They could be far away from the victim at the time of death, so it would be difficult to definitively pin on anyone. Is he for or against le roi? Point 7: Chevalier moves in on Henriette the moment her husbands back is turned. UGH, technology! He tucks Louis in then gets into his small cot (that looks like a camping bed), fully clothed. I COMMAND YOU! and the guards step back. Oh, and she was the one who prepared Henriettes tea. She is subject to the whims and wishes of her king and lover, of her husband and even of her husbands lover. So to me, this indicates hes still quite scared. And what better way to keep Louis safe than have his Head of Security plant one of his spies in his bed? Women are still being raped today in societies which condone such behaviour towards women and which deny women their personhood. Also it will set Louis in a collision with Phillipe who did not want his wife to go to England for the negotiations. The advice you took came from only one source. the door opens, and Montespan enters. I have one comment / correction on what you wrote on Henriettes death scene. but afte I cliked submit my comment didnt appear. Lulz. In the early hours of 30 June, she died. They are singing. Minor detail maybe, but not sure if that doesnt change the meaning of the next bit somewhat? Henriette is viewed as property. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. She brought honour on herself and glory to our court. Louis replies how else was I to keep you close. Plus he told Louis he didnt recognise the sender of the notes which is technically true. A hundred years ago. You mentioned the Charles Beaubrun painting of Louis & Philippewell I was noticing how this stunning piece travels around the palace in season one. It is Louis who victimises Philippe and he does it in every way he can think of. Basically he can do what he wants, but she is not allowed to. I also saw the subtle ways in which Henriette (and Louis) talked about him, how they wished he was not there. It ended up working even better than planned and within a very short amount of time, Louis fell for Louise de la Valliere who was originally meant to be a decoy but became his first official royal mistress. Revealing nothing. I guess in summary, I saw more nuance and non-verbal cues with Philippe that made him a more sympathetic character. You can read more about Henriettas death here. More of an extreme sadness at his wifes pain. I know this coming years later, but to Theresa THANK YOU SO MUCH. needless to say, all my writing is copyright to me, so don't be a dick and steal it. Unfortunately, Louis paranoia and selfishness blind him to this. 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. But I also know that their greatest plan has yet to show itself. the camera pans to Louis, Colbert, Louvois (clearly worried, as he should be), who says, but what if shes merely ill? Marchal: then your appetite will be merely inconvenienced, Louvois. Bontemps appears. she was the one who found it, actually. This doesnt do good for her position, unloved by her husband and no one would stand at her side, should French and English go to war. Rohan slits the other guards throat, watches from a distance as the young prince has a sack put over his head then bundled off. You went north, I went south and she went west and by the time they righted themselves we found our way down by the mill stream. Or twenty, I suppose. Henriette. At the time of her death, it was widely believed that Henrietta had been poisoned and the prime suspects were her husband, Philippe and/or his lover, the Chevalier de Lorraine. When she travelled to England, she was excited at the prospect of seeing her brother, Charles, again. Im glad you like my reviews And I will most definitely continue on with reviewing S2. God knows the wolves might have taken us but what did we know? I am waiting eagerly for the second season and I really hope to see you write about it then. Anne, Hi Jules haha that last message should have ended (I agree with you on all POINTS) not pints . You have never been a man whos true. She rises and silently leaves, then more people walk in to pay their respects the Chevalier included. Because he did feel something for her, despite her repeated betrayal of him, over and over. As her husband, Philippe, rushed to her bedside, Henriette chided him, Alas, Monsieur, it is a long time since you loved me, but this is unjust. Alerted, Henriettes lady-in-waiting watched the duke closely, but he showed no indication of guilt and every sign that he was distressed by his wifes condition. Does all this excuse Philippe raping Henriette? OMG he hits Marchal across the face with the candlestick, Louis lunges, Montcourt throws him off and the King smacks his head on a table. (Historical note: it was forbidden for the King to be in the presence of death. A side-note: On Sophie. Louvois and Marchal agree. Is he justified in his behaviour towards her? . He is genuinely distraught, going to a collapsed Henriette on the floor while Louis is just standing there, seemingly frozen. We see a quick shot of Montcourts body being dumped from a cart into the muddy swampiness, to join other rotting, decaying bodies. I pity Henrietta. He is always the king, while Philippe gives his emotions (somewhat) free rein. Well, my thought is Philippe angrily claiming his conjugal rights may well have happened before. He rapes his wife. His grip tightens on the poker, even as Montcourt looks actually shocked at that accusation. And in the context of the show, I did find it a nice touch, the apology to him. Im thinking no. She is used by the king to hurt his brother. However, the court (and her brother, Charles II) was told she died of natural causes so he could hardly behead anyone for murder after that. The door suddenly opens, Claudine walks sombrely in. UGH. The first time we see Philippe is with his lover. Your question misses the question, Montcourt replies cryptically. And the next shot is Louis in slow-mo, walking out. and to Marchal in his office, interrogating Montcourt. We establish right from the start that she has no powershe was forced to marry a man she did not want because the king wants to keep her close. 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. Are you suggesting that she would have the power to deny the king even if she wanted to? Henriette is just one more thing Louis takes from Philippe. It felt like if the whole world came running for us his voice thickens with emotion, we might fend off all who would take us ill. He finally looks up, at Louis. There could have been some anger involved without resorting to rape. . 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. Just another way Louis is emasculating him, making him a laughing stock in French society. First to Henriette, and after she was poisoned, to Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess of the Palatinate. He sees Louis. They fear she might have been poisoned, so King Louis XIV shuts all access To Versailles. I wonder what theyve got in store for us. Such a beautiful moment, with Philippe building on their complex relationship, reminding Louis of a more simplistic time. Mike did. Claudine doesnt know how long Henriette has left, but it is her wish to see you both. Also, Henriette has asked to be carried to the garden so that she might be surrounded by her favourite flowers. (Philippes gentle smile is so bittersweet here!) Im no Henriette fan, but Im so sorry, no, Philippe did not win the victim sweepstakes in that marriage. Also, his relationship with his brother was much less complicated than we see in this show, Philippe was a very simple person when it came to feelings, he was affectionate and friendly. Also, Louiss eyes are wet earlier than you recount, namely in the first shot after she says can you hear the flowers? First of all, ladies, stop spewing vitriol. When we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away. Women were not allowed to practice medicine at that time and her father clearly disapproves, particularly as she grows more skilled and knowledgable than him. I am sobbing. In Versailles, Madame de Clermont is running round like a blue-arsed fly having discovered that her poison has gone missing. poison, death and departures Versailles episode 10, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), The finale. Philippe and Louis have all the best monologues and the writing is brilliant, so in character. And here is where Im a bit uncertain, but didnt she make that remark after Philippe raped her? Art. We are NOT touching her! Philippe finally says. The Queen rushes to her side as she collapses and Louis commands Bontemps to fetch his doctor. In which case, I dont blame her one bit! Eww. I think I enjoyed your reviews as much as the show itself. hes a critic, but there is another who has been hidden before us. 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? It unfortunately follows that her absence would weaken you. Even Louis at this stage is getting sick of it and announces he is going to war. When an autopsy was done (observed by 17 French doctors, two English physicians, the British ambassador and around 100 other onlookers) death was deemed to be from cholera morbus (gastroenteritis) caused by heated bile. The poor Chevalier, accused when he wasnt even there! He is the villain if you are looking for one. Louis pauses, shocked, Marchal grabs his belly, echoing that look, and Im all NOOOOOO! Louis is a shit to Philippe. You said Id be happy with either, tbh! What? He gives as good as he gets and so much worse. Louis persists. The flashback of Charlotte being shot is in his head, reminding us (the audience) what happened previously and confirming that Marchal now knows how it was done. Dear Anne, Im guessing I know a fair bit more about rape, the history of rape, the history of rape within marriage and womens rights (and lack thereof) than you realise. I think he also wants reassurance that Louis cares for him as much as he cares for Louis. I am looking at her now. It was very clear from episode 1 that you were not a fan of Henriette and I found that quick jarring to read in your reviews. It was quite the method du jour to get rid of a person, as the series has shown. These reactions perfectly suit and says a lot to their characters, plus George Blagden and Alex Vlahos as hugely talented actors. Rohan. Bontemps is still confused: you told us Montcourt was to blame. How can he be so sure? Beating your wife was also quite legal, acceptable and, indeed, expected. Colbert looks a bit stunned. The characters almost act as it never happened. My loyalty still lays with Philippe as her husband, he has a right to lay claim to his wife. UGH D:. My heart breaks for him. 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. Because the whole world gave you counsel. In summary, of the four people involved in this sad businessLouis, Philippe, the Chevalier and HenrietteHenriette is the most powerless, the one with the least choice in anything. Thanks for reading! In any case, Philippe is Louis victim but definitely NOT Henriettes. (its only 16mins and 50 seconds in not that I was counting *innocent whistle*) Filmed in the Chteau de Maisons in Maisons-Lafitte, in the Salon dHercule, he strides past Montcourt, demands to know what he is doing. But he will not be resting for long the door opens later and we see a pair of bare feet, the hem of a nightgown, both bloodied, as they enter. I especially like the pairing of her and Marchal. She is in love with him and, as you say, it seems its been going on for a long time. Marchal commands to clear the room, Louis adds: Not you, Montcourt. and the doors are sealed: no one enters. Does she want to end things with Louis? Montcourt is stabbed by Louis XIV while facing off with him and Fabien Marchal. Absolutely enjoyed your recap of the finale. 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). 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. Should Claudine be villified for showing up her father? Montcourt looks nervous, says he doesnt know what he means. Her mother (a french princess) is dead, and shes alone, probably the only English in the palace. Your closest confidants told you to look elsewhere! 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!) Basically he can do what he wants, but she is not allowed to. As she said, she was only voicing what they were both thinking. 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. Gaston de Foix was arrested and tortured as the potential poisoner by Fabien. Philippe is most definitely not the victim in his marriage. To spare his feelings? However, the bible does say something about a man being expected to marry his brothers widow. They fear she might have been poisoned, so King Louis XIV shuts all access To Versailles. Societal expectations do not alter basic human reality. As she made her last confession, the English ambassador, Lord Montagu, asked Henriette if she believed she had been poisoned. Especially in S1, I got the feeling that they gave a lot of Lorraines personality traits/reactions/behaviour to Philippe. Philippe and Henriette are quite possibly the two people Louis loves most, and yet he uses and hurts them both repeatedly to get what he wants and because he is paranoid about his brother. I just wanted to tell you that I enjoy your reviews and will keep reading them through saison 2. Whats wrong? I neglected to include the phrase in my opinion. Henriette has become seriously ill, it might be poison and she is the sister of the King of England. Louis is greeted by Bontemps in his chambers, who enquires about Henriettes health. We now see Philippe, so resigned, with tears down his cheeks, then Louis with a no, this is NOT happening. look on his face, eyes still dry. Louis and Bontemps share a look between them a kind of wtf do we do now? Montcourt 10 episodes, 2015 Gilly Gilchrist . Close the doors! The Queen adds: we must put her in the bed. Louis nods; in she goes. We will never know if Louis and Henriette ever did consummate their attraction, but the gossip of the time most definitely swayed in that direction. 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. King Louis is in a bit of a pickle. and Nine. Monsieur de Reynaud is poisoned by an unknown entity. Hi, Similarly, perforation of the gall bladder may have led to an excess of bile leaking into the peritoneum causing the corruption and gangrene reported by her doctors. Marchal is surprised but pleased: attracting the flies to the paper. You are both the angels at my shoulder, says Louis, which reminds Marchal of the Parthenays and Montcourt. Which one? Louis asks. Why? And the only reason she is such a powerful weapon against Philippe is because Philippe views her as nothing more than his property to do with as he wishes. . Easily tired, she withdrew whenever the party stopped for the night, usually going straight to bed. (Same with the Chevalier and his jealousy of Philippes wives. Henriette says a glorious death in battle would not displease him. How do we find the poisoner? I think he has done his younger brother irreperable harm and, at times, I wonder if he wouldnt throw Philippe to the wolves if it suited him or France. They could not be more different in this moment. My biggest problem with Henriette/Louis is that I find it highly doubtful that Louis would have sex with her. And she did it willingly. Philippe: Because you told her to. Louis: Because she was born to it. Philippe: Because she loves you. Louis: if we do not have the English, we cannot attack the Dutch. The look on Philippes face is incredulous yes, Louis is talking war when his wife lies dying. Hell, HIS WIFE is shagging his brother. Thatd do it. The writers want us to think that evrry time they had kids, he had to rape her? Its just that his anger and upset (and yes, jealousy I think) affects him so much, because its just another way for his brother to control and belittle him, make him less. But in context, with everything else going on in the show and with what Philippe deals with, I can understand why he did it. "Versailles" and I met by chance on Netflix. They fear she might have been poisoned, so King Louis XIV shuts all access To Versailles. He remembers too. Seizing upon Henriettes dying reproach of Philippe, he asserted that she had been the victim of a plot orchestrated by Lorraine, who held Henriette responsible for his exile and sought revenge. LOUIS. I realise that you are not a fan of the historical figure but I am speaking strictly of the character. The camera pans around him and yet still, not one muscle is out of place, not one twitch of emotion. They talk about whats happening Marchal is questioning people, and Sophie was taken in that morning. AAAAAAHHH. Henriette was more than happy to become second only to Marie-Therese. She is later arrested as the poisoner as her son is released, but ridiculed from court. In walks Philippe, now fully dressed (and what a fine figure he is!) The midwife and doctor were horrified but there was nothing she could do!!! PERFECT. OMG!). <3 <3 I love the outfit on the fashion doll that we see when Philippe and Lorraine flounce into the salon full of cloth and trinkets, and later we see that same coat on Philippe as they stroll the gardens :), Your email address will not be published. THIS. When we are far away, we must make him believe we are near. Both of them were in love with other people when they were forced to marry and they both were aware of that. I know times and attitudes were different then, but a person violated still feels violated, whether they are allowed to acknowledge it or not. Im guessing they were pretty equal. John Clare 191 subscribers Henrietta of England, Duchess of Orlans rushes to Louis XIV's chambers after being poisoned. Required fields are marked *. They have some banter, and Rohan invites the boy to play a game A game of war? The Dauphin says excitedly. YAAAAAY! Next time we see the painting in Ep 6 it has been moved to Henriettes room on her dressing table. 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. We see about ten hooded figures, along with the Unmasked Man whom Rohan freed from jail. Yes. This really shows he is vulnerable. So he tells Louis he will now deliver the man responsible for their deaths. They exchange silent looks for a moment, then Philippe says quietly, Do you remember our fort?. I was highly frustrated with the artistic liberties the authors took, and some just pretty much made up shit, totally contrary to history . I have heard many say they see angels before they die. (Ahhh! Marchal picks up the dropped knife and lunges and he and Montcourt trade a few blows, with Marchal blocking then delivering a punch. Hi, Much kudos to Nomie Schmidt for a brilliantly sad scene, aided by the backing music and the strength and emotion of George Blagden and Alex Vlahos. And who can blame her? Is Philippe a victim? That was your promise to me. I do understand you are a fan of Philippe, but I dont understand why that nessitates that Henriette be viewed as the villian. Philippe adds: .or two, perhaps. And he strides off. For the record, I dont think Henriette would actually like to see Philippe die, but she would like to be shot of him. And she was having an affair with the Comte de Guiche. First off let me say that I absolutely love your reviews of Versailles, Ms. Jules. While your character and scene analyses tend to differ quite a bit from my own (perhaps because of that?? Called it!) But gossip is gossip and it was particularly rife and vicious in those days. Charming. The only protection offered is by Louis. It is featured in several shots when Louis & Philippe are arguing and she reveals shes preggers as well as when Louis comes to confront her about not wishing to live with the doubt about the child. The historical notes you added were my favourite of all, I love knowing whats accurately portrayed and for the parts that were tweaked, what the actual history was. Marchal is still ordering: Get his Majesty to safety, at once! His guards rush in to remove him, they scuffle and Louis yells: get your hands off me! I am a true friend of the king. but Louis knows. It could possibly be the same spot from Ep1, when he confronted the wolf and Philippe rode in to rescue him. Philippe was there in the woods and saved Louis from the wolves, but at the end of season one hes left Versailles. 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. She seems like she has genuinely been brought in as a main character simply to drive the wedge deeper between Louis and Philippe, but not contribute anything herself to most of her scenes! Im going to be stalking these recaps in the arduous wait for season two. Charming. And Louvois being the pompous ass he is, says haughtily: Before you speak to me, I suggest you speak to the king. Marchal: I am his Majestys eyes and ears, Msieur Louvois. Anyhow, just wanted to say Montcourt tried to tell me the same. Its really sad, she could have been a great queen with Louis (he might not be faithful to her, but they will have live better than now), but the turns of fate, made her his brothers wife instead. Ugh) and oh dear, the Chevalier looks so panicked, so worried by the Ducs appearance is it because he thinks people will start accusing him again of treason? Thank you so much for your in depth response to my question. He deserves a truly powerful, unpredictable, fun, intoxicating woman who pulls the rug from under him, and he enjoys it. Only 4 of his children grew up, and even then, another died at 27. Then Montcourt, the sly little worm, implies that Marchal will cop shit if Henriette dies and no culprit is found, and that Marchals judgement is lacking due to the whole de Clermont thing. plus its almost as if he has something to say, to hide. Philippe has done as little to win her affection as she has to win his and Philippe certainly flaunts his lover in her face far more than she does hers in his. his majesty knew this day would come. 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. Spooks), it was no surprise when this drama arrived with a hearty dollop of sex, violence, tension, and intrigue.
