Revisiting The Queen of Versailles

The Queen of Versailles is a 2012 documentary that begun focused on a billionaire family's construction of the largest private residence in the US - a 90,000 sqft replica of the Palace of Versailles in Orlando, Florida. However, the film unexpectedly turns to the documentation of the Siegel family's fall from billionaire status in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The documentary has continued to serve as a cultural touchpoint since its release, I think because of Jackie Siegel, the "Queen" at the center of the story - a proudly out-of-touch socialite that turns out to be much more human than we may have anticipated. Beyond recapping the documentary, I'll touch on commentary, Jackie Siegel's appearances on "The Queen of Versailles Reigns Again" and Below Deck, and the recent disappointment that was The Queen of Versailles on Broadway, starring Kristin Chenowith.

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Time stamps:

00:00 Intro

01:06 Versailles in Orlando

02:21 The Timeshare Business

03:09 2008

04:10 From ultra-wealthy to "just wealthy"

4:31 Jackie Siegel

06:04 Are they relatable?

07:36 The Lesson

09:39 Jackie's character arc

11:00 Follow-ups to the film

12:09 Broadway

14:09 Closing

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