author
duchesse d' Charlotte-Elisabeth Orléans
1652–1722
Best known as Madame Palatine, she left behind some of the liveliest firsthand accounts of life at the court of Louis XIV. Her sharp, candid letters make the glitter of Versailles feel immediate, human, and often surprisingly funny.
6 Audiobooks
Memoirs of the Court of Louis XIV. and of the Regency — Complete
by duchesse d' Charlotte-Elisabeth Orléans
Memoirs of the Court of Louis XIV. and of the Regency — Volume 01
by duchesse d' Charlotte-Elisabeth Orléans
Memoirs of the Court of Louis XIV. and of the Regency — Volume 02
by duchesse d' Charlotte-Elisabeth Orléans
Memoirs of the Court of Louis XIV. and of the Regency — Volume 04
by duchesse d' Charlotte-Elisabeth Orléans
The Correspondence of Madame, Princess Palatine, Mother of the Regent; of Marie-Adélaïde de Savoie, Duchesse de Bourgogne; and of Madame de Maintenon, in Relation to Saint-Cyr
by Madame de Maintenon, Duchess of Burgundy of Savoy Marie Adelaide, duchesse d' Charlotte-Elisabeth Orléans
Memoirs of the Court of Louis XIV. and of the Regency — Volume 03
by duchesse d' Charlotte-Elisabeth Orléans
About the author
Born in Heidelberg on May 27, 1652, Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate was a German princess who married Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, the younger brother of Louis XIV. At the French court she became known as Madame, Duchess of Orléans, and later generations often remembered her by the nickname Liselotte.
She is especially important today because of her letters. Written over many years, they describe court ceremony, family life, politics, illness, grief, and gossip with unusual honesty. That direct voice has made her one of the most vivid witnesses to Versailles in the age of the Sun King.
She died on December 8, 1722. For many readers, her appeal lies in the contrast she captures so well: behind the splendor of one of Europe's most famous courts, she shows real people with tempers, loyalties, habits, and heartbreaks.