Louis started another fashion in 1624, donning a wig. The palace’s world famous Hall of Mirrors would host an annual ceremony when the king would receive his new falcons. In Louis son’s reign, Versailles was to evolve from hunting lodge to palace. Louis, then in his early 20s, decided to build his hunting lodge there. And in 1624, that was to change the shape of a small village 20kms southwest of Paris – Versailles. Luyens died of a fever while fighting Protestants in 1621.īut the king kept hunting. Caring for the king’s hunting birds was a great honor. Among the titles Louis granted Charles was Grand Falconer of France. We do know they shared another passion – hunting. While it’s not certain the two had a sexual relationship, it is widely rumored. And from his teenage years he preferred the company of male courtiers to women.Ĭharles d’Albert, the young Duke of Luyens, was his particular favorite. Louis XIII became king of France at just nine years old. The magnificent palace on the outskirts of Paris is a camp baroque masterpiece that defined elite tastes for a hundred years and still influences them today.īut look a little closer, and you will see homosexual history hidden in plain sight in its art and artefacts. Homosexuality and lesbianism is woven into the history of the Palace of Versailles and into the lives of its most famous residents.
