Palace of Fontainebleau hosts royal talks on 28 November

The Palace of Fontainebleau (Château de Fontainebleau) will host the conference cycle Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI: Between Myth and Reality in Fontainebleau, France, on 28 and 29 November 2026. The programme brings historians, researchers and curators together for talks and a staged reading linked to the palace’s 2026 exhibition on the royal couple.

Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI talks come to Fontainebleau

The conference is organised by the Palace of Fontainebleau and takes place over two days in the Salle des Colonnes. The official programme says the sessions will examine the couple’s stays at Fontainebleau, their apartments, royal furniture, fashion, silverware and the way Marie-Antoinette has been remembered.

Saturday 28 November opens with sessions on Marie-Antoinette’s stays at Fontainebleau, the apartments of Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI, and the Queen’s balls. Afternoon talks address Marie-Antoinette’s private life, fashion and the textiles used to decorate the palace. Sunday 29 November turns to royal furniture, the Dauphine’s furnishings, Sèvres porcelain, royal silverware and the myth of Marie-Antoinette at the palace. The official conference programme also lists a staged reading of Marie-Antoinette’s correspondence on both days.

The conference links royal history to palace rooms

The programme follows the exhibition Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI at Fontainebleau: Splendour and the Sweetness of Life, which runs from 11 October 2026 to 25 January 2027. The exhibition explores the couple’s stays at the residence, their taste in art and the courtly interiors associated with the late eighteenth century.

That connection gives the November weekend a defined setting rather than a general discussion of French history. The Salle des Colonnes is also the access point named for the conference, reached through the Couloir des Mariniers. A staged reading is scheduled in the Salon Victoria, where the organiser warns that visitors will encounter numerous steps.

The palace’s long history provides the wider context. UNESCO describes Fontainebleau as a medieval royal hunting lodge used by French kings from the twelfth century, then transformed and enlarged in the sixteenth century under François I. The UNESCO World Heritage record says the Palace and Park of Fontainebleau entered the list in 1981.

Visiting Palace of Fontainebleau: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The conference takes place on 28 and 29 November 2026 in the Salle des Colonnes at the Palace of Fontainebleau.
• The programme includes talks on both days and a staged reading in the Salon Victoria; that reading involves numerous steps and has limited capacity.
• The palace stands at Place Charles de Gaulle in Fontainebleau, south-east of Paris, and the official visitor information identifies the site at that address.
• The estate forms part of the Palace and Park of Fontainebleau World Heritage site, inscribed by UNESCO in 1981.

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Frequently asked questions about Palace of Fontainebleau

When does the Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI conference take place at the Palace of Fontainebleau?

The conference runs on 28 and 29 November 2026 in the Salle des Colonnes.

What is the Palace of Fontainebleau?

It is a former royal residence whose origins include a medieval hunting lodge and whose major sixteenth-century transformation took place under François I.

Where is the Palace of Fontainebleau and how do you get there?

The palace is at Place Charles de Gaulle in Fontainebleau, France, south-east of Paris.