Whitehall Palace

Whitehall is the palace of the King and the place where Merivel lives for two years in unabashed luxury, abundant fellowship and the nightly favors of women. He is the joker and the fool of the palace. As such, he is included in nearly every activity.

Merivel's descriptions of the palace are entirely his own, and he describes what he remembers best. The palace has a gallery, which opens into the Stone Gallery hallway leading to the Royal apartments, where the King lives. Inside the King's massive apartment, or suite, is the drawing room where the King conducts some of his business, although it is restricted and not every guest is received there. The room is filled with clocks, over two hundred of them, and these are the King's pride and joy. The fireplace is under a vast marble mantel. A thirty-foot Persian carpet graces the...