Understanding Louis XIV’s Toilet Habits

The King, His Throne, and Other Royal Business

Everyone has a routine, some more elaborate than others. But when we’re talking about Louis XIV, the Sun King himself, the term ‘elaborate’ seems a bit of an understatement. His toilet habits were, let’s say, royally noted. But, what was the deal with Louis XIV’s toilet habits?

A Right Royal Routine

Stretching the morning routine to new lengths, nothing for the Sun King was run-of-the-mill; his toilet habits were no exception. He would rise at 8.30am, promptly producing the morning’s excrement, which was carried away by a high-ranking courtier. Who now can say they’re not working hard enough?

Front Row Seats

Privacy? That was for lesser mortals. Bathing, dressing, eating, sleeping, even relieving himself, the French king did it all as a public spectacle, encircled by courtiers. The monarch’s daily ablutions were practically a social event.

Toilet time took on an almost ceremonial hue where the traditionally private became exceedingly public. This wasn’t just a bowel movement; this was a ballet movement.

Unlike English monarchs, who employed an official Groom of the Stool to manage their most private needs, Louis XIV made his bathroom breaks a public ritual.

Privy to the Throne

Every aspect of Louis XIV’s life, right down to his toilet habits, reflected the grandeur he wished to project on his monarchy. He used his ‘close stool’, a box-like portable toilet frequently decked in plush velvet, richly ornamented, and given a name as mighty as ‘The Throne.’ Leave it to the Sun King to redefine ‘throne room.’

Unclogging History

In all its absurdity, Louis XIV’s toilet habits serve as a curious footnote in history, revealing the fastidious ritualism of his court and the era’s unique understanding of privacy (or lack thereof). It shakes up our assumptions, reminding us that our routine, seemingly mundane rituals are deeply cultural, time-specific constructs subject to change. Now, every time you sit on your porcelain throne, will you think of Louis XIV? That’s history’s inner workings for you: always plunging into unexpected places.

Sources

The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/10/magazine/the-way-we-live-now-8-10-97-the-caviar-is-muted.html
Atlas Obscura
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/sun-king-louis-xiv-versailles-hygiene-toilets