Let’s be real for a second. Most historical dramas are basically soap operas with better hats. But when the first season of Versailles dropped, it felt different. It was loud, expensive, and incredibly sweaty. At the center of it all were the Versailles TV show characters—a mix of real historical figures and some "creative" additions that still have people arguing on Reddit years after the finale.
You’ve got Louis XIV, obviously. He’s the Sun King, played by George Blagden with a mix of fragile ego and terrifying authority. Then there’s Philippe, the Duke of Orléans, who arguably steals every scene he’s in. But here’s the thing: how much of what we saw on screen was actually true? If you’re looking for a dry history lesson, this show wasn't it. However, if you want to understand the vibe of 17th-century power dynamics, the character arcs in this series actually hit closer to the mark than you might think.
The Sun King’s Gravitational Pull
Louis XIV wasn't just a king. He was a branding genius. In the show, we see him obsessing over the construction of the palace, but the real focus is how he uses the building to trap the nobility. It’s a gilded cage. Blagden’s portrayal captures that weird duality of a man who believes he is literally chosen by God but is also deeply insecure about his height and his legacy.
The show gets a lot of flack for the sex and the violence. Sure, it’s dialed up to eleven. But the core motivation of Louis—the need to centralize power so he never has to face another Fronde (the noble uprisings of his childhood)—is spot on. He turned the aristocracy into high-end babysitters. If you weren't at Versailles helping the King put on his shirt in the morning, you didn't exist. You had no power. That’s why the characters are so desperate. It wasn't just about party invites; it was about survival.
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Philippe I, Duke of Orléans: More Than Just the Brother
Alexander Vlahos played Philippe (Monsieur) with such a chaotic energy that he quickly became the fan favorite. History confirms Philippe was... complicated. He was a brilliant military commander who was frequently sidelined by his brother because Louis was jealous of his popularity with the troops.
And yes, the show’s depiction of his flamboyant lifestyle and his relationship with the Chevalier de Lorraine is backed up by pretty much every memoir from the era, including those of the Princess Palatine. Philippe wore makeup and dresses at court, but he’d then go out and dominate a battlefield. He was a walking contradiction. The show leans hard into the friction between the brothers, and honestly, that’s the engine that makes the whole series run. Without the "Monsieur" vs. "Sire" dynamic, the show would just be a documentary about plumbing and gold leaf.
The Women of the Court: Power Without a Title
If you think the men held all the cards, you weren't watching closely. The Versailles TV show characters who really moved the needle were often the ones in the shadows.
Take Madame de Montespan. Anna Brewster played her as a calculating, ruthless, and ultimately tragic figure. In real life, Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart was the "True Queen of France" for over a decade. She didn't just sleep with the King; she influenced policy. The show explores the "Affair of the Poisons," a massive real-life scandal that involved black masses and aristocrats murdering each other to gain favor. While the TV version adds a bit more leather and mystery, the sheer panic that gripped the court during this time was very real.
Then you have the contrast of Françoise d'Aubigné, also known as Madame de Maintenon. Her rise from the King's children's governess to his secret wife is one of the most improbable "Cinderella" stories in history, except with more religious guilt. The show depicts her as a stabilizing—and some might say boring or manipulative—influence who eventually turns Louis toward a more pious, repressed version of himself. It’s a fascinating look at how soft power works when you have zero legal rights.
Fabien Marchal: The Enforcer We Needed
We have to talk about Fabien. Played by Tygh Runyan, Fabien Marchal is the head of the King’s police. Here’s a quick reality check: Fabien is a fictional character. Or, more accurately, he’s a composite of several different people who handled the King’s "dirty work."
He’s the "cool" factor in the show. He’s basically a 17th-century noir detective living in a world of lace and ruffles. While he’s not a real person, his role is vital for the narrative because it illustrates the birth of the modern surveillance state. Louis XIV actually did create the first organized police force in Paris, led by Gabriel Nicolas de la Reynie. By having Fabien move through the halls of Versailles like a ghost, the show runners effectively demonstrated how Louis stayed ahead of his enemies. Knowledge was the real currency.
The Chevalier de Lorraine: The Ultimate Instigator
Evan Williams brought a certain "mean girl" energy to the Chevalier that was surprisingly historically accurate. The Chevalier was Philippe’s long-term lover, and he was notoriously difficult. He was beautiful, arrogant, and constantly exiled because he kept causing trouble.
In the show, his relationship with Philippe is portrayed with a surprising amount of heart, despite all the backstabbing. They weren't just a side plot; they were a power couple. The Chevalier’s presence at court was a constant thorn in Louis’s side, not because of his sexuality—the court was actually pretty "don't ask, don't tell" about it—but because of his influence over the King’s brother.
Why the Portrayal Matters
People often complain that these characters are too "modern." They talk too fast, they’re too cynical, and they care too much about individual happiness. But here’s the thing: human nature hasn't changed that much in 350 years.
If you were a minor noble at Versailles, you were living in a high-stress environment where one wrong word could ruin your family for generations. You’d be cynical too. The show uses its characters to explore themes of identity, trauma, and the crushing weight of expectation.
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- Louis is traumatized by his childhood and obsessed with control.
- Philippe is desperate to be seen as an equal, not just a "spare."
- The Queens and Mistresses are navigating a world where their only value is their fertility or their beauty.
How to Fact-Check Your Favorites
If you’ve finished the series and you’re craving the "real" story, there are a few places you should look. Skip the generic history sites and go straight to the primary sources.
- The Memoirs of Saint-Simon: He lived at Versailles and hated almost everyone. He is the ultimate source for the petty drama and the weird etiquette rules. Just remember he’s incredibly biased.
- The Letters of Liselotte (the second Duchess of Orléans): She was Philippe’s second wife, and her letters are hilarious. She hated the French court, missed German beer, and wrote candidly about her husband’s "preferences" and the King’s hygiene.
- Antonia Fraser’s "Love and Louis XIV": This is a great modern biography that focuses on the women of the court and gives much more context to the relationships we see on screen.
The Versailles TV show characters serve as an entry point into a world that was far more bizarre than anything a writer's room could dream up. The real court didn't have as much slow-motion walking, but it had twice as much scandal.
If you want to dive deeper into this era, your best bet is to look into the Affair of the Poisons. It’s the dark underbelly of the Sun King’s reign that the show only scratched the surface of. Read up on La Voisin, the midwife/sorceress who allegedly ran a network of poisoners that reached the very top of the French aristocracy. It makes the show look tame by comparison.
Focus your research on the legal transcripts from the Chambre Ardente, the special court Louis set up to investigate the poisonings. That’s where the real "Versailles" characters reveal their true faces—desperate, paranoid, and willing to do anything to stay in the King’s light.