Madame de Pompadour’s Theatre ‘If ever a house radiated cheerfulness, that house is Versailles.’ Nancy Mitford on the royal palace in the middle years of Louis XV. Nancy Mitford | Published in History Today Volume 3 Issue 8 August 1953 Madame de Pompadour, as Diana the Huntress by Jean-Marc Nattier, 1746. Palace of Versailles. To continue reading this article you will need to purchase access to the online archive. Buy Online Access Buy Print & Archive Subscription If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in. Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.