Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette was born as Maria Antonia of Austria (2 November

1755 – 16 October 1793). She was Archduchess of Austria and Queen Marie Antoinette
of France and Navarre. She became the queen consort of Louis XVI of
France in 1770.[1]

Her marriage was at first an unhappy one, and it was not properly
consummated for several years.[2] She was married at 14. After seven
years of marriage, she gave birth to a daughter, and later to three more
children. She was the mother of Louis XVII of France, who never
actually became king.

Initially popular for her personality and beauty, the French people later
disliked her. It was thought she spent too much money, had lovers and
sympathised with France's enemies. Her country of origin was Austria.
She became known as 'Madame Déficit' because France's financial
crisis was blamed on her lavish spending. These were mostly the
opinions of the courtiers (those at court).[3]
Marie Antoinette
It is difficult to assess the causes of the French Revolution.[1] The Tenure 10 May 1774 – 21 September 1792
French economy was bad, and the king and queen were blamed for it. Born 2 November 1755
Her own spending was not a main factor, but in the famous phrase "Let Hofburg Palace, Vienna, Austria
them eat cake" she was blamed. She was executed by guillotine after
Died 16 October 1793 (aged 37)
being held in prison for months.
Place de la Révolution, Paris, France
Burial (21 January 1815, at time of Bourbon
Restoration)

Contents Spouse Louis XVI of France

Issue Marie Thérèse, Duchess of
Biography
Childhood in Vienna (1755-1767) Angoulême
A political marriage (1767-1770) Louis Joseph, Dauphin of France
Death Louis XVII of France
Princess Sophie
Images
Titles from birth to death Full name
Notes Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna
References House House of Habsburg-Lorraine
Other websites Father Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Mother Empress Maria Theresa of Austria

Biography

Childhood in Vienna (1755-1767)

On the morning of 2 November 1755, Maria Teresa, Queen of Hungary and Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, gave birth to Marie
Antoinette, her fifteenth child and last daughter.[4][5] The Empress quickly became well again after giving birth, and was reported to
have looked happy and healthy.[6] Marie Antoinette was taken care of by Constance Weber, a wet-nurse. When Marie Antoinette was
 a child, she often gave gifts to Constance Weber and her son, Joseph. According to
Joseph, Marie Antoinette once said to Constance, "Good Weber, have a care for your
son."[7]

Joseph Weber added that the Archdukes and Archduchesses were allowed to make
friends with "ordinary" (common) children.[8] Except on formal celebrations, people
who did not have a very high birth or title were still liked and allowed into the court.
Marie Antoinette was known as "Antoine" when she was young. The Austrian court
young Madame Antoine grew up in was already beginning to become much less
formal.[9] Antoine was taught by Countess Brandeis, who loved Marie Antoinette
and treated her very kindly. Antoine's first recorded letter, written when she was 11
or 12, was to "dearest Brandeis" from "your faithful pupil (student) who loves you
dearly, Antoine".[10] However, though the countess taught Antoine about morality
and religion, she did not educate her on many other subjects, and Antoine did not
like to concentrate.[11] Later, one of her friends said that when she talked, her words
A picture of Marie "Antoine" were not connected, "like a grasshopper".[12] In fact, when Antoine was 12 she
Antoinette when she was seven could not write or even speak French and German properly,[13] though she spoke
years old by Martin van Meytens. Italian well.[14] She greatly loved music, though. In 1759, shortly before she became
four years old, Antoine sang a French song at a party for her father, while her
brothers and sisters sang Italian songs.[15] She listened to Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart playing "marvellously"[15] once, too.[13] She was also famous for her beautiful dancing and the graceful way she carried her
head.[15] She had been officially taught by the famous French ballet master Jean-Georges Noverre.[16] She was much less skilled at
reading.[17]

Still, she loved her childhood home in Vienna and later missed it very much. She once said about her mother, "I love the Empress but
I'm frightened (afraid) of her, even at a distance; when I'm writing to her, I never feel completely at ease (comfortable)."[18] She
disliked her sister, the Archduchess Marie "Mimi" Christine, who her mother seemed to love most.[18] But her relationship with her
sister Maria "Charlotte" Carolina was quite different: they loved each other warmly.[6] They were very close, and a painter later said
that they "resembled (looked like) each other greatly".[19] Charlotte was more forceful, and Antoine was usually thought to be
prettier.[19]

A political marriage (1767-1770)

At the beginning of 1767 the Empress had five daughters with her. Marie Christine was already married to Prince Albert of Saxony.
Elizabeth, who was very pretty, was 23, Amalia almost 21, Josepha was 16, Charlotte was 14, and Antoine was now 12.[20] The
Empress wanted Josepha, who was gentle and pretty, to marry Charles III of Spain.[20] But then bad things started to happen. Her son
Joseph's second wife died because ofsmallpox and was buried. After that Maria Teresa caught the smallpox and almost died.

Then Maria Teresa took her daughter Josepha, who was about to begin her bridal journey to Naples, to go to the tomb of Joseph's
wife to pray. But the tomb had not been closed tightly enough. Probably because of this, Josepha suddenly caught smallpox and died.
Elizabeth also caught the disease. She lived, but her beauty was gone.[20] Antonia, who had caught smallpox when she was two years
[21]
old and become healthy again, did not catch the disease.

But a bride was still needed for King Ferdinand of Naples. Maria Teresa quickly wrote a letter explaining what had happened to
Charles III of Spain a month after Josepha died. "I grant you ... one of my daughters to make good the loss," she wrote. "I do
currently (right now) have two who could fit, one is the Archduchess Amalia who is said to have a pretty face and whose health
should promise ... the other is the Archduchess Charlotte who is also very healthy and a year and seven months younger than the
King of Naples." Soon, the King of Naples married Charlotte and Amalia was married to Louis XV's grandson, Don Ferdinand of
Parma. Amalia was not happy with her mother's decision.
The only daughter left was now Marie Antoinette. Empress Maria Theresa decided to
use Antonia to make Austria become friendly with France. After long discussions,
Antonia was engaged to Louis-Auguste, Dauphin of France. The duc de Choiseul from
France and the Prince of Starhemberg from Austria helped arrange the wedding.[22]

They immediately began preparing Marie Antoinette for her marriage. Her teeth were
crooked, but a French dentist came to fix it.[23][24][25] After a painful three months,
Marie Antoinette had a smile that was "very beautiful and straight".[23][24][25] Her thick
"mountain of curls" were dressed by Larsenneur, a famous hairdresser who powdered
and softened her hair.[23] Marie Antoinette also had a high forehead which was thought
unfashionable at that time.[26] though she had a long, graceful neck.[24]
Coat of arms of Marie Antoinette
Her education was also changed. In November 1768, the Abbe Jacques-Mathieu de as Dauphine of France
Vermond went to Vienna to teach Antonia. She was clever, but without the knowledge a
[27] She could not
future queen should have. She was also lazy and unable to concentrate.
read or write properly in French or German, but a year after Vermond had arrived, she could speak it well enough. By the time she
left Austria, she was speaking French easily and well, even if it had a small German accent.[28] The Abbe also found that Marie
Antoinette did not know much about French history, which they studied carefully together. In the end, Marie received a fairly good
education.[29]

Death
Marie Antoinette was publicly executed by guillotine and treason in Paris, France, on 16 October 1793, months after the death of her
husband. Her youngest son Louis-Charles, later died of tuberculosis and malnutrition during the revolution. She was buried in the
Saint Denis Basilica. Her eldest daughter, Marie Therese, was the only one of their family to surviv
e the revolution.

Images
 Maria Antonia of Austria, Marie-Antoinette and her Marie-Antoinette is taken Execution of Marie-
Archduchess, aged 12 children, oil on canvas, to execution, 1793, Antoionette, 16th
by Elisabeth Vigee- October 1793
Lebrun, 1787

The last drawing of the

queen, by Louis David

Titles from birth to death

2 November 1755 – 19 April 1770: Her Royal Highness Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria
19 April 1770 – 10 May 1774: Her Royal Highness The Dauphine of France
10 May 1774 – 1 October 1791: Her Most Christian MajestyThe Queen of France and Navarre
1 October 1791 – 21 September 1792: Her Most Christian Majesty The Queen of the French
21 September 1792 – 21 January 1793: Madame Capet
21 January 1793 – 16 October 1793: La Veuve ("the widow") Capet

Notes
1. "Marie-Antoinette (queen of France) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia". britannica.com. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
2. "Marie Antoinette — FactMonster.com". factmonster.com. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
3. Fraser, Antonia 2001. Marie Antoinette. New York: N.A. Talese/Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-48948-5
4. Born in Vienna, Austria, in 1755, Archduchess Marie Antoinette was the 15th and last child of Holy Roman Emperor
Francis I and the powerful Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa.
5. http://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-marie-antoinette
6. Khevenhuller-Metsch, Fursten Johann Joseph, nach den agebucheintragungen
T des,Theater, Feste und Feiern zur
Zeit Maria Theresias 1742–1776, Vienna, 1987
7. Weber, Joseph, Mémoires concernant Marie Antoinette Archiduchesse d'Autriche, Reine de France... , 3 vols., 1804
8. Fraser, p. 15
9. Evelyne Lever, Maria Antonietta - L'ultima regina, Milano, BUR Biography, 2007. ISBN 978-88-17-00940-9
10. Lettres de Marie-Antoinette, ed. Maxime de la Rocheterie & le Marquis de Beaucourt, 2 vols., 1895
11. "Marc Jiménez Buzzi. If they have no bread, let them eat cake". marcjimenez.com. Retrieved 21 July 2010.
12. Fraser, p.33
13. Stefan Zweig, Marie Antoinette The Portrait of an Average Woman, (1932) ISBN 4-87187-855-4
14. Besenval, Baron de, Mémoires sur la Cour de France, introduction and notes Ghislain de Diesbach, 1987
15. Fraser, p. 19 – 20
16. Guest, Ivor, The Ballet of the Enlightenment: the establishment of the Ballet d'Action in France, 1770 – 1793
, 1996
17. Fraser, p. 32
18. Fraser, p. 22 – 23
19. Vigée Le Brun, Madame,Souvenirs, 3rd revised edition, New York, 1880
20. Fraser, p. 27 – 28
21. Khevenhuller, V, p. 6; "Relation de Rosalie Lamorliere, servante a la Conciergerie (1793)
22. Antonio Spinosa, Luigi XVI - L'ultimo sole di Versailles, Milano, Mondadori, 2008.ISBN 978-88-04-58134-5
23. Weber, Caroline (October 2007).Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution(First Picador
Edition ed.). New York: Picador Books. ISBN 978-0312427344.
24. Fraser, p. 30
25. Boutry, Maurice, Le Mariage de Marie-Antoinette, 1904
26. Vuflart, Albert & Bourin, Henri,Les Portraits de Marie-Antoinette; I, L'Archiduchesse, 1909, p. 35
27. Benedetta Craveri, Amanti e Regine - Il potere delle donne, Milano, Adelphi, 2008. ISBN 978-88-459-2302-9
28. Armaille, Comtesse d',Marie Therese et Marie-Antoinette, 3rd edition, 1893
29. Evelyne Lever, Maria Antonietta - L'ultima regina, Milano, BUR Biografie, 2007.ISBN 978-88-17-00940-9

References
Fraser, Antonia (2001). Marie Antoinette: The Journey. United States of America: Anchor Books. ISBN 0-385-48948-
X

Other websites
Media related to Marie Antoinette at Wikimedia Commons
"Marie Antoinette at Find A Grave". findagrave.com. Retrieved 21 July 2010.

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