Updates? He was introverted, shy, and indecisive, a lover of solitary pleasures such as reading and metalwork; she was vivacious, outgoing, and bold, a social butterfly who loved gambling, partying and extravagant fashions. Within months, Marie Antoinette and Louis-Auguste, the future King Louis XVI, were pledged to marry. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. Executions of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, King and Queen of France To consolidate this diplomatic reconciliation, Louis XV and Empress Maria Theresa decided to marry their respective children. In May 1770, she set out for France to be married, escorted by 57 carriages, 117 footmen, and 376 horses. Marie Antoinette, the 15th child of Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and the powerful Habsburg empress Maria Theresa, was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1755an age of great instability for European monarchies. She was also often known to interfere in the choice of her dresses or hairstyles, ignoring the lady-in-waiting whose job this was, and going so far as to receive the milliner Rose Bertin, nicknamed rather maliciously the Minister of Fashion. On May 16, 1770, a lavish second wedding ceremony took place in the royal chapel at Versailles. Released after the end of the Reign of Terror, she was initially sent to her mothers native Austria. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. FULL NAME: Marie Antonia Josepha JoannaBORN: November 2, 1755DIED: October 16, 1793BIRTHPLACE: Vienna, AustriaPARENTS: Maria Theresa and Francis ISPOUSE: Louis XVI (1770-1793)CHILDREN: Marie-Thrse-Charlotte, Louis-Joseph, Louis XVII, and SophieASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Scorpio. King Charles III Brings Back Trooping Tradition, Prince Harrys Historic Testimony in Media Lawsuit, Prince Harrys Visa Records Face Court Challenge. When he died in the Netherlands in 1845, his death certificate and gravestone both identified him as Louis XVII. Marie Antoinette became Queen when she was not yet twenty years old. One of the underlying causes of the French Revolution, the disastrous marriage between Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, has been brought down to size by a meticulous investigation into the. He neednt have bothered, though. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Eventually boards were ripped off the sealed windows bringing a gust of fresh air, which revived the dazed queen. Marie-Antoinette was queen of France from 1774 to 1793 and is associated with the decline of the French monarchy. Full nameMarie Antoinette of Habsburg-Lorraine, Her traces in VersaillesThe Queen's private chambersThe Petit TrianonThe Queen's Hamlet. She is also a historical tour guide in Los Angeles. Marie-Antoinette was the youngest daughter of the Holy Roman emperor Francis I and Maria Theresa. Barnave and the Lameth brothers were anxious to check the progress of republicanism and to bring the Revolution to a close, and they gathered like minds under the banner of the Club of the Feuillants. There is no evidence that Marie Antoinette ever said that starving peasants should eat cake if they had no bread. In 1789, representatives from all three estates (the clergy, the nobility and the common people) met at Versailles to come up with a plan for the reform of the French state, but noblemen and clergymen were still reluctant to give up their prerogatives. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. She was the Queen of France, notorious for living in opulence while peasants starved and became a symbol of everything wrong with monarchy. In 1785, an infamous diamond-necklace scandal permanently tarnished the queens reputation. He was married to Marie Antoinette and was. Palacefrom 9.00 am to 6.30 pmClosed on Mondays, Estate of Trianonfrom 10.00 am to 6.30 pmClosed on Mondays, + 33 1 30 83 78 00price of a call to France. After the two-day trial, an all-male jury found Marie Antoinette guilty on all charges. Marie Antoinette enjoyed entertainment and was influential in choosing shows to be put on at Court. Marie Louise, the second wife of Napoleon I, was the great-niece of Queen Marie Antoinette. On July 14, 1789, 900 French workers and peasants stormed the Bastille prison to take arms and ammunition, marking the beginning of the French Revolution. . In her youth, she was a pawn on the diplomatic chessboard of Europe, as France and Austria attempted to navigate the complex web of allegiances that shaped the continent in the wake of the Seven Years War. Maria Antonia Josepha Joanna, better known as Marie Antoinette, was born on November 2, 1755, in Vienna. She supported the composers she appreciated, like Grtry, Gluck and Sacchini. The remark is generally traced back several decades to a version involving la crote de pt, another kind of French pastry. Born in Vienna, Austria, in 1755, Marie Antoinette married the future French king Louis XVI when she was just 15 years old. The couple wed in 1770 when she was just 14 and Louis just 15. Marie Antoinette was executed by guillotine on October 16, 1793, in Paris. The young couple crossed the crowded State Apartments followed by the King and the princes of the blood. Inside Marie Antoinette and Chevaliers Friendship, Marie Antoinette Portrayed as Feminist in New Show, personalities of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, French workers and peasants stormed the Bastille, https://www.biography.com/about/a43602329/about-us. The following year, she gave birth to her last child, a daughter named Sophie. She was 37 years old when she died in 1793. How did Marie-Antoinette come to power? Her other court expenditures contributedthough to a minor degreeto the huge debt incurred by the French state in the 1770s and 80s. Marie Antoinette's Gilded Horror Story - Factinate During the 1780s, countless pamphlets accused Marie Antoinette of ignorance, extravagance, and adultery. Infection was common;one in three babies in France died before the age of one. Louis-Charles was locked in a dark, fetid chamber where he was fed meager rations, prevented from seeing any outside visitors, and physically abused by his jailers. Marie Louise | Palace of Versailles It was the beginning of Marie Antoinettes life in the public eye. Marie Antoinette was beheaded nine months after her husband, Louis XVI, by order of the Revolutionary tribunal. Marie Therese died at age 72 in October 1851 and was buried next to her husband in what is now Slovenia. But the marriage went unconsummated for several years, due to either a physical issue on Louis part or a psychological one. Both of these takes on Marie Antoinettes character demonstrate the tendency, as prevalent today as it was in her own time, to depict her life and death as symbolic of the downfall of European monarchies in the face of global revolution. The press of people, the heat and the lack of fresh air in the rooms, whose windows had been sealed up for months against the winter cold, was too much for her after her twelve-hour labour, Fraser notes. In 1778, after eight long years of marriage, she finally gave birth to her first child. For Marie, that role was played by Swedish diplomat Axel von Fersen. French - Royalty November 2, 1755 - October 16, 1793 I was a queen, and you took away my crown; a wife, and you killed my husband; a mother, and you deprived me of my children. Louis XVI - Execution, Marie Antoinette & Children - Biography However, Louis XVIII is as likely as others to have had his recollection affected by the quick spreading and distorting of Rousseau's original remark. Queen Marie Antoinette helped provoke the popular unrest that led to the French Revolution and to the overthrow of the monarchy in 1792. Getty Images Marie Antoinette has been portrayed as the spendthrift wife who meddled in the political affairs of her weak-willed husband, Louis XVI. In 1774, when her husband ascended the throne as Louis XVI, she became queen. She was born in 1755 in France and was the daughter of the Great Emperor Francis I and Maria Theresa of Austria. Following a grueling two-day trial, Marie was found guilty of crimes against the state and followed her husband to the guillotine on October 16, 1793. This incident, it seemed to many, was proof that the queen was not just a foreigner: She was a traitor. Marie Antoinette has been the subject of numerous plays, books (both fiction and nonfiction), music, and movies. All Rights Reserved. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. Queen Marie-Therese, Spanish wife of King Louis XIV of France. Get HISTORYs most fascinating stories delivered to your inbox three times a week. Marie Antoinettes ambiguous attitude at the outbreak of the French Revolution she seemed uncertain whether to run away or seek reconciliation accelerated her tragic demise. Child Bride Marie Antoinette was only 14 years old when she married 15-year-old Louis XVI. The 15 th of 16 children born to Austrian Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I, Marie was betrothed to the heir to the French throne while still a child. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Marie Antoinette (2006), Columbia Pictures 2. The animals of Versailles - BEST FRANCE FOREVER In more than one sense, Marie-Antoinette was a victim of circumstance. Marie-Thrse, Marie and Louis sole surviving child, was finally released after the end of the Reign of Terror and spent an unhappy life moving between France and other European royal courts in exile until her death in 1851 at age 72. Once in the chapel, they knelt before the altar, from where the Archbishop of Reims took over the ceremony, while the king and the royal family flanked them on their Prie-Dieus. Marie Antoinette was born in Vienna on 2November 1755, the daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa. There were some occasional attemptshowever misguidedto give expectant royal mothers a more soothing birthing experience. His wife, Marie-Antoinette, was guillotined nine months later, and their son Louis (XVII) died at the age of 10 while imprisoned by the Revolutionary government. Marie-Thrse, known as Madame Royale, was soon followed by a Dauphin, Louis Joseph Xavier-Franois, born in 1781. As soon as the Queens contractions began, her quiet palace rooms, in which she had been ceremonially confined for days, began to fill up with Princesses, Dukes and Countesses. What Marie Antoinette was actually like was beside the point; the image of the queen was far more influential than the woman herself. You will be mine; you will have my care, you will share my happiness and lighten my sorrows., READ: Why 100 Imposters Claimed to Be Marie Antoinettes Dead Son. Elites also had access to a promising new tool: obstetric forceps, which were invented in the 17th century by the Chamberlens, a French Huguenot clan of male midwives famed for their success in freeing babies struck in the birth canal. Marie Leszczyska - Wikipedia A bright but sickly child, he likely died from tuberculosis of the spine. That false evidence was used during Maries trial, a charge his heartbroken mother fiercely denied. The wedding sealed the reconciliation between France and Spain. Even her indulgence of the persistent requests of her favourites, such as Yolande de Polastron, comtesse de Polignac, did not entail a great drain on the treasury. On the night before her execution, she had written her last letter to her sister-in-law, Elisabeth. Cementing alliances through matrimonial connections was a common practice among European royal families at the time. After France declared war on Austria in April 1792, Marie-Antoinettes continuing intrigues with the Austrians further enraged the French. Her name is associated with the decline in the moral authority of the French monarchy in the closing years of the ancien rgime, though her courtly extravagance was but a minor cause of the financial disorders of the French state in that period. She arrived at the French Court aged only fifteen. But was Marie Antionette a heartless, wasteful queen, or a convenient scapegoat in turbulent times? The young couple then attended the ambassadors reception before going to the Hall of Mirrors which was lit up for the occasion and where the kings Game was held. Marie Antoinette would beg to differ. Musical Fountains Shows and Musical Gardens, Visit our app-promotion page (opens in new tab), Research centre of the Palace of Versailles, National equestrian Academy of Versailles. She was imprisoned in the Temple on 10 August 1792, then moved to the Conciergerie shortly after the execution of the King in 1793. In September, revolutionaries began to massacre royalist prisoners by the thousands. .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Marie Antoinette has been portrayed as the spendthrift wife who meddled in the political affairs of her weak-willed husband, Louis XVI. In all the excitement, the Queen herself was practically an afterthought. 2023 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. One member of the Chamberlen family, Hugh, played a unique role in the most discussed royal delivery of the 17th century, says Epstein. Corrections? Her second son, the future Louis XVII, was born in March 1785. At the end of May she seemed to have intervened little in politics, as she was distracted by the illness of her elder son, who died early in June. This widely believed rumor was one of the main reasonsJames II was overthrown that year in the Glorious Revolution. As of 1661, he started. Maria Theresa of Spain - Wikipedia She was only 14 when her parents had her married to the dauphin Louis, grandson of Louis XV of France, for diplomatic purposes. Although he had missed the delivery, Hugh was asked to vouch for the babys royal authenticity. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! The French Revolution would tear Franceand Maries familyapart, leading to the deaths of Louis, Marie, and one of their sons. The newlyweds both knew that Marie's primary duty . What Happened to Marie Antoinettes Children? They called for an escape to the interior of France and an appeal for royalist support in the provinces. Marie Antoinette Courage! In September 1792, after a month of terrible massacres in Paris, the National Convention abolished the monarchy, declared the establishment of a French Republic, and arrested the king and queen. Get HISTORYs most fascinating stories delivered to your inbox three times a week. The future Catherine the Great of Russia would not have the consolation of her child to make up for her horrendous delivery. King Louis XIV, the flamboyant sun king, shouted out the window to his subjects packing the courtyard below, The Queen has given birth to a boy!, READ MORE: 7 Surprising Facts About Royal Births, For many royal women, the pressure to provide an heir started as soon as the wedding celebrations ended. At the age of fourteen she married the future Louis XVI, sealing a new alliance . The bed was blessed by the Archbishop of Reims. Marie Antoinette was the wife of King Louis XVI of France. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. A highlight of the lavish festivities to mark the royal wedding was the inauguration of the Royal Opera. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The stigma of being a representative of Austria when a connection with Vienna was unpopular in France remained with her throughout her life. Wet Nurses and Breastfeeding in the 17th - Inviting History A 1938 film starred Norma Shearer as the ill-fated queen, with Robert Morley as King Louis XVI and Tyrone Power as her lover, Count Axel von Fersen. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. At the same time, Marie Antoinette has also been exalted as a pinnacle of fashion and beauty, with obsessive scholarship on her choices in wardrobe and jewelry and endless speculation about her extramarital love life. Having learned of his sister Marie-Antoinette's profligate spending and careworn marriage, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II decided to strike out for Versailles. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like why did louis xiv build versailles outside the city limits of paris?, how old was louis xvi when he married?, why did he marry at such a young age and more. Let them eat cake - Wikipedia Outside the palace a carnival-like atmosphere prevailed. Omissions? Also this year, the movie Chevalier explored the friendship between the legendary French queen and 18th century composer and violin virtuoso Chevalier de Saint-Georges, often known as the Black Mozart., The Biography.com staff is a team of people-obsessed and news-hungry editors with decades of collective experience. King Charles III Brings Back Trooping Tradition, Prince Harrys Historic Testimony in Media Lawsuit, Prince Harrys Visa Records Face Court Challenge. She arrived at the French Court aged only fifteen. Although Marie Antoinette was innocent of any involvement, she was, nevertheless, guilty in the eyes of the people. Louis XVI and his advisers tried to impose a more representative system of taxation, but the nobility resisted. She spent lavishly, but her extravagance was only a minor cause of Frances growing debt in the 1770s and 80s. The tutor found Marie Antoinette more intelligent than has been generally supposed, but added that since she is rather lazy and extremely frivolous, she is hard to teach. Marie Antoinette was a child of only 14 years, delicately beautiful, with gray-blue eyes and ash-blonde hair. Her work has appeared in outlets including Aeon, LA Weekly, LA Magazine, Curbed LA, LAist, and Atlas Obscura. The Human Side of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, he likely died from tuberculosis of the spine, dozens of people would claim that they were Louis XVII, conclusive medical evidence put the theory to rest. In fact, the nations difficulties were not the young queens fault. Did you know? Life as a public figure was not easy for Marie Antoinette. As Thomas Jefferson once said, predicting the way Marie Antoinette would be viewed by posterity, I have ever believed that if there had been no Queen, there would have been no revolution.. The Human Side of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette - Biography Think royal births are a spectacle now? Marie-Antoinette was not, at that time, interested in politics except as a way of securing favours for her friends, and her political influence never exceeded that formerly wielded by the royal mistresses of Louis XV. Uncover the reality behind Marie-Antoinette's famous phrase, Let them eat cake, This article was most recently revised and updated by, Early life and role in the court of Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette (-Josphe-Jeanne dAutriche-Lorraine) summary. French Revolution: Timeline, Causes & Dates - HISTORY Marie Antoinette: Biography & Queen | SchoolWorkHelper Our staff also works with freelance writers, researchers, and other contributors to produce the smart, compelling profiles and articles you see on our site. My blood alone remains: take it, but do not make me suffer long. French dauphin, Louis, marries Marie Antoinette - HISTORY The Louis XVII escape theory became a cottage industry, with more than 500 books published on the lost dauphin, along with a monthly journal launched in the late 19th century. By Lucy Aplin Deputy SEO Editor January 5, 2023 2:50 pm (Updated 2:51 pm) New BBC drama Marie Antoinette follows the early life of the French queen as she embarks on an uncomfortable marriage. The Wife Of Louis XIV, Maria Theresia of Spain; born September 10, 1638 in the Escorial near Madrid; died July 30, 1683 in Versailles, was a European noblewo. Tragedy struck the family when Sophie died less than a year after her birth and Louis-Joseph died in 1789 at age 7, just weeks before the storming of the Bastille that would ignite the French Revolution. She remains one of the most iconic characters in Versailles rich history. They were recognized and recaptured. Before drawing the curtains closed, Louis XV gave a few pieces of advice to his grandson. Why Royal Women Gave Birth in Front of Huge Crowds for Centuries Born in Vienna, Austria, in 1755, Marie Antoinette married the future French king Louis XVI when she was just 15 years old. Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI Struggled to Start a Family. Coppola was nominated for a Cannes Film Festival Palme dOr for her work, and the film won a 2007 Academy Award for Costume Design. First visit by Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, 1777. Widely circulated newspapers and inexpensive pamphlets poked fun at the queens profligate behavior and spread outlandish, even pornographic rumors about her. Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King - Goodreads We strive for accuracy and fairness. The French Revolution Flashcards | Quizlet The personalities of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette couldnt have been more different. In the end, their sole surviving daughter was left to cope with the trauma and tragedy of familys fate. Part of one of the most powerful families in Europe at the time, she soon drew the interest of other monarchies around the continent. Finally, in 2000, conclusive medical evidence put the theory to rest. Scientists are still working to discover the exact cause of the condition, which might be brought on by severe stress leading to a rare form of alopecia. But she was also a devoted mother to her. On 19 April the wedding took place by proxy in Vienna, marrying the Dauphin and future Louis XVI, the grandson of Louis XV, to Marie-Antoinette, the youngest daughter of Maria-Theresa of Habsburg.On 16 May, the young Archduchess arrived at Versailles. Marie Antoinette was the 15th and second to last child of Maria Theresa, empress of Austria, and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I. The ageing King had in fact become very unpopular and his death on 10 May 1774 was looked on with relief throughout the kingdom. On October 6 of that year, a crowd estimated at 10,000 gathered outside the Palace of Versailles and demanded that the king and queen be brought to Paris. According to Sarah Gristwood, author of Blood Sisters, this trauma had understandably scarred her both mentally and likely physically (she never had any more children). In the eyes of the public, she and her husband symbolised the promise of a new reign which, given Louis XVs advancing age, was expected to begin soon. Louis' secret wife Madame de Maintenon took the unusual position of being more fond of children than animals and so the Marquise de Villette gave her a human pet: a small Moorish boy called Angola. Marie Antoinette is perhaps best known for the quote, Let them eat cake. As the story goes, upon hearing that the people had no bread to eat around the start of the French Revolution in 1789, the queen commented quils mangent de la brioche, referring to a type of French bread.