"Versailles" (2015-2018) - Canal+ Drama Series on Louis XIV of France

[wyevale]

SO many liberties were taken with the timeline/personalities and historical FACT the entire 'run' made 'the Crown' look like Gospel Truth..
A 'romp' in short, quite watchable, but a serious missed opportunity'given that the truth is every bit as gripping, and fascinating as the tissue of invention spun in this series...

 

[Pranter]

And that's probably part of why I don't like the show...I love history and it annoys me when they get too far off track.


LaRAe

 

[Mbruno]

I actually saw season 3 in French already and it's mostly about the war of the Spanish succession and the abolishment of the edict de Nantes. Plus a bit of the "man in the Iron mask" (I did not understand the reasoning behind him wearing the mask at all!). For someone who is interested in history, it is a very weird season, all kind of happenings mixed together. But the arc about Louis and Philippe becoming friends and find finally trust in their relationship as brothers is lovely, as is the end for the Orleans-triangle. So just watch it for fun as it is historically not true at all, but nice to watch.

I haven't seen Season 3 yet. How did they handle the War of Spanish Succession ? Is Philip V of Spain also in the series ? And who makes an appearance e.g. on the British and Austrian sides ?

 

[Mbruno]

I actually saw season 3 in French already and it's mostly about the war of the Spanish succession and the abolishment of the edict de Nantes. Plus a bit of the "man in the Iron mask" (I did not understand the reasoning behind him wearing the mask at all!). For someone who is interested in history, it is a very weird season, all kind of happenings mixed together. But the arc about Louis and Philippe becoming friends and find finally trust in their relationship as brothers is lovely, as is the end for the Orleans-triangle. So just watch it for fun as it is historically not true at all, but nice to watch.

I finally saw Season 3 on demand yesterday up to Episode 10 . Contrary to what you said, the War of Spanish Succession is not part of the series, which ends circa 1683, I guess. The war that is alluded to in the first episodes of the season is, I believe, the Franco-Dutch war.


I was really disappointed because I was hoping to see Louis XIV's reaction to the revolution of 1688 and William of Orange becoming King of England and Scotland. And I would also like to see the Spanish succession issue being covered more extensively. I suppose they didn't do it perhaps because it would require recasting an older Louis, but a Season 4 taking place between 1688 and 1714 would have been great.