A 17th-Century Night Spent Celebrating Versailles With the French Embassy

Wednesday night, the cast, crew, and fans of Versailles gathered at the Payne Whitney House, home of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, to celebrate the premiere of the period drama’s second season. Guests sipped on King Louis XIVs, the night’s signature cocktail with gin, Chambord, bitters, and a splash of orange juice, and snacked on hors d’oeuvres like escargot samosas and grilled artichoke. After listening to a presentation by executive producer Claude Chelli and costume designer Madeline Fontaine, masquerade-masked attendees milled through the ornate rooms of the high Italian Renaissance—style mansion, all while a string quartet played in the background.