Princesse of Versaille CL

Juicy details about the domestic lives of the rich and famous in 17th-century France enliven this entertaining and instructive biography, which focuses on the doting relationship between Louis XIV and Adelaide, his grandson's wife and the mother of Louis XV. When this daughter of the Duke of Savoy was 10, Louis brought her to Versailles for a political marriage with the 12-year-old Duke of Burgundy, and over the years he grew to adore her company even more than he did that of his famous mistress, Mme. de Maintenon. Not skimping on homely details, Elliott, a first-time author, describes Louis's enormous meals, his levees on the chamber pot, Maintenon's complaints about his insatiable lust, Adelaide's sloppy dressing, daily routines, pregnancies, illnesses and medical treatment, as well as the Sun King's politics, wars and architectural fancies. The titillating mixture of gossip and history makes for a spicy read, as much about Louis in his roles as paterfamilias , lover of women and creative ruler as it is about Adelaide herself. Illustrations not seen by PW. (July)