This sumptuous drama is set in a world of power, politics, betrayal, lust and declarations of war. The year is 1667 and King Louis XIV is a 28 year-old monarch on the cusp of greatness. A 17th century rock star and an utterly ruthless leader, he will stop at nothing to seize control of France and his enemies – and his weapon is the construction of a new seat of power and authority – the most beautiful palace in Europe and a symbol of absolute monarchy: Versailles.
Versailles takes the period genre to new dimensions, injecting a vibrant modernity into an era that put France at the epicentre of glamour, culture and fashion. The series stars George Blagden (Les Miserables, The Vikings) and Alexander Vlahos (Merlin) as Louis and his brother Philippe and was brought to life by a critically acclaimed creative team including showrunners Simon Mirren (Without a Trace, Criminal Minds), David Wolstencroft (Spooks, The Escape Artist), producers Claude Chelli (Braquo) and Anne Thomopoulos (Rome, The Tudors) and director Jalil Lespert (Yves Saint Laurent).
To accompany the drama, historians Lucy Worsley and Helen Castor draw back the curtain on the seductive world of the real Louis XIV to reveal how he became the longest serving absolute monarch in European history. As they discover in this special one hour film, it was a feat all the more remarkable as he presided over a court beset by Machiavelian intrigue, revenge, sexual scandal and bitter betrayal.
Versailles, Palace of the Playboy King is Executive Produced by Eamon Hardy, BBC Television.
