Louis XIV

3 Stories

The Hope Diamond Gives Up One of Its Secrets

It was once cut in a way that created a sun image at its center

(Newser) - It's legendary, supposedly cursed , admired daily by thousands, and the star of a video game—and yet we don't know all there is to know about the Hope Diamond, or so a recent discovery indicates. The 45.52-carat diamond has given up one of its secrets to French...

Slumber Like Louis XIV— in a Versailles Hotel Room

Dilapidated mansion to be reborn as 23-room luxury hotel

(Newser) - Wish you could live as grandly as Louis XIV—or at least as grandly as one of his right-hand men? You'll soon be able to. Versailles' Hotel du Grand Controle, built in the 1680s to house the offices and residence of the king's treasurer, will open its doors as a...

US, France Scuffle Over 1679 Shipwreck in Great Lakes

Vessel was likely on Louis XIV's orders

(Newser) - The state of Michigan, French officials, and an American diver are battling over a wreck discovered at the bottom of Lake Michigan that's believed to be a French ship laden with furs and muskets on a mission for King Louis XIV. The Griffin, launched by famous French explorer La Salle...

3 Stories