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The Council Chamber is adjacent to the King's Bedchamber and opens onto the Hall of Mirrors. It wasn't until 1755, during the reign of Louis XV, that it took on its current form when two rooms were combined: the King's Cabinet, where Louis XIV held his council meetings, and the Cabinet des Termes (a more private space, where the king spent time with his family or certain guests after dinner). The chamber is decorated with fine woodwork crafted by Antoine Rousseau and based on drawings by Ange-Jacques Gabriel. The elaborate motifs illustrate subjects addressed by the king during council meetings, such as war and justice. The decor also includes a Rococo-style clock (1754), a bust of Alexander the Great in porphyry, and two vases of Mars and Minerva in Sèvres porcelain and chased bronze by Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1787). The room was also used for official presentations, which were a necessary rite for admission to the Court. Madame Du Barry, among others, was thus presented to the King on 22 April 1769.
The most important decisions for the nation between 1682 and 1789 were made from the king's residence in the Council Chamber. Only the king sat in the velvet armchair while the other council members sat on folding stools. During these discussions, an usher stood watch outside the doors to stop curious eavesdroppers.
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