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How large was the royal court at the Palace of Versailles during Louis XIV's reign?
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Palace of Versailles
Palace of Versailles, Paris.
During the reign of Louis XIV, the royal court at the Palace of Versailles was remarkably large, consisting of approximately 20,000 people attached to the court.1
The distribution of this population was as follows:
- Inside the palace: About 1,000 courtiers and 4,000 attendants resided within the palace complex itself.1
- Outside the palace: Approximately 14,000 soldiers and servants were quartered in various annexes and the surrounding town of Versailles.1
By the time of Louis XIV's death in 1715, the town of Versailles, which had been founded in 1671, had grown to a population of 30,000 inhabitants.1