. Duc de Saint-Simon (1675-1755), French courtier and historian • "The king was a rather tall, well-built man, with a very swarthy complexion." o (Mémoires de Saint-Simon - A firsthand account of the court of Louis XIV
Lady Henrietta Wentworth, English noblewoman • "His skin is as swarthy as that of a Moor." o (Private letters describing the French court, 17th century)
Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755), French philosopher • "Louis XIV had a very brown complexion, quite unlike his fair-skinned courtiers." o (Considerations on the Causes of the Greatness of the Romans and Their Decline
Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619-1683), Minister of Finance under Louis XIV • "His Majesty’s swarthy skin and dark hair give him a striking presence among the fair nobles of France." o (Correspondences on the Royal Finances
Madame de Sévigné (1626-1696), French noblewoman and letter writer • "The king, so very brown in complexion, shines like Apollo, but darker." o (Letters of Madame de Sévigné
Can you share the sources?
. Duc de Saint-Simon (1675-1755), French courtier and historian
• "The king was a rather tall, well-built man, with a very swarthy complexion."
o (Mémoires de Saint-Simon - A firsthand account of the court of Louis XIV
Lady Henrietta Wentworth, English noblewoman
• "His skin is as swarthy as that of a Moor."
o (Private letters describing the French court, 17th century)
Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755), French philosopher
• "Louis XIV had a very brown complexion, quite unlike his fair-skinned courtiers."
o (Considerations on the Causes of the Greatness of the Romans and Their Decline
Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619-1683), Minister of Finance under Louis XIV
• "His Majesty’s swarthy skin and dark hair give him a striking presence among the
fair nobles of France."
o (Correspondences on the Royal Finances
Madame de Sévigné (1626-1696), French noblewoman and letter writer
• "The king, so very brown in complexion, shines like Apollo, but darker."
o (Letters of Madame de Sévigné