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looked busy; but none bashful. I believe there were three thousand persons present. There was one deficiency,—one drawback, as I felt at the time. There were no persons of colour ... Every man of colour who is a citizen of the United States has a right to as free an admission as any other man; and it would be a dignity added to the White House if such were seen there.
96:, the author recounts the Emperor's practice, when he was dressing and putting on his shoes, to invite his friends to come in and, in case of a dispute brought to his attention, "he would order the disputants to be brought in there and then, hear the case as if he were sitting in tribunal and pronounce a judgement."
600:
Among the aristocracy, the levée could also become a crowded and social occasion, especially for women, who liked to put off the donning of their uncomfortable formal clothes, and whose hair and perhaps make-up needed prolonged attention. There is a famous depiction of the levée of an 18th-century
539:
where all those who possessed any court office attended him. He then announced what he expected to do that day and was left alone with those among his favourites of the royal children born illegitimately (whom he had publicly recognised and legitimated) and a few favourites, with the valets. These
336:
I saw one ambassador after another enter with his suite; the Judges of the
Supreme Court; the majority of the members of both Houses of Congress; and intermingled with these, the plainest farmers, storekeepers, and mechanics, with their primitive wives and simple daughters. Some looked merry; some
591:
the day was properly begun, as the king proceeded to daily Mass, sharing brief words as he progressed and even receiving some petitions. It was of these occasions that the King habitually remarked, in refusing a favour asked for some noble, "We never see him", meaning that he did not spend enough
519:
and the king's ministers and secretaries. A fifth entrée now admitted ladies for the first time, and a sixth entrée admitted, from a privileged position at a cramped backdoor, the king's children, legitimate and illegitimate indiscriminately — in scandalous fashion Saint-Simon thought — and their
450:
to the king from a vase that stood at the head of the bed and the king's morning clothes were laid out. First, the Master of the
Bedchamber and the First Servant, both high nobles, pulled the king's nightshirt over his head, one grasping each sleeve. The Grand Chamberlain presented the day shirt
632:
after
Freudenberg, of the 1780s, gentle social criticism is levelled at the lady of the court; that she slept without unlacing her stays, apparently, perhaps can be seen as artistic licence. Her maids dress her with deference, while the wallclock under the hangings of her
544:
490:
like ordinary gentlemen. Every other day the King shaved himself. Now, other privileged courtiers were admitted, a few at a time, at each stage, so that, as the King was putting on his shoes and stockings, "everyone" — in Saint-Simon's view — was there. This was the
229:. Participants formed a queue in the Throne Room before stepping forward when their names and ranks were called. Each then bowed to the king who was seated on a dais with male members of his family, officials of the Royal Household and senior officers behind him.
224:
at which officials, diplomats, and military officers of all three armed services, were presented individually to the sovereign. A form of civil uniform known as Levée dress was worn by those entitled to it, or else naval or military uniform, or
416:(1732-33) showing the wealthy Tom at his morning levée in London, attended by musicians and other hangers-on all dressed in expensive costumes. Surrounding Tom from left to right: a music master at a harpsichord, who was supposed to represent
136:
that transpired in degrees in the king's chamber, where only a very select group might serve the king as he rose and dressed. In fact, the king had often risen early and put in some hours hunting before returning to bed for the start of the
486:, his process of dressing began. Louis preferred to dress himself "for he did almost everything himself, with address and grace", Saint-Simon remarked. The King was handed a dressing-gown, and a mirror was held for him, for he had no
307:
held weekly public gatherings and receptions at the presidential mansion that were called levees. Designed to give the public access to the president and to project a dignified public image of the presidency, they were continued by
385:
held this post for most of the reign—who alone had slept in the bedchamber. The chief physician, the chief surgeon and Louis' childhood nurse, as long as she lived, all entered at the same time, and the nurse kissed him. The night
529:
can be estimated from Saint-Simon's remark of the King's devotions, which followed: the King knelt at his bedside "where all the clergy present knelt, the cardinals without cushions, all the laity remaining standing".
929:
or one of his other occasional retreats, providing a sense of intimacy that was only comparative, but engendering struggles among courtiers to be invited on such occasions, precisely the kind of competition Louis
201:. In the 18th century, as the fashionable dinner hour was incrementally moved later into the afternoon, the morning reception of the British monarch, attended only by gentlemen, was shifted back towards noon.
457:
to have a swift private word with the king, which would have been carefully rehearsed beforehand to express a request as deferentially as possible while also being as brief as possible. The King was given a
365:. Louis XIV was a creature of habit and the inflexible routine that tired or irritated his heirs served him well. Wherever the king had actually slept, he was discovered sleeping in the close-curtained
113:. Catherine describes that Henry II allowed his subjects, from nobles to household servants, to come in while he dressed. She states this pleased his subjects and improved their opinion of him.
613:, where she has her hair dressed while surrounded by a disorderly crowd of tradesmen touting for work or payment, and other petitioners, followed by a visit from a cousin. The second scene of
67:, meaning "getting up" or "rising") was traditionally a daily moment of intimacy and accessibility to a monarch or leader, as he got up in the morning. It started out as a royal custom, but in
438:, a privilege that could be purchased, subject to the king's approval, but which was restricted in Louis' time to the nobles. The King remained in bed, in his nightshirt and a short wig. The
432:
Then the curtains of the bed were drawn once again and, at a quarter past eight, the Grand
Chamberlain was called, bringing with him the nobles who had the privilege of the
451:
which, according to Saint-Simon, had been shaken out and sometimes changed, because the king perspired freely. This was a moment for any of those with the privilege of the
540:
were less pressing moments to discuss projects with the King, who parcelled out his attention with strict regard for the current standing of those closest to him.
147:, and his queen typically spent all morning in bed, as reported by Saint-Simon, to avoid the pestering by ministers and courtiers that began with the lever.
764:
505:, that part of the royal establishment in charge of all preparations for ceremonies, events and festivities, to the last detail of design and order. At the
1057:
179:
226:
750:
220:
The practice of holding court levées was continued by the
British monarchy until 1939. These took the form of a formal reception at
914:
1047:
976:
592:
time at
Versailles, where Louis wanted to keep the nobility penned up, to prevent them interesting themselves in politics.
362:
159:
The successors of Louis XIV were not as passionate about the monarch's daily routine and, over time, the frequency of the
208:
King Edward VII's first levee, held in the Throne Room of St James's Palace. The King stands in the foreground, with the
71:
it came to refer to a reception by the sovereign's representative, which continues to be a tradition in Canada with the
17:
37:
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By the second half of the sixteenth century, it had become a formal event, requiring invitation. In 1563
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50:
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100:
42:
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31:
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When the King had them recalled, now accompanied by those who had the lesser privilege of the
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270:
194:
872:. Mount Vernon, Virginia: Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, George Washington's Mount Vernon
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619:
412:
358:
250:
221:
815:
808:
8:
258:
72:
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257:. The ceremonial event continues to be held in a number of Commonwealth countries. The
237:
Levée ceremonies were held by regal representatives of the
British Empire, such as the
124:
that Louis formalised, the set of extremely elaborate conventions was divided into the
104:
659:, the levée of the French queen during the reigns of Louis XV and XVI is represented.
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321:
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144:
722:
Letter to the King (8 September 1563?) LCM. Vol. II, p. 90, cited in Potter, David,
378:
317:
246:
130:, attended by the full court in the gallery outside the king's bedchamber, and the
332:'s presidency, remarked on how egalitarian the levee was in every respect but one:
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282:
68:
789:
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754:. Vol. 16 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 505–506.
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468:(the "council chamber") while there was a brief private prayer for the King.
313:
286:
197:
adopted the custom, first noted as an
English usage in 1672, it was called a
150:
The king's retiring ceremony proceeded in reverse order and was known as the
839:
487:
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75:; in the United States a similar gathering was held by several presidents.
1019:
Dangerous liaisons : fashion and furniture in the eighteenth century
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By the 1760s, the custom was being copied by the colonial governors in
213:
46:
402:
940:
366:
121:
117:
116:
This practice was raised to a ceremonial custom at the court of King
103:
wrote in advice to her son, the King of France, to do as his father (
1004:(1969) translation 1983 pp. 78–104. An analytical description.
425:
209:
377:
by a gilded balustrade. He was woken at eight o'clock by his head
27:
Morning reception held by a sovereign or other high-ranking person
369:
standing in its alcove, which was separated from the rest of the
89:
895:, Vol.II, pp. 220—221 New York, 1837) (retrieved Dec. 17, 2022).
232:
459:
743:
497:, which included the king's readers and the director of the
543:
939:
The comparison with the communion rail that separated the
424:; an ex-soldier offering to be a bodyguard; a bugler of a
846:. The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA: 1889 - 1931). p. 15
428:
club. At lower right is a jockey with a silver trophy.
925:
The ceremonies were abbreviated when the king was at
1014:
832:
711:
Europe
Divided 1559-1998, Fontana History of Europe
807:
261:is still held on New Year's Day in Canada, by the
171:decreased, much to the dismay of their courtiers.
273:, and various municipalities across the country.
1034:
975:
724:The French Wars of Religion: Selected Documents
687:. Random House, Inc. Accessed January 10, 2013.
579:, where the rest of the court awaited him, the
1027:The Levee: The Assiduous Admirer / Cabris Room
462:and the gentlemen retired into the adjoining
233:Levees in the British Empire and Commonwealth
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765:Official website of the Palace of Versailles
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1023:. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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790:Sherrie McMillan, "What Time is Dinner?"
623:shows a male equivalent in 1730s London.
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732:
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401:
203:
178:
36:
943:in a church was not unintentional. The
713:(New York: Harper Torchbooks 1968) p.70
14:
1035:
595:
107:) had done and uphold the practice of
1058:Arts and culture in the Ancien RĂ©gime
909:New York: Da Capo Press. pp.246-250.
805:
729:
644:
344:held a levee on New Year's Eve 1862.
188:St James's Palace, Queen's Levee Room
573:With the entry of the King into the
363:Louis de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon
347:
24:
962:These eventually were five in all.
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25:
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361:has been described in detail by
328:levee during the second term of
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1015:O'Neill, John P., ed. (2006).
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601:Viennese lady of the court in
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533:The King then passed into the
442:or, in his absence, the Chief
243:the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
13:
1:
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49:is seated on the throne, the
7:
1048:State ritual and ceremonies
585:was finished, and with the
444:Gentleman of the Bedchamber
440:Grand Chamberlain of France
285:, but was abandoned in the
10:
1079:
291:American Revolutionary War
263:Governor General of Canada
143:. Louis's grandson, King
78:
29:
949:marked the centre of the
777:Oxford English Dictionary
685:Dictionary.com Unabridged
83:
626:In the French engraving
51:Royal Company of Archers
41:A Levée underway in the
751:Encyclopædia Britannica
43:Palace of Holyroodhouse
945:
905:Martin, Justin (2018)
641:appears to read noon.
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63:
61:(from the French word
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32:levee (disambiguation)
979:. "Chapter LXXVIII".
951:château de Versailles
891:Martineau, Harriett,
866:"Levees (Receptions)"
806:Niven, David (1986).
726:(New York 1997) p. 14
546:
405:
334:
324:, after witnessing a
293:. Beginning in 1789,
271:Canadian Armed Forces
249:and state/provincial
207:
195:Charles II of England
182:
40:
982:Memoirs of Louis XIV
870:Digital Encyclopedia
810:The Moon's a Balloon
508:entrée de la chambre
494:entrée de la chambre
406:The second scene of
267:lieutenant governors
255:lieutenant governors
101:Catherine de' Medici
30:For other uses, see
977:Saint-Simon, duc de
698:Life of Charlemagne
596:For the aristocracy
558:Sigmund Freudenberg
556:(1742–1810), after
94:Life of Charlemagne
1063:French royal court
893:Society in America
840:"Governor's Levee"
683:. Dictionary.com.
645:In popular culture
637:lit Ă la polonaise
562:
511:were admitted the
465:chambre du conseil
430:
383:Alexandre Bontemps
218:
193:When the court of
191:
55:
1002:The Court Society
915:978-0-306-82525-5
620:A Rake's Progress
609:Der Rosenkavalier
523:The crowd in the
517:Marshal of France
422:Charles Bridgeman
413:A Rake's Progress
322:Harriet Martineau
320:. English writer
305:Martha Washington
298:George Washington
247:governors general
222:St James's Palace
145:Philip V of Spain
16:(Redirected from
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259:New Year's levee
239:Viceroy of India
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73:New Year's levee
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18:Levée (ceremony)
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605:'s later opera
603:Richard Strauss
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552:, engraving by
483:première entrée
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474:Première entrée
408:William Hogarth
400:
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342:Abraham Lincoln
283:British America
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210:Prince of Wales
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120:. In the court
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69:British America
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985:. Vol. 11
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946:chambre du roi
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907:A Fierce Glory
898:
883:
857:
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742:, ed. (1911).
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576:Grande Galerie
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526:chambre du Roi
513:Grand AumĂ´nier
501:Menus Plaisirs
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399:
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373:chambre du roi
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330:Andrew Jackson
289:following the
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989:September 8,
987:. Retrieved
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874:. Retrieved
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850:11 September
848:. Retrieved
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216:to his left.
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184:Charles Wild
158:
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98:
93:
87:
58:
56:
53:stand guard.
814:. pp.
588:grand lever
582:petit lever
567:Grand lever
560:(1745-1801)
326:White House
227:court dress
133:petit lever
127:grand lever
1037:Categories
876:August 31,
780:: "Levée".
663:References
448:holy water
446:presented
388:chamberpot
359:Versailles
302:First Lady
47:Edward VII
1043:Etiquette
941:sanctuary
930:fostered.
696:Einhard,
520:spouses.
367:state bed
295:President
251:governors
122:etiquette
118:Louis XIV
629:Le Lever
549:Le Lever
515:and the
426:fox hunt
105:Henry II
816:118–120
794:on-line
681:"levee"
536:cabinet
186:(1816)
168:coucher
153:coucher
90:Einhard
79:History
913:
822:
700:, §24.
460:missal
269:, the
265:, the
84:France
927:Marly
844:Trove
668:Notes
351:lever
199:levée
162:lever
140:lever
110:lever
64:lever
59:levee
991:2011
911:ISBN
878:2017
852:2018
820:ISBN
312:and
310:John
300:and
212:and
165:and
57:The
653:'s
649:In
617:'s
410:'s
92:'s
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1039::
1000:,
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842:.
818:.
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748:.
731:^
245:,
241:,
156:.
1029:)
993:.
953:.
880:.
854:.
828:.
381:—
253:/
34:.
20:)
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