Felipe VI and Macron visit exhibition at Versailles dedicated to the “Grand Dauphin” of Louis XIV

The Diplomat King Felipe VI, accompanied by French President Emmanuel Macron, visited the exhibition “The Grand Dauphin: Son of a King, Father of a King, and Never a King” at the Palace of Versailles on Tuesday. The exhibition commemorates Louis of France, son of Louis XIV. King Felipe traveled to Paris where, upon his arrival at the Élysée Palace, he was received by Emmanuel Macron, who hosted a luncheon in his honor. After lunch, King Felipe and Macron went to the Palace of Versailles to visit the exhibition “The Grand Dauphin: Son of a King, Father of a King, and Never a King,” which opened on October 14, 2025, and will remain open until February 15, 2026. The exhibition is dedicated to the little-known figure of Louis of France, son of Louis XIV. Born in 1661 and known during his lifetime as “Monseigneur,” he went down in history as the “Grand Dauphin” after his death in 1711. Described by the memoirist Saint-Simon as “son of a king, father of a king, and never a king,” the Grand Dauphin had a singular destiny. Although destined to become King of France and one of the eminent figures of the Grand Siècle, he spent his entire life in his father's shadow, never reigning. Instead, before dying at the age of 49, he saw his son ascend the throne of Spain. The exhibition, curated by Lionel Arsac, reconstructs his life—from his education to his passion for the arts—through 250 works, some of them never before exhibited, from French and international public and private collections.

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