00:00The government councils were always and exclusively held by the king himself.
00:04From this emanated decrees known as "command decrees". These councils sat in the apartment
00:08of the king, in a room called the "council chamber," which existed in all castles
00:12royals. Those summoned to sit were notified of the time set by the
00:16king by the ushers of the cabinet. When the council was assembled, the cabinet doors
00:20The council offices were closed and guarded outside so that no one could attempt
00:24to surprise the deliberations, which were secret. The councils assembled around
00:28of an oblong table, one end of which the king occupied, alone seated on a
00:31armchair while the other members sat on folding stools.
00:36The shape of these seats was a symbol of the itinerant nature of the council, which followed the king.
00:40wherever he found himself. The king opened the session by raising a question
00:44or by giving the floor to the rapporteur. Each person participated in the discussion in order.
00:48ascendancy of precedence. The discussion concluded with the collection of opinions, always
00:53In the same vein, what was called "going to the opinions." Ultimately, the king
00:57Louis XIV very rarely deviated from the prevailing opinion.
01:01majority of the council. Louis XV respected the same rule, preferring to interrupt a
01:06a discussion which seemed to him to be heading towards a side he did not approve of
01:09than to go against the council's advice. The duration of the sessions was rarely less than
01:13at two o'clock. But it could last much longer depending on the agenda.
