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. Now this is fascinating. Such was the hygiene of 17th century France. 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. *Deeeeeep breath* Okay. I really like him as a character, even though he tortures people. I have one comment / correction on what you wrote on Henriettes death scene. Who's who in Versailles S1-3? A guide to the French court You can read more about Henriettas death here. Does she want to end things with Louis? FOCUS. I COMMAND YOU! and the guards step back. It was total and raw and real and I wept long and bitter tears for him. However, Madeleine de Foix, Gaston's mother, defends her son at the salon, but when facing banishment, she stabs Fabien, almost killing him. Hi Theresa, and thanks for your comment. Monsieur de Reynaud is poisoned by an unknown entity. It was so good. A European history-geek friend told me about this show yesterday, so I binge watched the entire series. Claudine confirms poison and Louis huddles with his advisors: he wants to know if any English are at court. You did this to her. Louis looks shocked: Brother. Philippe will have none of it: We warned you. Louis replies how else was I to keep you close. Get him out! Henriette cries. My greatest issue with Henriette is that she seems to lack any personality. Stars: George Blagden, Alexander Vlahos, Tygh Runyan Director(s . He expressed his doubts to the grief-stricken Charles II, who earnestly believed that his sister had been murdered. Henriette screams and they both surge to the door then suddenly stop. for Season 2. I believe Louis did love her. That Henriette was such an effective way of hurting Philippe is down to Philippes viewing her as his property, not because he felt any true affection for her (at least, not until closer towards the end, when I do believe he really does care). Pretty sure he was not the one who did the poisoning thing. How can you be scared? (sweet Philippe!) Still wouldve loved to read your long comment was it complimentary? It is clear these two have a long relationship and are not allowing a small (read: large) thing as marriage get in the way. Hi Jules and Aly, Thank you! The Dauphin hides stealthy behind a tree, looking for Rohan. They exchange silent looks for a moment, then Philippe says quietly, Do you remember our fort?. Does Henriette mind being used by Louis? 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. Trusting Philippe and involving him in the running of France would make him a better, stronger king. Point 5: Ah, Henriettes remark about Philippes glorious death in battle. Louis looks stunned too. Im merely suggesting you might save some time. Marchal persists, pointing out that Louvois always disagrees frequently and loudly with the Kings decisions. Id be happy with either, tbh! A goodbye to 'Versailles,' TV's best show you probably never watched The first time we see Philippe is with his lover. No, of course she doesnt. This really shows he is vulnerable. Do you honestly think that just because certain abusesatrocities, evenwere acceptable, that those on the receiving end didnt feel anger, pain, violation, etc. Also it will set Louis in a collision with Phillipe who did not want his wife to go to England for the negotiations. Philippe is clearly shocked and my heart is just going HHHHHHHGGGGNNNNN. Le Roi Danse, which is all about the rise and fall of Lully, Louis XIVs court composer (French, but hard to find with English subtitles). When King Charles hears that his beloved sister has been poisoned in France, it is only a matter of hours before a declaration of war. Louvois: a war they cannot afford to win. Colbert now counsels Louis on the shift of power should Henriette die: Henriettes very existence strengthens your position. Moreover, we cant fault her anymore for continuing her relationship with Louis (as if she would have had the power to end it anyway) than we can Philippe for continuing his with the Chevalier. It is so interesting to watch, given a discussion I had on Twitter earlier with some fellow fans. Is there anything more beautiful than the scent of blossom in the air? Henriette gets out softly. Panoramica: After crushing the Protestants and thwarted Leto, Louis feels invincible. and especially when he proved himself in battle and all of Paris cheered him and adored him. I let a wolf back into my barn! Montcourts hand slides to his hip, Marchal sees this (good Chief of Police *pets his pretty head*) and Montcourt still denies, Louis accuses him of poisoning Henriette. b) To show a glimpse of vulnerability for Henriette because for all her power, she is still the property of her husband and can be treated as such. HOW DID THEY DO THAT SO PERFECTLY??? Philippe had stillborn twins and a daughter, a son who died at 2 and one at 4, plus two miscarriages. Though only a few actually act on it. Marchal is having a hard time believing Montcourts usual crapabout returning to court because he is a true friend to the king and was his duty to inform him of a threat to Henriettes life. But his family and France are divided. She is used by the king to hurt his brother. 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. Lot of time on my hands at the momentLULZ. Easily tired, she withdrew whenever the party stopped for the night, usually going straight to bed. That she could feel no affection for the man she was forced to marry, a man who could never feel anything for her and who also raped her, is not at all surprising (even while considering that marital rape was acceptable at that time). Rohan took him riding. Then he screams out: CALL THE GUARD!. We cut to the forest, to the two Kings Guards in their blue livery, leaning by a tree as Rohan and little Louis still mock fight. The next shot is of Montespan, entering her rooms, where she briefly cries then quickly gains control with a deep breath. As for Philippe, I cant make out what he is. 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! The French musical Le Roi Soleil is always great to watch. First to Henriette, and after she was poisoned, to Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess of the Palatinate. Last scene, with Louis silent and stoic, standing on a stone that overlooks a glorious view of the forest with Versailles in the distance. then goes into the bedchamber. 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. That doesnt mean a woman would feel affection for her abuser. Montcourt is confused. For one thing, Anne of Austria, Henriette and the Comtesse de Scissons and even Louis XIV partly himself were in real life all part of a plan to distract the court and other gossip mongers from spreading further lies, gossip, rumors and to provide a cover up for Louis and Henriettes affair which was more of a fling than an actual full fledged affair. Absolutely enjoyed your recap of the finale. I did have a thought, though, why the writers didnt build up to her being the young version of one of Louis mistresses, he had so many. There are times when I will shout (in my head), Just leave this place and run back to England.. I do. Bontemps moves her along. 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. Youre brought up, its your duty. What a pain! Philippe has no interest in Henriette, is not attracted to her or in love with her. How do we find the poisoner? He says quietly: She knew what she had to do. While your character and scene analyses tend to differ quite a bit from my own (perhaps because of that?? The best visual of the whole episode. 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. And Philippe says calmly and quietly: There. In which case, I dont blame her one bit! He was distraught when she died, and was fully intent on punishing those responsible (as poison was indeed thought to have killed her). Yet another possibility is that she had a duodenal ulcer which burst, leading to peritonitis. Like only a brother can. Philippelooks into the fire, whispers, I was so proud of you. Thank you for the recaps, I am with you on all things you write about Monsieur Marchal, he is everything! Of course not. I hope the surgery went well, Heather! Your closest confidants told you to look elsewhere! Louis pauses, shocked, Marchal grabs his belly, echoing that look, and Im all NOOOOOO! Montcourt tried to tell me the same. My bed your last stop before retiring. Anything Henriette had done to Philippe, he had done to herand worse. ? Brilliant. He is genuinely distraught, going to a collapsed Henriette on the floor while Louis is just standing there, seemingly frozen. Of course, nothing happened and the doctors said colic but nine hours later, she was dead. Her cheeriness disguised the fact that she was unwell. Anyway, back to the story. He deserves a truly powerful, unpredictable, fun, intoxicating woman who pulls the rug from under him, and he enjoys it. At some stage, Musket Mike (the masked man) is outed as a Kings guard. I very much enjoyed reading them and especially liked your additional facts about the historical events and figures. In my opinion, I agree with Teresa. He is always the king, while Philippe gives his emotions (somewhat) free rein. On the other hand, Ive never doubted for a moment Philippes loyalty to his brother or his love for him. Louis decides to go to Paris to bless the sick. I cannot even imagine his reasoning for this, however I do know historically, Henriette desperately did want to be Queen of France, as did her mother want it, but at the time, she didnt have the pedigree, being the sister to Englands heir who wasnt even on the throne at the time. Right away, I am feeling negative towards them both, and yes, judgey about Henriette. Henriette and Philippe | Versailles Wiki | Fandom Revealing nothing. The final review of the finaleof Versailles. (Same with the Chevalier and his jealousy of Philippes wives. Louis was deathly afraid of the more relaxed, popular and fun-loving Monsieur, who gave great parties, was social and everyone wanted to be around. Oh, Lord receive me she softly says, opens her eyes can you hear that? we then learn Henriette is Philippes wife. Mike did. She is later arrested as the poisoner as her son is released, but ridiculed from court. Not sure and he leaves. UGH, technology! According to the Savoyard ambassador, the king vowed that, if Henriette had indeed been poisoned, those involved would be tortured to death, including the chevalier de Lorraine, Philippes favourite, if he were implicated. Yes. Incest or homosexuality? I respect the fact that two people can look at the same thing and see it from completely different angles and come away with completely different interpretations. Henriette of England | Versailles Wiki | Fandom Henriette gasps, crying and in pain. Henrietta of England - Wikipedia Louis drops the poker, approaches Montcourt. Ive mentioned before that his intimate interactions with women in the show are used as a form of punishment towards those who have hurt him Louis (with Louise and Henriette) and the Chevalier (with the maid). Then he says I pay you to spy on others, not on me. . LOUIS. ), Back to Louis outside his bed chamber, where Henriettes screams of pain can be heard. . THIS. Two steps behind him, as protocol dictates, is the Chevalier. He was named Louis Dieudonn (Louis the God-given) and bore the traditional title of French heirs apparent: Dauphin . 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. I realise that you are not a fan of the historical figure but I am speaking strictly of the character. He rapes his wife. I couldnt honestly say. . She is powerless. My loyalty still lays with Philippe as her husband, he has a right to lay claim to his wife. Called it!) Henriette has become seriously ill, it might be poison and she is the sister of the King of England. We see this SO MANY TIMES it becomes frustrating and sad. Hes just having some fun. Louis finally nods to the guards, the pikes are uncrossed and Philippe takes a breath and walks out without a backwards glance.The Chevalier gives him a few feet head start, then strolls after him, hands behind his back, not looking at Louis, not bowing. It is one or the other. Philippe replies calmly: You acted out of pride. on The finale. Then he turns and suddenly a Man In a Mask is standing there. many things. Louis looks at him as he goes on: I believe this palace is a symbol of our king. We are back at the sickbed, where Henriette sleeps and Montespan silently weeps at the bed. Husbands have being raping their wives since time began from royalty down to peasants and it was classed as taking their marital rights . Versailles 2015 TV series, shows/cartoon,anime,magma/Documentaries The two Ms still fight, and Louis approaches, holding the poker. 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. He did it with Prince Annaba, with Philippe and the Chevalier, with Philippe in the bath whether its just him thinking hey, Im the King, I can do whatever TF I want or some other deep need to catch people unawares, I do not know). "Versailles" and I met by chance on Netflix. She also miscarries a baby that was either her husband Philippe's or the King's, no one is sure. NOT I dont want you to die, (that comes later) she says my problems cannot be solved, you know that. Way to avoid his question. *Another side-note: When the Chavelier mentions that Louis does not look for beauty so much as character, umwas he talking about Henriette? BRILLIANT acting. 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. Then Philippe walks out, still dressed in his nightshirt and robe, barefoot. 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. I was merely pointing out how such treatment of his wife would hardly help warm her feelings towards him. The steps, the swinging of the arms, the movement of the coat and their cravats. 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. I really enjoy your reviews. They take her hands. Louis walks in and replies: because I ask him to do so. Ahhhhh-HA! Cassel leaves, then Montcourt walks away in the direction of Rohan who is discussing the Dauphins outing with a guard. Versailles 1x10 - Henrietta is poisoned - YouTube ! Louis is stunned: Why are you casting all this rage at me? Philippe: Because you deserve it. To my observation, we do not know who messed with the bottles I was assuming it was Mike or Rohan, because the hand is gloved and we do not see the face. While making this video i was inspired by the scene when Henriette talks about her first mask ball. They could be far away from the victim at the time of death, so it would be difficult to definitively pin on anyone. Who poisoned Henriette in Versailles? Seriously, he could have married her to any noble and they would have looked the other way at the cheating. Another suggestion is that she had porphyria, although she displayed none of its symptoms. Philippe looks up to Louis with wet puppy eyes, Louis looks at Philippe, his all flinty and hard. Unfortunately, Louis paranoia and selfishness blind him to this. These reactions perfectly suit and says a lot to their characters, plus George Blagden and Alex Vlahos as hugely talented actors. They are singing. Minor detail maybe, but not sure if that doesnt change the meaning of the next bit somewhat? What? There was no indication of poisoning, so death was attributed to cholera morbus caused by corrupt and boiling bile, which had led to gangrene in the entrails and other parts of the lower abdomen. I especially like the pairing of her and Marchal. But that was the thinking of the time. Louis paranoia about his little brother is completely unfounded. I love these seemingly random yet distinct choices made by directors and production designers. Louis. No context is provided about who he is, no indication he is married. It was generally believed that she had been poisoned by one of her husband's friends, but historians have concluded that she died of natural causes, perhaps of a ruptured appendix. All I could find were negative. Louis asks Henriette to spy on her husband and she does not refuse. You said But of course, she wants to know what happened to her mother in exchange for that information. 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. He takes her hand and closes his eyes and for a moment he is vulnerable. Of his power, of his country. Exactly. And Louis weeps. Then the camera pans to the door and Philippe enters, says to him quietly, were leaving. Only Versailles is now about as sexy as Robot Wars. But of course, she has no power to rid herself of him, so his death would be her only chance. Is it a bigger crime than boy love? They grew up knowing what their duty was as prince and princess. Anyways, he says: we cannot be seen together anymore. I guess in summary, I saw more nuance and non-verbal cues with Philippe that made him a more sympathetic character. You can ask to reproduce it, though - just contact me. Quite a few. Points 1 and 2: We establish that both people are in love with someone else. Im no Henriette fan, but Im so sorry, no, Philippe did not win the victim sweepstakes in that marriage. And the person either asserts himself or is subjugated to the will of others. I was highly frustrated with the artistic liberties the authors took, and some just pretty much made up shit, totally contrary to history . Louis XIV was born on 5 September 1638 in the Chteau de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, to Louis XIII and Anne of Austria. Louis is calm but angry: then you set yourself against me. Philippe pauses, looks incredibly sad for a moment, then briefly nods. Such a beautiful moment, with Philippe building on their complex relationship, reminding Louis of a more simplistic time. Claudine confirms: We have no choice. He rolls in bed, his cheek on a bloodied pillow, and suddenly wakes, realises what it is and follows the trail to Louis bedchamber. It is so reflective of the dilemma she has created for herself. In perfect sync. This is Louis in control, in power, and he delivers a malevolent, threatening banter that is fabulous to see. Then he looks to Rohans hand tapping on the stone, decorated with a ring and the penny drops. Glad to see he lives on, at least for awhile. He has poisoned all of them. Apparently de Clermont gave Marchal the names of the conspirators against the king, and all the names of those who shared her allegiance. Yet how much pain are you willing to endure before you get what you want? This is who they truly are in this one moment of grief. Is it fair? Nothing. Still, Louis suspicions had been aroused and he ordered an autopsy, which was performed by French doctors and witnessed by others sent from England. OMG!). Yet you heard nothing. I cant always catch what is being said, particularly if it an aside or a whisper but I know you will tell me . Not so much. He cripples himself with his own paranoia. I cannot permit it, he says. Another grabs him, covers his mouth, and more appear to shoot a guard. The king himself suspected that Henrietta might have been poisoned and ordered an autopsy to be carried out. In this respect, they are both on fairly equal footing. Even Louis at this stage is getting sick of it and announces he is going to war. Lovely. Such an angry outpouring from Louis, however, would have been out of character and no one else reported that he said any such thing. 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. Montcourt to Marchal: You are a fool. Louis replies: And you are a MURDERER! Montcourt continues with the wrong man thing, but Louis will have none of it. Copyright 2023 History Today Ltd. Company no. Saint-Simon asserted that Louis was so thankful that his brother was innocent of the crime that he decided not to prosecute the perpetrators. Fashion. It would be an outrageous thought. Louis just nods, gives Philippe a look (who is standing near the doors, looking so alone and sad, I just wanna hug him!) So, he loves Henrietta as a friend, or simply to rival his brother? I am really liking Sophies growth as a character, who is, of course, beautiful, but with attitude and a strong backbone, as we are now seeing. However, the bible does say something about a man being expected to marry his brothers widow. The death of someone so young was often attributed to poison. 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.