Trends in Intimate Dining Among the European Nobility in the Eighteenth Century / Ivan Day
Although much research has focused on the impressive banquets held for coronations, state visits and diplomatic events, there was also a low-key side to dining in European courts. On many days of the year, royal family members dined privately in their own chambers, well away from the scrutiny of courtiers. During the reign of Louis XV, private intimate suppers held by candlelight for small numbers of noble guests became the height of a courtly fashion that spread across Europe. Small summer palaces and garden buildings well away from bustling state rooms became the ideal venues for these exclusive entertainments.