Being the highest building of the Estate, the message behind the construction of the Royal Chapel is that only God can rise above the king.

Royal Chapel

Completed at the end of the reign of Louis XIV in 1710, the Royal Chapel was the fifth, and final, chapel built in the Palace since the reign of Louis XIII. Its gothic design—featuring large glass windows and buttresses—was presented to the king by Jules Hardouin-Mansart in 1699.

The high altar made of gilded bronze is the work of Corneille Van Clève and is one of the treasures of Versailles. – © Thomas Garnier

Every day the Court attended the King’s mass at 10 am. The sovereign sat in the royal tribune surrounded by his family. – © Thomas Garnier

The organ was made by Robert Clicquot. Last restored in 1995 in its original sounds, it is still used for baroque music concerts held in the Royal Chapel. – © Thomas Garnier

Thanks to the patronage of the Philanthropia Foundation, an important restoration campaign has been launched to renovate the exterior of the Royal Chapel. – © Thomas Garnier

The high altar made of gilded bronze is the work of Corneille Van Clève and is one of the treasures of Versailles. – © Thomas Garnier

The chapel was dedicated to Saint Louis, the patron saint of the king and an ancestor of the royal house, and included references to the Sainte-Chapelle of Paris which he had founded. Although the interior elevation with its layout on two floors follows the usual format for Palatine chapels, its architecture with its imposing colonnade on the first floor was clearly inspired by Antiquity.

The vaulted ceiling, which Hardouin-Mansart designed without transvers ribs to create a unified surface, is dedicated to the Holy Trinity: in the centre is God the Father in his Glory by Antoine Coypel, in the apse is The Resurrection by Charles de La Fosse, and above the Royal tribune is The Descent of the Holy Ghost by Jean Jouvenet.

The king never descended into the nave except during religious celebrations when he took communion, ceremonies of the Order of the Holy Spirit, and the baptisms and weddings of the Princes and Princesses of the Realm which were held there from 1710 to 1789.

The music of the Chapel, which was renowned throughout Europe, rang out with motets every day throughout the service, resonating from above the altar and around the organ designed by Clicquot. The instrument is decorated with a beautiful depiction of King David in relief and has been played by great musicians such as François Couperin.

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