Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette was the queen of France and the wife of King Louis XVI. She was executed during the French Revolution and became a symbol of the excesses of the monarchy.
Early Life and Marriage
Marie Antoinette was born in 1755 in Vienna, the daughter of the Empress Maria Theresa. She was the youngest of the sixteen children of the imperial family.
She married the Dauphin of France, the future Louis XVI, in 1770. The marriage was intended to strengthen the alliance between Austria and France.
She became the queen in 1774 when her husband succeeded to the throne. She was initially popular with the French people.
The Queen and the Court
Marie Antoinette was criticised for her extravagant lifestyle. She spent large sums on the clothing and the jewellery and the gambling.
She was accused of the influence over the king and the interference in the politics. The Austrian alliance was unpopular and she was called the Austrian woman.
She built the rustic village of the Hameau at Versailles. The village was a retreat for the queen and her friends.
She was involved in the affair of the diamond necklace that damaged her reputation. She was innocent of the fraud but the scandal persisted.
The Revolution and the Fall
The French Revolution began in 1789 and the royal family was forced to move to Paris. The palace of Versailles was abandoned.
The royal family attempted to flee in 1791 but was captured at Varennes. The flight destroyed the remaining trust in the monarchy.
The monarchy was abolished in 1792 and the king was executed in January 1793. Marie Antoinette was tried before the revolutionary tribunal.
She was accused of the treason and the other crimes. She was convicted and executed by the guillotine in October 1793.
The Legacy
Marie Antoinette is remembered as a symbol of the excesses of the monarchy. The phrase let them eat cake is attributed to her but is not supported by the evidence.
She has been the subject of the art and the literature and the films. The portrayals have shifted from the hostile to the sympathetic.
She is regarded as a tragic figure of the revolution. The queen who was destroyed by the forces that she did not understand.
The palace of Versailles and the Hameau are the monuments to her life. The study of her reign continues.
The Marriage and the Court
Marie Antoinette married the Dauphin in 1770. The marriage was intended to strengthen the alliance between Austria and France.
She became the queen in 1774 when her husband succeeded to the throne. She was initially popular with the French people.
She was criticised for her extravagant lifestyle and the influence over the king. The Austrian alliance was unpopular and she was called the Austrian woman.
The Revolution and the Trial
The French Revolution began in 1789 and the royal family was forced to move to Paris. The attempted flight in 1791 destroyed the trust in the monarchy.
The monarchy was abolished in 1792 and the king was executed in 1793. Marie Antoinette was tried before the revolutionary tribunal.
She was accused of the treason and the other crimes. She was convicted and executed by the guillotine in October 1793.
The Extravagance and the Criticism
Marie Antoinette was criticised for her extravagant lifestyle. She spent large sums on the clothing and the jewellery and the gambling.
She was accused of the influence over the king and the interference in the politics. The Austrian alliance was unpopular.
She built the rustic village of the Hameau at Versailles. The village was a retreat for the queen and her friends.
The Legacy and the Memory
Marie Antoinette is remembered as a symbol of the excesses of the monarchy. The phrase let them eat cake is attributed to her without the evidence.
She has been the subject of the art and the literature and the films. The portrayals have shifted from the hostile to the sympathetic.
She is regarded as a tragic figure of the revolution. The palace of Versailles is the monument to her life.
The Childhood and the Education
Marie Antoinette was born in Vienna in 1755. She was the youngest of the sixteen children of the Empress Maria Theresa.
She received the education in the French language and the etiquette. The education prepared her for the marriage to the French dauphin.
She married the Dauphin of France in 1770. The marriage was intended to strengthen the alliance between Austria and France.
The Personal Life
Marie Antoinette was devoted to her children. She had four children with Louis XVI.
She was fond of the music and the theatre and the fashion. She appointed the composer and the designers to the court.
She faced the hostility of the court and the public. She was executed in 1793 during the revolution.
See also
- French Revolution
- Louis XVI
- Versailles
- Guillotine
References
- ↑ Fraser, Antonia. Marie Antoinette: The Journey. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 2001.
- ↑ Lever, Evelyne. Marie Antoinette: The Last Queen of France. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2000.
- ↑ Zweig, Stefan. Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman. New York: Viking, 1933.
- ↑ Hardman, John. Marie-Antoinette: The Making of a French Queen. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2019.