Louis XIV Studied My Sneakers and Then Gave Me a Gift

I time-slipped into Versailles in 1682 — the exact year Louis XIV moved his entire court here. The Hall of Mirrors wasn't finished yet. I watched it being painted. In this episode: surviving the royal courtyard in a sundress, witnessing the Lever (the king's public wake-up ceremony), sneaking into the Hall of Mirrors while it was still under construction, getting my face powdered and a beauty patch applied by court ladies, sailing the Grand Canal on a gilded boat, watching Louis XIV eat dinner in front of three hundred silent people, a private court ballet, and somehow ending up in a formal audience with the Sun King himself — who studied my sneakers very carefully and asked about the future of fashion. He gave me an enamel snuffbox with a gold sun on the lid. I now own a gift from Louis XIV. ⏱ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Arriving in the gardens of Versailles 01:40 — The peacock incident 03:00 — Entering the royal courtyard (Cour Royale) 04:30 — The Lever — watching the king wake up publicly 06:30 — Hall of Mirrors under construction (1682 exclusive) 08:20 — The ladies' apartments — getting the full court makeover 10:00 — Grand Canal with Venetian gondoliers 11:30 — Grand Couvert — Louis XIV eats publicly 13:00 — Court ballet (man in the next seat fell asleep) 14:30 — Formal audience with Louis XIV 17:00 — Royal kitchens — the engine of Versailles 18:20 — The gardens at night — thousands of torches 20:00 — Farewell. He thought heels would never go out of style. 📍 Previous episodes: → Edo Japan 1603 — I Met Tokugawa Ieyasu → Tudor London 1536 — I Met Anne Boleyn → Ancient Egypt 1300 BC → Ancient Siberia 300 BC 🔔 Subscribe so you don't miss the next time slip.