Galerie des reines

The Palace of Versailles and Saint-Louis are proud to present a new set of champagne glasses from the Galerie Royale collection. In a nod to four emblematic sovereigns (Maria Theresa of Spain, Marie Leszczyńska, Marie Antoinette and Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily), the four champagne glasses feature Versailles-inspired patterns cut into the crystal, in yet another ode to the crystal-making expertise and historic friendship binding the two institutions. Pre-released especially for the Palace of Versailles, the set is available to purchase exclusively by subscription until 15 September 2024, with proceedings channeled into restoring and refurbishing the Palace of Versailles.

Galerie des Reines: a contemporary marker of lasting friendship

The four-glass Galerie des Reines set marks a fresh chapter in the story that has unfolded between these two prestigious houses that embody France’s inimitable art of living and artistry.

In 1767 in Versailles, Louis XV himself signed the letters patent that would certify the Cristalleries Saint-Louis as a royal crystal glassworks (and official supplier to the Court), and lend it its crest: a crown. Still today, this precious document is kept in the Saint-Louis glassworks’ archives as a symbol of the lasting, unwavering ties between the two institutions.

Resolutely contemporary in feel and form, Galerie des Reines is an organic continuation of the glassworks’ earlier Versailles-inspired collections: the iconic Trianon (1834), Versailles (1920), Tommy (1928) and Galerie des Rois (2019).

The base of each champagne glass is stamped with the Palace of Versailles x Saint-Louis seal and initials in a symbol of eternal friendship.

A mirror image of the Galerie des Rois series

The Galerie des Reines champagne glasses’ bowls are faithful nods to the stem glasses from the collection that was launched in 2020, and reflect the 2019 Galerie des Rois glasses too for a regal pas-de-deux effect.

A full glassware set laced through with history yet nonetheless forward-looking and fresh, designed to be mismatched to the heart’s content.

Four champagne glasses inspired by four queens

The cut-glass motifs woven through Galerie des Reines push Saint-Louis’ technical mastery to the next level, and take inspiration from the decorative arts that were in vogue at Versailles under four iconic queens.

• Deep, light-filled bevels in tribute to Maria Theresa of Spain (1638-1683), the Infanta of Spain (“the empire on which the sun never sets”), who reigned alongside Louis XIV.

• Fine bevels reminiscent of the Rococo-style shells and festive fireworks that characterised Versailles under Marie Leszczyńska (1703-1768), the multilingual painter and queen who left an indelible mark on the artistic scene of her time, and reigned alongside Louis XV.

• Cordon-cut glass and a frieze of fine, etched wheat - patterns inspired by Antiquity in a nod to the style favoured by Marie Antoinette (1755 - 1793) and the free-form gardens she planted at Trianon.

• Flat ribbing that softens and energises the neo-medieval style beloved by Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily, the last queen of France, who worked alongside Louis-Philippe to open the French history museum at the Palace of Versailles.

With this palette of influences and ornamental styles as inspiration, and the help of Pierre-Xavier Hans, head curator at the Palace of Versailles furniture and objets d'art department, Saint-Louis' creative director, crystal connoisseur and artist Patrick Neu put the emphasis on the simplicity and clarity of the bowls’ cut patterns to better reflect either the Palace’s collections, or the wood panelling inspired by the historic rooms.

The Palace of Versailles
championing heritage through creativity

The Palace of Versailles regularly partners up with leading French houses to uphold heritage at its finest. In 2023, UNESCO added glassmakers and cutters to its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity — including Saint-Louis’ staff. Each subscription for a set is an an opportunity for Saint-Louis and France’s finest craftsmen to produce a limited-edition unique item, and a chance to actively contribute to restoring and refurbishing the Palace.

Saint-Louis
Creating pieces with soul since 1586

Dense, clear, singing with sound and light, born of fire and breath: Saint-Louis crystal is a shining embodiment of heritage and history buoyed by contemporary creativity. From glassware sets and decorative pieces to lamps and furniture, Saint-Louis has been working tirelessly for over 430 years to produce crystal masterpieces by some of France’s leading master glassmakers and cutters (Meilleurs Ouvriers de France), all shot through with inimitable, ancestral expertise honed generation after generation: handblown crystal, cut, engraved and decorated by hand and finished off with 24-carat gold or platinum.