Funerals calendar

AUTOPSY. Opening of the body in the antechamber of the Œil-de-Bœuf in presence of the duke of Elboeuf, the Marshall of Montesquiou, two doctors of the university of Paris and two surgeons. The heart, the entrails and the body are embalmed and placed separately.

PRESENTATION OF THE COFFIN. Exposition of the coffin in the Mercury salon, turned into a Chapelle Ardente with four altars where seventy-two ecclesiastics are continually saying masses .

MASSES. By order of the cardinal of Noailles, every priest of the diocese of Paris has to celebrate a mass in memory of Louis XIV. Likewise a solemn mass must be held in every church of the diocese.

MASS  at Notre-Dame of Paris.

REQUIEM. In Versailles, a Requiem mass is sung at the royal chapel in presence of Louis XV.

ENTRAILS. The entrails of Louis XIV are conveyed to Notre-Dame of Paris in a coach drawn by eight horses, draped in black and lighted by twelve torches held by  squires, bodyguards and footmen.

HEART. Departure of the heart of Louis XIV to the Jesuit church of Saint Antoine street in a coach draped in black drawn by eight horses, with two coaches ahead and lighted by eighty torches.

BODY. Departure of the body to The basilica of Saint-Denis in a funeral coach drawn by eight hoses of mourning. The cortege is composed of more than a thousand people, eight hundreds of whom on horses carrying a torch in white wax. The journey lasts all night long.

COFFIN. The coffin is carried and installed in the sanctuary of the basilica of Saint-Denis, then the prior says a first Requiem mass. The officers of the House of the King set themselves up in Saint-Denis to stand vigil over the coffin which will stay in the chevet of the basilica until the funerals on 23 October.

FUNERALS of Louis XIV at the basilica of Saint-Denis.