‘The gilded railing denotes the King’s own space; a sort of line that could not be crossed unless the King expressly wished it,’ Solange explains as she follows my gaze.
‘I’ve read the accounts of the grand getting-up ceremony le grand lever, one of his many ceremonial rituals. It seems bizarre that he turned the mundane into a spectacle just to demonstrate his power and celebrate what he perceived as his divine majesty. I doubt there was anyone who was not either in awe, or fear, of him.’
‘The number of spectators was anything up to a hundred, comprising the most important members of court as well as the King’s closest royal servants. Females were not allowed, as would have been expected. The final ceremony of the day, which took place at 11.30 p.m. was yet another public ritual as the King retired to bed.’
‘There’s no air in here.’ I remark. Solange is now a few paces away, studying the bust sitting on the mantelpiece and I walk towards her.
‘It’s warm today and the sun is already on the back of the palace. The heat builds up even at this time of the year,’ she replies, turning back to face me and then gaze the full length of the room.
Did the King ever feel he couldn’t breathe in here? I wonder. It feels heavy, close, almost oppressive and a little claustrophobic to me, but I can see that Solange doesn’t feel that way.
‘Can we see the Hall of Mirrors?’ I’m eager to move on. If the room were full, would I be feeling a sense of panic now instead of mere discomfort? It’s all in your mind, Lexie, I tell myself, and then I think of Grandma. What did she think when she stood in this room?
The door opens and a member of staff walks through followed by a group of visitors. The morning rush is about to begin.
‘This way,’ Solange says, and we head in the opposite direction.
‘Some people feel it: the history. As if it’s almost tangible,’ she remarks, turning to look at me as we walk fairly quickly through a series of opulent rooms. ‘I do not and I’m grateful for that. Some have seen things amongst the shadows, but all I’ve ever seen is the tiny dust particles when a shaft of sunlight escapes between the semi-drawn curtains on a brilliantly sunny day.’
I nod in agreement, but the truth is that I’m open-minded.
The rooms and corridors are beginning to fill with both staff and visitors. When we reach our destination any sense of heaviness has left me, and I’m enthralled. It’s a giant ballroom with huge, sparkling chandeliers. The imposingly tall mirrors reflect the daylight flooding in from the wall of French doors opposite them. Made up of a series of large sections, these mirrors stand between pink marble pillars and have beautifully gilded, floor-standing candelabra in front of them.
The French doors lead out onto a balcony overlooking the magnificent gardens and park. It’s impossible to stop myself from slowly circling around to take in the dazzling beauty of mirror, gold and crystal.
It’s truly magical and if anyone doubted the boldness of the vision, as soon as their eyes stray to the windows and see that magnificent view, they are left in no doubt at all. Who could dare to dream about this level of lavish indulgence, let alone bring it into being? Only a Sun King, I think.
The vaulted ceiling heralds the most wonderful paintings, all set within gilded plaster decoration that frame them like the individual pieces of art that they are.
‘This is unbelievable,’ I whisper to Solange, looking around at what is now quite a crowd filtering into the room.
‘It’s almost two hundred and forty feet long and thirty-four feet wide. The paintings are scenes from Louis XIV’s life. Breathtaking, isn’t it?’ She pauses as we both stare upwards. ‘The Treaty of Versailles was signed in this room on 28 June 1919, ending the First World War. Most of the paintings celebrate either France’s political, economic, or artistic successes under Louis’ command.’
Solange checks her watch once more and shrugs.
‘We should start making our way back now, I’m sorry to say. There is so much to see but this is by far the most ostentatious room within the palace. The number of mirrors, some 357 of them in total, was a purposeful demonstration of wealth at a time when items like these were a great luxury, indeed.’
As we pass through the door, I am now having to dodge people to keep up with Solange, who is still talking to me, but doesn’t realise several people have stepped in between us. It takes a few seconds for me to weave in and out and I’m only grateful not to have been separated from her.
She turns and her eyes rest on my face for a second. ‘I’m so glad we could do this today. Your first visit is always special, but you must come several times while you are here. I hope, though, that I have not thrown too much information at you.’ She grins.
‘No. It’s fascinating. Thank you so much, Solange.’
We part in front of the ticket office and the queue is snaking down and around in long lines that are three or four people abreast already. It continues to edge slowly forward.
‘It’s going to be a busy day, but I fear rain is on the way,’ she reflects, looking up at the grey clouds forming in the distance. ‘I’m only here for a few hours and then I’m off for a leisurely afternoon with Philippe. I will see you in the morning, Lexie.’
I lean in to give her a hug before she heads off, then I stand and people-watch for a few minutes. The sun disappears briefly, but when it reappears the rays bouncing off the gilding on the inner gates and the façade of the palace turn it into a glorious, glinting crown once more. I stare in fascination, knowing that this moment will be forever locked inside my head. It’s the moment that I realise I was meant to come here. Is it just to make the series we’re working on, or is there another purpose, too?
Walking back to the cottage, I wonder if I will ever succeed in getting any answers at all about Grandma or have to accept that the past is now a closed book and look to the future. But being here has made me feel close to her again and perhaps that’s what I needed in my life right now. She would have been championing my decision to push forward boldly and not be afraid of taking a few calculated risks. Maybe a little reminder of that is all the comfort I need to re-energise my sense of self-belief.
Reaching the courtyard, I feel something flick against my cheek and as I look upwards the first raindrops begin to fall. Within seconds I’m scrabbling for my keys as the clouds empty. Please, please, please, don’t let it rain tomorrow. Losing time and money we simply don’t have isn’t an option right now.
15
Pulling Together
As we all anticipated, it takes longer than normal to set up this morning, but at least the sky is clear and there’s no threat of rain today. Elliot had given Ronan the key to his apartment so he could pick up the kit, but it’s clear from the moment he arrives that Ronan is feeling the pressure.
He’s working with a camera he hasn’t operated before, but I’m impressed at how quickly he’s sussing it out. It’s obvious he’s annoyed with himself when, after he has unpacked everything, it turns out that there’s only one battery in the aluminium transport case. Even so, after a quick practice session he gives me a thumbs up. His forehead is beaded with sweat, even though there’s a slight chill carried on the breeze.