Documentary Resources

Curia Database (royal households)

This database is currently being restructured.

This database contains an inventory of the members of royal households as they appear in the États de France, books published in the 17th and 18th centuries.

It is a valuable academic tool enabling researchers to:
>  check if a person served at court, in what capacity and for how long,
>  check the presence at court of a person’s relatives or connections through marriage,
>  follow the career of an individual or a family over a long period of time,
>  follow how offices or services at court changed over time.

It is possible to search by name, or part of a name, across all the royal households (simple search) or search a particular household or year (advanced search).

Each entry in the database provides detailed information about the person (modernised name, office held, remuneration if indicated) and references all sources used. The information can thus be cited in academic works.

The design and input of this database forms part of the Curia research project, a study of royal households, led by the Research Centre.

Consult the database (french):
>  Simple search
>  Advanced search
>  Search by service

Details of database content

Total: 2,979 offices, 9,582 persons

État de 1663

Besongne (Nicolas), L’Éstat de la France, nouvellement corrigé et mis en meilleur ordre (...), Paris, publ. Estienne Loyson, 1663, 2 vol.

>  King’s household: 833 persons
>  Queen Mother’s household: 820 persons
>  Queen’s household: 444 persons

État de 1674

Besongne (Nicolas), L’Éstat de la France ou l’on voit tous les Princes, Ducs et Pairs (...), Paris, publ. Augustin Besongne, 1674, 2 vol.

>  King’s household: 1,139 persons
>  Queen’s household: 559 persons

État de 1683

Besongne (Nicolas), L’État de la France où l’on voit tous les princes, ducs et pairs, marêchaux de France, et autres officiers de la couronne (...), Paris, publ. Augustin Besongne, 1683, 2 vol.

>  King’s household: 1,866 persons
>  Queen’s household: 610 persons

État de 1702

Trabouillet (Louis), L’État de la France, contant tous les Princes, Ducs & Pairs & Marêchaux de France (...), Paris, publ. Charles Osmont, 1702, 3 vol.

>  King’s household: 2,620 persons

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