Lost Wardrobes: Marie Adélaide of Savoy

Few people had such a dramatic impact on their surroundings at court as Marie Adélaide of Savoy. When she arrived in France in late 1696, the aging Louis XIV's court had become morose. Dominated by the rather austere Madame de Maintenon, the fêtes and sumptuous celebrations which had put Versailles on the map were long since over. However, the arrival of the then 11 year old princess changed everything. She immediately enchanted the king who in turn showered her in jewels, favours - and clothing.

As the Duchesse de Bourgogne, Marie Adélaide became the leading lady of Versailles. With neither queen nor dauphine, she was the foremost lady and was expected to be a focal point of the court. As such, it is no wonder that her clothing was subject to intense scrutiny.

Marie Adélaide at ca. 15 years old - her almost
signature silver gown with the French fleur-de-lys
embroidered on the blue satin cape

Her wedding dress was in the classic cloth-of-silver with elaborate silver embroideries and precious stones. For accessories, she wore rubies and pearls - the latter a present from her father, Victor Amadeus. The gown was very heavy with a massive train of over 7,5 meters; following the ceremony in the chapel, the royal family had a dinner after which she returned to her chamber and was allowed to remove the gown for a little. However, she had to put it on again for the evening entertainment. The petticoat was trimmed with silver ribbons and further adorned with pearls, diamonds and rubies. 

Previously, she had worn a silver brocade gown for her proxy wedding in Turin. Apparently, the silver was a good choice for her as her thick, brown hair contrasted nicely with it. Again, the train was immense. It measured over 8 meters in length and was so covered in pearls, gemstones and embroidery the it took three people to arrange it behind her

The duchesse de Bourgogne wearing
her favourite colour 

Following her wedding in 1697, her dresses were meticulously noted by both courtiers and journalists. The night after the wedding day, she wore a gown of red velvet with gold embroideries and diamonds. On 9th December that year, she made her first visit to Saint-Cyr to which she wore a white gown so heavily embroidered with silver that she could barely stand - remember that she was still just 12 years old. The following days say several balls; on the first night she wore a gown of cloth-of-gold trimmed with diamonds. The king had let her borrow several of the Crown Jewels for her headdress. For the final ball, she wore an entirely black gown strewn with diamonds and pearls braided into her hair.

As the years wore on, Marie Adélaide was given the royal Menagerie as her private hang-out. Here, she preferred loose-fitting gowns rather than the stiffly corseted silhouette worn at court. Likewise, at Marly, there were more opportunities to wear something a little less Versailles. For a masquerade she wore a gown in the "Spanish style" with a small cap on. Usually, the court of Madrid had a very austere sense of fashion so perhaps this was a different type of dress?

This could very well be an example of
the type of loose-fitting clothing she would
wear at the menagerie or as a part of an
allegorical depiction

Red happened to be the Duchesse de Bourgogne's favourite colour. It is not a coincidence that she is depicted in this shade on several occasions; the most famous of which is in a red riding gown with golden trimmings. 

For her portrait in 1709, she wore a classic robe de cour of an almost silver colour. The fabric appears to be some sort of brocade or satin. The bodice is very tightly laced and adorned with multi-coloured gemstones - particularly rubies can be seen. Once again, the formality of the gown required a train - which in turn required a servant to take care of it. Another glimpse of her in a formal gown show her in a blue, brocaded gown with heavy gold and silver embroidery - and of course, a train.

Her position as First Lady of the court meant that Marie Adélaide had to be present for all the biggest events at court. When it was decided that Mademoiselle - the daughter of Philippe d'Orléans and Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate - was to marry the Duc de Lorraine, the Duchesse de Bourgogne wore a gown of silver tissue with golden flowers embroidered also with a tint of red and green. On the following night, she wore a gown of grey damask - again the choice of grey-silver two nights in a row - with silver flowers and a necklace of emeralds and diamonds.

In 1705, she is depicted wearing a velvet gown of either a very dark green or black with large slits on the sleeves to show off the pristinely white satin beneath. A similar colour is woven into her hair.

1705