly the dominant one in most dynamics (the Chevalier excluded, of course swans fat flippers come to mind!) But his family and France are divided. Henriette screams and they both surge to the door then suddenly stop. Yet you heard nothing. 1556332. Louis and Philippe approach the bed, to the dying Henriette who looks really bad. She is simply besotted with Louis, so in love, that shed do anything he told her to. No. There is your music.. Saint-Simon asserted that Louis was so thankful that his brother was innocent of the crime that he decided not to prosecute the perpetrators. Of course, nothing happened and the doctors said colic but nine hours later, she was dead. My loyalty still lays with Philippe as her husband, he has a right to lay claim to his wife. And even after Louis became tired of Louise, he didnt run back to Henriettes arms either, instead he turned to Montespan who became his next mistress. In Paris, says Colbert. Since the first stone was laid in this expansion. Now, if she had been his second cousin, and never saw each other until she married his brother, then I can maybe see them having an affair. Coming from the quills of noted showrunners David Wolstencroft and Simon Mirren, both known for gripping series with a conspiratorial bent (i.e. And suddenly Philippe is the calm one, says gently, brother and the look on his face, as the tears trickle gently down his cheeks the quiet sadness as Louis stares at him, then his realisation that this is it. Finally, the king weeps for his love, when he is alone. To affect the hearts and minds of people. his majesty knew this day would come. thank you.. Louis walks in and replies: because I ask him to do so. Ahhhhh-HA! You admit her situation is unfair and certainly, she is powerless where her husband (and Louis) are concerned and yet, simply because of the screwed up thinking of the day, the thinking that removed a womans personhood and reduced her to mere property, she is the villain for not being able to love a man who ignores her and rapes her? To which Marchal says: you are the daughter of a Huguenot conspirator to the King, funded and supported by William of Orange. But Sophie says her mother paid that price, she is merely trying to survive and thought Marchals protection would ensure it. There could have been some anger involved without resorting to rape. My heart breaks for him. Henriette mentions the issues she has with the Chevalier. They had children. Noemie Schmidt: Yes, totally stuck. And even after watching both seasons 1 and 2 of Versailles, I wouldnt say that he loved her a lot but on the show it was to a certain degree. And our enemies have stopped at nothing to destroy it. After their conversation about stealing Philippes glory and the fact that Louis never liked sharing. Pretty sure he was not the one who did the poisoning thing. Thanks for your great reviews! Around 5pm on 29th June Henriette drank chicory water, then keeled over saying Ah! HOW DID THEY DO THAT SO PERFECTLY??? Point 3: Good question, which is the greater sin? And she is the only one who knew who prepared Henriettes chicory water. Toodles. Montespan banters but Louis doesnt bite. She gasps and the priest enters silently. The Chevalier looks a little panicky or is it my imagination? Feel free to comment if any details are wrong. Also I have to add SPOILER ALERT!!!! You really point out a lot of details one might miss when watching the episodes for the first time. You mentioned the Charles Beaubrun painting of Louis & Philippewell I was noticing how this stunning piece travels around the palace in season one. Arguably, as a man, it was within Philippes power to end his relationship easily enough whereas Henriette, a woman, would very possibly not have had that same power. It is not clear in the show. He sees Louis. After all, everything she did was unacceptable at that time for women and it was certainly acceptable to beat a woman, especially if she was a wife, sister or daughter. She was merely being used by the man she was in love with. I do think it is out-of-character for the Philippe we know and love on the show, not just historically inaccurate, to force himself on her. After reading your review on epsiode 10, and reading that it ends with Philippe leaving Versailles, I thought back to epsiode one and the moment he finds Louis at his favorite spot in the woods. Brilliant writing. At least thats always been his excuse. (aaaand check out the looks on Louis and Bontemps faces as I randomly paused right here. Bontemps says: protocol demands that if the air is impure and if you are at risk, you must leave immediately. (this is true) Marchal strides in to take command. My loyalty still lays with Philippe as her husband, he has a right to lay claim to his wife. Now we are with Marchal, who is interrogating Henriettes ladies, Sophie included. And stunned when Louis says shes in his bedchamber. So how could you be scared? And Louis, who is being so totally duped, is convinced by Rohan to take his son, the Dauphin, out to ride, so he is far away from the cries of pain. He took the bottle to drown his sorrows as it were, after he hit Claudine, feeling remorse, I would think. I was highly frustrated with the artistic liberties the authors took, and some just pretty much made up shit, totally contrary to history . The only protection offered is by Louis. Earlier that day, a servant spotted one of Philippes mignons and Grand Equerry (Master of the Horse), the Marquis dEffiat, drink water stored in a cabinet near Henriettes chambers, wipe the glass, then go on his way. I choose to believe it was a mistake on the writers part and will simply fast forward over it when I rewatch. We see Louis take what is rightfully and lawfully his his wife. Especially as her lover was the king. Louis stares out the window in the antechamber, servants bring in food, but Marchal suspects poisoning and sends it back until its safety can be confirmed. My greatest issue with Henriette is that she seems to lack any personality. The moment stretches and Claudine shakes her head: she will not survive the poison. We see a shot of Philippe and Louis: Philippe is stunned and mega sad. She is a woman, she is his subject. Historically, poison was definitely suspected in Henriettes death and briefly, heres how it went down: It was 1670 and Henriette was pissed off she couldnt be with Louis at Versailles, and of course Monsieur knew this, so he ordered her to accompany him to Saint Cloud. Versailles 2015 - S01E10 - Bring the Garden Here (High MP4) (WEBM) (Aired: 14 Dec. 2015) Duchess Henriette becomes suddenly ill when she returns from a visit to her brother in England. ), Back to Louis outside his bed chamber, where Henriettes screams of pain can be heard. I just rot an extremely long omment Yes, of course its common knowledge that Louis is shagging Henriette. P.S. Even the bouncing hair. The sad irony here is, I do think Louis cares very much for Philippe but he cannot let his armour of paranoia down enough to recognise Philippes loyalty and the fact that he can trust his brother. We see a lovely shot of Versailles outside, then cut to the Kings bedchamber, where the flowers and hedges are neatly arranged around to the bed. Merci! God knows the wolves might have taken us but what did we know? Shes genuinely quite sweet, but tenacious something Im sure our Head of Security will appreciate). Rohan grabs her by the throat, saying it is not yet clear to him what she has done to earn her money, then demands she clean his room before leaving. This scene is barely seconds long, but oh, so telling as to her character. And here is where Im a bit uncertain, but didnt she make that remark after Philippe raped her? Do you honestly think that just because certain abusesatrocities, evenwere acceptable, that those on the receiving end didnt feel anger, pain, violation, etc. Henriette feels nothing for Philippe, he not having put any more effort into endearing himself to her than she to him and he also complicating things for her where Louis is concerned. John Clare 191 subscribers Henrietta of England, Duchess of Orlans rushes to Louis XIV's chambers after being poisoned. Dieu. FOCUS. And Montespan was married too, so in the eyes of the church that was double adultery. Duchess Henriette becomes suddenly ill when she returns from a visit to her brother in England. Mike did. But, this is my interpretation or thoughts based on the real life events. His contemplation is silent. Is there anything more beautiful than the scent of blossom in the air? Henriette gets out softly. Louvois and Marchal agree. Colbert: You believe her highness is poisoned? Marchal replies cryptically: I believe. Wow. Claudine then enters and grills Bontemps, the Queen and Philippe about the symptoms while Henriette gasps in pain on the bed. then goes into the bedchamber. First off let me say that I absolutely love your reviews of Versailles, Ms. Jules. Let me know when the doctor arrives, Louis says, and leaves. He should be he has not given up either of their names for the part they played in his arrest. Louis adds, almost contemptuously: you never understood politics. I have heard many say they see angels before they die. (Ahhh! *Another side-note: When the Chavelier mentions that Louis does not look for beauty so much as character, umwas he talking about Henriette? Even though Henriette had a history of pains (since 1667) and drank only milk and basically ate nothing (she was considered quite a stick in the fashion of the day, and some historians suggest she suffered from anorexia), the poison theory stuck. So Louis settles into sleep. Charming. Not only did they grow up together but they were first cousins and Louis was a devout Catholic. (Historical note: it was forbidden for the King to be in the presence of death. As to fiction I found the ones I did read ended up thrown against the wall. Again, so so love your words. Such an angry king, and rightly so. He sent poison to Paris, where it passed through several hands before ending up in the jug containing the chicory water. Bontemps wants to move her she cannot stay in the Kings bed. but Claudine says she cannot be moved. But she is human and she can feel jealousy and make inappropriate remarks at inappropriate moments. Louis and her smile about it. By this point, Louis had basically forgotten about and gotten over Henriette though this was much to her displeasure and chagrin. As she made her last confession, the English ambassador, Lord Montagu, asked Henriette if she believed she had been poisoned. We were taking the air with our governess when we made a break for freedom. Points 1 and 2: We establish that both people are in love with someone else. Perfectly written line is delivered perfectly by perfect actor. But lets compare: Henriette is jealous. Says you made me marry him. A letter from the King of Sweden has arrived, telling Louis he has agreed to break his alliance with the Dutch and support the French. I do like that though they have their disagreements, Bontemp genuinely respects Fabien, and despite his anger, I think Louis does too. So Louis sequesters the palace. In Versailles, Madame de Clermont is running round like a blue-arsed fly having discovered that her poison has gone missing. She cant honestly say that the death of the man to whom she is shackled in a loveless marriage, who feels no attraction for her and never can but can easily enough rape her, who stands between her and the man she truly loveswouldnt be entirely unwelcome. She is only ever Louis sweet, nubile mistress or Philippes overlooked wife, never her own person, she isnt seductive and outgoing like Montespan or scheming like de Clermont or genuinely sweet with a backbone like Sophie, shes just a soft-spoken waif who huffs when she doesnt get her way, cries when shes put in a difficult position, doesnt seem that clever but knows exactly where to strike thatll heart the worst mentioning Francoise Parthenay when Louis has refused to talk about the Chevalier, for one. Neither of them showed much interest or affection for the other, both clearly preferring their lovers. Both felt neglected by the other. One witness observed that Henriette looked like a dressed corpse upon whom someone had put some rouge, while others thought she had death painted on her face. Dance. Louis is greeted by Bontemps in his chambers, who enquires about Henriettes health. Because he did feel something for her, despite her repeated betrayal of him, over and over. I COMMAND YOU! and the guards step back. Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction - and other times, period dramas take a little artistic license . His belief was shared by Elizabeth-Charlotte, Philippes second wife, who named the culprits as Lorraine and the Marquis dEffiat, an equerry, who had acted without Philippes knowledge. Louis paranoia about his little brother is completely unfounded. As for Philippe, I cant make out what he is. I just wanted to tell you that I enjoy your reviews and will keep reading them through saison 2. Thanks for reading! Another scene now, with Rohan getting ready for his ride, and a servant girl by the name of Marie entering, demanding her money. Some were obviously written for massive impact. Louis has not (even though yeah, okay, protocol). I hope the surgery went well, Heather! Also it will set Louis in a collision with Phillipe who did not want his wife to go to England for the negotiations. Your loyalty can lie with Philippe while still acknowledging that Henriette is also a victim and not the villain (the real villain here is Louis). Right. As Montcourt is delivering this little speech, the camera angle singles out the massive symbolism in the shot: the angels on his leather sash belt. My biggest problem with Henriette/Louis is that I find it highly doubtful that Louis would have sex with her. My apartment has no pisspot and I do hate to urinate in the stairwells. The Chevalier: Never stopped you before. (teeheehee) They are interrupted by the Duc de Cassel (who is looking even rougher and more filthy than usual. Hi, It is Louis, and not Henriette, whom I see as the one who does the greatest harm to Philippe. It was total and raw and real and I wept long and bitter tears for him. for all of these. Colbert looks a bit stunned. Fashion. In my opinion, I agree with Teresa. She allows grief but only briefly. We must get the king and the queen and yourself to safety at once. And the penny drops for Bontemps, his look of dismay so clear. she was the one who found it, actually. He is the villain if you are looking for one. It is clear these two have a long relationship and are not allowing a small (read: large) thing as marriage get in the way. Why? A day later, I was hooked. Monsieur de Reynaud is poisoned by an unknown entity. Copyright 2023 History Today Ltd. Company no. Easily tired, she withdrew whenever the party stopped for the night, usually going straight to bed. THIS. Not long to go now, and we are with Marchal, who lies in bed, wakes suddenly and touches his stomach wound, which bleeds through the bandage. But that was the thinking of the time. Henriette wasnt asking the king to hire a hit on Philippe. Still with the playing of games, the half-truth words. PERFECT. The episode starts in Madame de Montespans bed, with Louis awake and staring at the ceiling. But gossip is gossip and it was particularly rife and vicious in those days. Women are still being raped today in societies which condone such behaviour towards women and which deny women their personhood. Sorry to jar you There are just some things I couldnt overlook, and I admit I was looking at Henriettes character so closely, to see if the screenwriters would sweeten her up from her historical figure. In the days when it was only you who /truly/ had my back. Horrible man. And Louis is still on a roll, caught up in his speech about grandeur and nobility and the endurance of a legacy: .the song we sing here, brother, I mean it to be played forever. And suddenly, as he stares at Philippe, his face alight with the emotion of a true believer, the cries of Henriette are heard. My bed your last stop before retiring. Art. Marchal is cool: I am not here to answer you. Sophie is equally cool: Then neither am I. He suggests she reconsider, that she has her life to lose if she doesnt. I very much enjoyed reading them and especially liked your additional facts about the historical events and figures. He was brought up and ruled as absolute monarch, and believed for the good of France. In the show Philippe tries time and again to offer his support and love, but is constantly betrayed or rejected (this happened with the historical figures, too. Henriette of England is poisoned during her trip back from England. Marchal picks up the dropped knife and lunges and he and Montcourt trade a few blows, with Marchal blocking then delivering a punch. We see about ten hooded figures, along with the Unmasked Man whom Rohan freed from jail. I enjoyed them very much, I must saymuch more than this series, which is good entertainement, but, God, so FAR from being historically correct, in so many ways. even if it turned out his brother was the poisoner. Louis decides to go to Paris to bless the sick. Yes, absolutely. We see his offer to help refused time and time again. Quite a few. It could also be argued that Philippe is relatively powerless, but only where Louis, his older brother and his king, is concerned. ? Brilliant. Her breath falters: Im scared. And the look on Louis and Philippes faces as they both lean in to comfort her *sobs* Philippe says gently: There is nothing to fear. Henriette: How do you know? Philippe: do you remember before you were born? I have never posted a comment on your website before and this will be the first time that I have ever written a comment here. Why should we fault Henriette for not ending her incestuous relationship with her brother-in-law, the king, but Philippe can be forgiven for continuing his homosexual relationship with the Chevalier? Plus he told Louis he didnt recognise the sender of the notes which is technically true. Is it fair? Henriette, however, was never robust and often experienced such terrible pains in her side that she would lie on the floor to find respite. *Deeeeeep breath* Okay. What shall I do! See above comments about Henriettes powerlessness as a woman. Now she is in a marriage that will never give her any joy with a man she does not love and she should risk displeasing her lover, the king, by rejecting him? Not so much. Im genuinely curious to know why you consider Philippe the victim and Henriette the traitor in that relationship. She is in such a tizzy that she barely gives her daughter, Sophie, the. I also saw the subtle ways in which Henriette (and Louis) talked about him, how they wished he was not there. It can be quite shocking to us, but pretty much most children died before adulthood people mourned, mirrors were covered and a service held, but some didnt wait more than a few days before picking themselves up and going off to the next party or ball or soiree. Henriette, Duchesse dOrlans, the sister-in-law of Louis XIV, took a drink of her usual chicory water and immediately clutched her side, crying out in pain. I could see the Chevalier if not Philippe taking on Sophie as a sort of pet, his project, I imagine the Chevalier would have adored trying to corrupt a sweet young thing like Sophie. Get him out! Henriette cries. I will try, but I trust you wont publish it if you find it too long. A European history-geek friend told me about this show yesterday, so I binge watched the entire series. We see Louis expression crumple, and he blinks, almost disbelievingly, and then Philippe is out the door. Is she a villain for this because of the thinking of the day? This girl is familiar she was at Henriettes bedside as the princess related the story of her first masked ball to Sophie.

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