Changes

Much of the series depicted extravagant opulence and parties at the palace, where show was critical in displaying power and status. The series depicts that Louis made it a requirement for the nobility to view him getting ready in the morning and watch his performances such as dances. This is known to have occurred, as Louis did try to keep many nobles in court at Versailles, using the palace as a virtual prison for the nobility and keeping them from their lands. Fashion became an area of excess, which was true and many prominent officials and nobles began spending enormous sums of money on the latest fashions and clothing. In fact, the opulence in Louis' court was known to have influenced court life throughout Europe, where monarchs and other nobility began to imitate Louis' behavior and display of fashion and opulence.<ref>For more on court life in Versailles, see: Duindam, Jeroen Frans Jozef. 2003. <i>Vienna and Versailles: The Courts of Europe’s Major Dynastic Rivals, 1550-1780. </i> New Studies in European History. Cambridge ; New York: Cambridge University Press.</ref>

The series also depicts Louis creating a series of complicated etiquette for his court to follow. There is some truth in this, as the French etiquette system became more complicated during the reign of Louis. This was depicted as a way to help keep the nobles under control through elaborate ritual that required display of obedience to the king to be part of their routine.<ref>For more on the ritual at Versailles, see: Behr, Harold. 2015. <i>The French Revolution: A Tale of Terror and Hope for Our Times. </i> Brighton ; Chicago: Sussex Academic Press, pg. 11.</ref>

The main cultural event was the development of the palace at Versailles, where its gardens were tended to by a former French army soldier. The gardens did command a lot of attention by Louis and several well known designers were employed by the king to help design the gardens, including their famous orangerie. Oranges had relatively recently been introduced into Europe and the garden in Versailles astonished visitors as these delicate plants were able to survive harsh winter conditions despite the tropical origin of the fruit.<ref>For more on the gardens of Versailles, see: Baridon, Michel. 2008. <i>A History of the Gardens of Versailles. </i> Penn Studies in Landscape Architecture. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.</ref>