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Lecture

Trudy Gold
Louis XIV and His Women, Part 1

Tuesday 15.11.2022

Summary

Louis XIV ruled France for 72 years and 100 days. The autocratic “Sun King” created Versailles and the aura of absolute monarchy. Who were the women in his life? This presentation examines the life of his redoubtable mother, Anne of Austria, her relationships, and the story of his first wife, Maria Theresa, his double first cousin.

Trudy Gold

An image of Trudy Gold

Trudy Gold was the CEO of the London Jewish Cultural Centre and a founding member of the British delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). Throughout her career she taught modern Jewish history at schools, universities, and to adult groups and ran seminars on Holocaust education in the UK, Eastern Europe, and China. She also led Jewish educational tours all over the world. Trudy was the educational director of the student resources “Understanding the Holocaust” and “Holocaust Explained” and the author of The Timechart History of Jewish Civilization.

Ah, it’s the taxation, mainly from the nobility. They had to pay the king to be at court. The Jews are going to come into it soon. In England, they were going to, once they come back to England, who do you think financed the Duke of Marlborough’s wars?

It’s Kunsthistorisches. I hope I pronounced it properly. It is the main art gallery of Vienna. You must go, and please go to Freud’s house, it’s been done up. And go and have a look at the Opera House. Vienna is, for the tour, I mean, I know a lot of you, those of you who are online, who are Jewish. I know a lot of you have trouble with Vienna. But if you can put that aside, it is an extraordinary place. And go and eat sachertorte, not at the Cafe Sacher, but at the Cafe Demel. Or the Cafe Schwarzenberg.

Now, it’s in Louis XIV’s reign that the Patois is abolished, there were lots of different dialects in France. It was important to consolidate. And of course, the queens would’ve been taught the language, of course they would.