Part of the grounds of Versailles are taken up by the Trianon Estate which includes two smaller chateaux with their own gardens and the Queen’s Hamlet, a collection of rustic farmhouses.

Once Louis XIV had brought his courtiers and the seat of government to the palace the atmosphere became more and more claustrophobic. With eyes and ears everywhere, conspiracy and gossip, these small estates on the grounds offered peace and tranquillity and above all privacy for the monarch and his family or indeed his lovers. Originally started by Louis XIV, the Trianon Estate would be enlarged and refurbished by Louis XV and particularly Mary Antoinette.