Marie-Antoinette
Daughter of the Empress Marie-Thérèse of Austria, archduchess Marie-Antoinette was born in one of the oldest and most powerful countries of Europe.
The marriage between a daughter of the house of Austria and the heir to the crown of France, in 1770, was politically a very delicate and eventful affaire, breaking and creating careers and reputations in the French court. Indeed, the political hostility between the two countries was deep and traditionally Austria was an enemy of the kingdom. But the political alliances had changed and young Marie-Antoinette arrived in France to be betrothed to the future Louis XV. The young princess was welcomed somewhat coldly by the people and a number of important members of the court. Madame Adélaïde, daughter of Louis XV was the first to nickname her « l’Autrichienne » (the Austrian), which in French rhymes with « chienne », the female dog. This name was ominously used during the Revolution.
During her time as future Queen of France Marie-Antoinette stayed much in the background. Her legend really only begins with the coronation in 1774. The young Queen was frivolous and a big time spender but was above all naïve and favored friendships that would prove fatale to her. Indeed, she was most of all too young, little inclined to accept the weight of the court, its etiquette, in other words her duties as a Queen.
To escape the heaviness of the Court, Marie Antoinette spent most of her time in the private areas of Versailles: the Petit Trianon and especially the Hameau (the hamlet), a miniature farm village where she lived a simple life surrounded by her children and friends. Marie-Antoinette is known for the lavish parties she gave and the expensive life she led. This reputation was an exaggeration and contributed to make her unpopular with the poorest of her subjects. However because of this taste for luxury, Marie-Antoinette had a greater impact on the arts than her husband. Indeed, she commissioned many craftsmen and artists to produce works for her: furniture, decorative objects, clothes and paintings. Because of her friendship with Mrs Vigée-Lebrun the famous painter, thirty portraits exist of her today (pictures 1 & 2). The Queen’s bedroom in Versailles is as it was the last summer Marie-Antoinette lived there. (picture 3)
The Queen shared the same destiny as the rest of the Royal family during the French Revolution. Today we know her whole trial was a fake. In 1793, she was guillotined and became a legend.
