The men at Versailles would keep themselves up to date on news and politics the same way most do today. They would read the daily newspaper in the mornings. The newspaper of choice was the Gazette de France. In most instances, it was the only paper that would be read. This was not the case with Louis, however, and we all know he loved to read!Louis subscribed not only to the daily Gazette de France, but also to the main European newspapers of the day. Some of these included the Morning Chronicle of London and the Gazette de Leyden, a premiere Dutch publication. He would not read them all over breakfast but spent many hours in his library pouring over both books and the news. So if you assumed he was not on the 'in' he was in fact very well informed of events in Europe from point of views outside of France!
How very interesting! The Morning Chronicle was notoriously gossipy as well. So he must have been up to date on all the tarts of England.
ReplyDeleteImportant to note that Louis XVI was quite fluent in English. He had received a far better formal education than prior French Kings.
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