Draft:French court


The Château de Versailles, completion of the curial system in France.

The French court ("Cour de France" in French), often simply “la cour”, refers to the group of people (known as courtesans) who lived in the direct entourage of the king or, under the First and Second Empires, the emperor.

In the Middle Ages, this curial world comprised not only great lords, but also royal and ministerial officers in charge of royal administration, as well as advisors. With the disappearance of the great feudal lords, it became a gathering of courtiers seeking royal favor and pensions.

By the end of the Ancien Régime, the term “court” also came to refer to royal power as a whole. Indeed, the court was the center of political life in France until the Revolution. It continued to play a leading role in the 19th century, with the various restorations and the two imperial courts.


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