François Vatel

François Vatel (1631 – 24 April 1671) was the majordomo (in French, maître d'hôtel) of Nicolas Fouquet and prince Louis, Grand Condé.

Vatel was born either in Switzerland or in Paris in 1625, 1631, or 1635. He is widely, but incorrectly, credited with creating crème Chantilly (Chantilly cream), a sweet, vanilla-flavored whipped cream.

Vatel served Louis XIV's superintendent Nicolas Fouquet in the inauguration fête at the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte that took place on 17 August 1661.

Vatel was responsible for an extravagant banquet for 2,000 people hosted in honour of Louis XIV by the Grand Condé in April 1671 at the Château de Chantilly, where he died. According to a letter by Madame de Sévigné, Vatel was so distraught about the lateness of the seafood delivery and about other mishaps that he died by suicide by running himself through with his sword, and his body was discovered when someone came to tell him of the arrival of the fish.

This incident is thought to be the origin of the idiom "died for want of lobster sauce", a phrase meaning to die or be devastated due to a minor disappointment or mishap.

Popular culture
Vatel was depicted in an eponymous 2000 film directed by Roland Joffé, in which he was portrayed by Gérard Depardieu. The film depicts Vatel committing suicide after realizing he was nothing more than property in the eyes of the nobility and Louis XIV's court creates the account of his dissatisfaction with the banquet causing his suicide to conceal the true nature of his death from the king.