Guided Tour – The Private Suites

The private suites of the Duke and Duchess of Aumale occupy the ground floor of the Petit Château, located in the heart of the Chantilly estate. Furnished between 1845 and 1848, shortly after the marriage of the Duc Henri d’Orléans, Duke of Aumale, to Marie-Caroline de Bourbon-Siciles, these flats were designed as an intimate and refined place to live, away from the hustle and bustle of public life. To decorate them, the Duke called on one of the greatest artists of his time, Eugène Lami, a painter and decorator emblematic of French Romanticism.

Lami poured all his talent into this project, blending aristocratic elegance with bourgeois comfort in a style emblematic of the July Monarchy. The result is a harmonious ensemble where refined decoration meets the warmth of a private residence. Each carefully furnished room, adorned with paintings, curios, silks, and personal mementos, tells a story from the life of the princely couple.

What makes these suites particularly remarkable is that they are the only princely flats from the July Monarchy (1830-1848) to have been preserved in their original state. Faithfully maintained in the spirit of the 19th century, they offer a unique glimpse into the lifestyle of a princely family under the constitutional monarchy.

Access to these exceptional spaces is exclusively given via guided tour in small groups, to ensure both the preservation of the site and an immersive discovery. During their visit, visitors will be able to enter the intimacy of the Duke and Duchess, experience the gentleness of their daily lives, and discover the artistic and cultural tastes of one of the greatest collectors of his time. These suites are much more than a simple historical setting: they are living places, inhabited by memory and emotion, that provide a better understanding of the personal world of the Duke of Aumale, he last great royal prince to reside at Chantilly.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to plunge into the intimacy of a princely couple and discover a place that has remained frozen in the elegance of the 19th century!