The Appartement du Dauphin occupies the ground floor of the south wing, directly below the Queen's Apartment, and was the suite of the heir to the throne — the Dauphin — and his wife. The rooms are decorated in the style of Louis XV, and the furniture includes some of the finest 18th-century pieces at Versailles, much of it restored to the rooms after Revolutionary dispersal.
The apartments of Louis XV's son (who died before becoming king) and his wife Maria Josepha of Saxony have an unusual quality: quieter than the state rooms, less visited, and containing furniture of extraordinary quality in settings that feel relatively human in scale. The Dauphine's bedchamber has original panelling of light oak and a lacquer cabinet of remarkable complexity.
The Dauphin's library is one of the best-preserved 18th-century rooms in the palace — bookshelves lining the walls, a parquet floor, north light coming through windows that overlook the Parterre du Midi. It is a reminder that not everyone at Versailles was performing royal power; some people were simply trying to read.