Château de Saint Cloud Facts for Kids

17th century view of the estate of Saint Cloud by Étienne Allegrain

The Château de Saint-Cloud was a grand château (a large French country house or castle) located near Paris, France. It was also known as the Palace of Saint-Cloud. Sadly, this beautiful palace was destroyed by fire during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. It was once a private home for important people, including Queen Marie Antoinette. Since 2006, there has been a plan to rebuild the Château de Saint-Cloud.

Early History of Saint-Cloud Palace
Queen Marie Antoinette's Home
Emperor Napoléon III's Court
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Early History of Saint-Cloud Palace

Philippe of France, Duke of Orléans who bought the property. A descendant of his was Queen Marie Antoinette, who later bought the estate.

The building that became the Château de Saint-Cloud was first called the "Hôtel d'Aulnay". In the 1500s, a rich banking family named Gondi made it much bigger. They turned it into a grand château. The Gondi family owned the estate until 1658.

In 1658, Philippe of France, Duke of Orléans bought the property. He was the only brother of Louis XIV of France, the famous "Sun King." The estate stayed in Philippe's family for many years. It was used as a country home, a place to relax away from the busy Palais Royal in the center of Paris.

Queen Marie Antoinette's Home

After long talks, Louis XVI bought the Château de Saint-Cloud in 1785. He bought it especially for his wife, Marie Antoinette. She believed that the fresh air at Saint-Cloud would be good for her children's health.

The previous owner, Louis Philippe, Duke of Orléans, sold it for a huge sum of 6,000,000 livres. Marie Antoinette started making changes to Saint-Cloud in 1787 and 1788. She used her favorite architect, Richard Mique. He had also worked on parts of the grand Palace of Versailles for the queen.

Emperor Napoléon III's Court

During the time of the Second French Empire, Emperor Napoléon III and his wife, Empress Eugénie, often stayed at Saint-Cloud. They held their imperial court there during the spring and autumn months.

A special event happened in 1855. Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom visited France, and a reception was held in her honor at Saint-Cloud. In 1859, a fun addition was made to the private park. A model railway was built for Napoléon, Prince Imperial. He was the 3-year-old son of Emperor Napoléon III.