L’habit à la française en Espagne : le modèle vestimentaire versaillais à la cour de Philippe V

Abstract

For the Spanish, the beginning of the eighteenth century was marked by the accession of a new dynasty to the Spanish throne: the Bourbons. The arrival of the Duke of Anjou saw a change in the ceremonies and etiquette of the royal household, which also included the cultural transfer of l’habit à la française. Interpreted as a reception, assimilation or even adoption, the question of dress has for years occupied historiography, which sees the coronation of the first Bourbon as a milestone in the modernisation of the apparatus and appearances of the Spanish court. This study analyses how this model of dress was transferred to the court of Philip V and what its impact was. The Versailles costume aroused debate and divided the nobility. Drawing on Spanish royal and national archives, we will see how, after the enthronement of the first Bourbon, this attire became the determining factor in gaining access to and favour from the monarch. In keeping with the custom in Versailles, this attire embodied a form of distinction reserved for a certain elite at the palace.

Keywords

• habit à la française
• Versailles
• Philip V
• Spain
• garde-robe
• Osuna (Duke of)