Marie antoinette biography louis xvi style

I did not do it on purpose. The last queen of France has been vilified as the personification of the evils of monarchy. 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. Marie Antoinette syndrome is a purported condition marie antoinette biography louis xvi style some or all or some of the hair on the scalp suddenly turns white.

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. Marie Antoinette has been the subject of numerous plays, books both fiction and nonfictionmusic, and movies. The Biography. We have worked as daily newspaper reporters, major national magazine editors, and as editors-in-chief of regional media publications.

Among our ranks are book authors and award-winning journalists. Our staff also works with freelance writers, researchers, and other contributors to produce the smart, compelling profiles and articles you see on our site. Prince Harry. Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales. Cleopatra VII. Henry VIII. It was expected that as French Queen she would lead fashion and spend the most on clothes.

But, in addition to her dress, she also spent increasing amounts of money on gambling. On one occasion, she spent three solid days gambling with friends up to her 21st birthday. Her behaviour was reported to her mother, Maria Theresa — who sent a strong letter of admonishment to her daughter, telling her to mend her ways. Whilst Marie enjoyed a life of pleasure and indulgence at court, French society was beginning to strain under the pressure of debt and economic stagnation.

French society was deeply unequal with many people struggling to afford enough food. The contrast between monarchial privilege and life for peasants was stark, and this discontent grew into greater political pressure for reform. She spent much money on refurbishing the Palace of Versailles, including the Petit Trianon — a small chateau within the grounds of Versailles.

To appease this social division, Louis XVI proposed reforms to end the worst excesses of privilege and also to impose a more progressive taxation system. However, his reforms were blocked by the nobility and clergymen who vetoed proposals to increase taxes on the rich. It is uncertain whether Marie Antoinette actually vetoed the proposals, she may well have supported her husband and tended not to take much part in political affairs.

If she did veto the proposals, she was one of many aristocratic people to defend their privilege. However, the foreign-born Marie made her an easy target. Spending little time with her husband, but in revelry, gossip began to spread that she was having affairs with court nobles. Louis was reluctant for many years to sleep with his wife, causing great concern over the lack of an heir to the throne.

InMarie finally became pregnant after her marriage was finally consummated. She had a baby daughter after a difficult birth. It was a moment of great relief for both the King and Queen. Inshe gave birth to a second son, Louis Charles. However, she persuaded him not to abolish feudal orders and reduce royal privileges. This made her the main target of revolutionary agitators.

In Octoberthe royal family was forced to leave Versailles and return to Paris, despite the objective danger to their lives as they became hostages of the rebellious crowd. Six months later, Marie Antoinette established a secret correspondence with Count de Mirabeau, a member of the National Assembly, who wanted to restore the monarchy. In AprilMirabeau died, and the queen sought help from royalists in exile.

On the night of June 20,the royal family left Paris towards the border, but on June 25, the king was recognized by his profile on a gold coin and returned to Paris. By the time of the Flour War ofa series of riots, due to the high price of flour and bread, had damaged her reputation among the general public. Eventually, Marie Antoinette's reputation was no better than that of the favourites of previous kings.

Many French people were beginning to blame her for the degrading economic situation, suggesting the country's inability to pay off its debt was the result of her wasting the crown's money. On 19 Septembershe appointed her superintendent of her household, [ 45 ] [ 46 ] an appointment she soon transferred to her new favourite, the Duchess of Polignac.

Inshe took under her patronage her former music teacher, the German opera composer Christoph Willibald Gluckwho remained in France until Amidst the atmosphere of a wave of libellesthe Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II came to France incognito, using the name Comte de Falkenstein, for a six-week visit during which he toured Paris extensively and was a guest at Versailles.

Suggestions that Louis suffered from phimosiswhich was relieved by circumcisionhave been discredited. In the middle of the queen's marie antoinette biography louis xvi style, two events occurred which had a profound effect on her later life: the return of her friend, the Swedish diplomat Count Axel von Fersen the Younger [ 59 ] to Versailles for two years, and her brother's claim to the throne of Bavariacontested by Saxony and Prussia.

The Peace of Teschensigned on 13 Mayended the brief conflict, with the Queen imposing French mediation at her mother's insistence and Austria's gaining the Innviertel territory of at leastinhabitants—a strong retreat from the early French position which was hostile towards Austria. This gave the impression, partially justified, that the Queen had sided with Austria against France.

Meanwhile, the Queen began to institute changes in court customs. Some of them met with the disapproval of the older generation, such as the abandonment of heavy make-up and the popular wide-hooped panniers. Marie Antoinette's second pregnancy ended in a miscarriage early in Julyas confirmed by letters between the Queen and her mother, although some historians believed that she may have experienced bleeding related to an irregular menstrual cycle, which she mistook for a lost pregnancy.

Empress Maria Theresa died on 29 November in Vienna. Marie Antoinette feared that the death of her mother would jeopardise the Franco-Austrian alliance, as well as, ultimately, herself, but her brother, Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, wrote to her that he had no intention of breaking the alliance. A second visit from Joseph II, which took place in July to reaffirm the Franco-Austrian alliance and also to see his sister, was tainted by false rumours [ 73 ] that Marie Antoinette was sending money to him from the French treasury.

Despite the general celebration over the birth of an heir, Marie Antoinette's political influence, such as it was, was perceived to greatly benefit Austria. Finally, the Queen was able to obtain her brother's support against Great Britain in the American Revolution and she neutralized French hostility to his alliance with Russia. In contrast, both the king and the queen trusted Madame de Polignac completely, gave her a thirteen-room apartment in Versailles and paid her well.

In JuneMarie Antoinette's new pregnancy was announced, but on the night of 1—2 November, her 28th birthday, she suffered a miscarriage. In the Queen played a decisive role in the nomination of Charles Alexandre de Calonnea close friend of the Polignacsas Controller-General of Financesand of the Baron de Breteuil as the Minister of the Royal Household, making him perhaps the strongest and most conservative minister of the reign.

The measure also blocked the access of 'commoners', mainly sons of members of the professional classes, and of more recently elevated nobility to important positions in the armed forces. As such, the decree became an important grievance for social classes that had been habitually supportive of the monarchy and established order, and which went on to supply the bulk of the early leadership of the French Revolution.

Count Axel von Fersenafter his return from America in Junewas accepted into the Queen's private society. There were claims that the two were romantically involved, [ 87 ] but since most of their correspondence has been lost, destroyed, or redacted, for many years there was no conclusive evidence. Around this time, pamphlets describing farcical sexual deviance including the Queen and her friends in the court were growing in popularity around the country.

The Portefeuille d'un talon rouge was one of the earliest, including the queen and a variety of other nobles in a political statement decrying the immoral practices of the court. As time went on, these came to focus more on the queen. They described amorous encounters with a wide range of figures, from the Duchess of Polignac to Louis XV. As these attacks increased, they were connected with the public's dislike of her association with the rival nation of Austria.

It was publicly suggested that her supposed behaviour was learned at the Austrian court, particularly lesbianism, which was known as the "German vice". Inthe Queen was busy with the creation of her " hamlet ", a rustic retreat built by her favoured architect, Richard Miqueaccording to the designs of the painter Hubert Robert. It was en vogue at the time for nobles to have recreations of small villages on their properties.

Marie antoinette biography louis xvi style

It was also significantly smaller and less intricate than many other nobles'. Those on music, often dedicated to her, were the most read, though she also liked to read history. She sponsored the arts, in particular music. She limited the audience to her intimate circle and a few musicians, among them the Chevalier de Saint-Georges. Initially banned by the king due to its negative portrayal of the nobility, the play was finally allowed to be publicly performed because of the Queen's support and its overwhelming popularity at court, where secret readings of it had been given by Marie Antoinette.

The play was a disaster for the image of the monarchy and aristocracy. She wanted to be able to own her own property, one that was actually hers, to then have the authority to bequeath it to "whichever of my children I wish," [ ] choosing the child she thought could use it rather than it going through patriarchal inheritance laws or whims.

The purchase of Saint-Cloud thus damaged the public's image of the Queen even further. Courtiers at Versailles noted in their diaries that the date of the child's conception corresponded perfectly with a period when the King and the Queen had spent much time together, but these details were ignored amid attacks on the Queen's character.

She was named after the King's aunt, Princess Sophie of France. Marie Antoinette began to abandon her more carefree activities to become increasingly involved in politics in her role as queen of France. Marie Antoinette had profoundly disliked Rohan since the time he had been the French ambassador to Vienna when she was a child. Despite his high clerical position at the Court, she never addressed a word to him.

Madame de La Motte tricked Rohan into buying the necklace as a gift to Marie Antoinette, for him to gain the queen's favour. Judged by the Parlement of ParisRohan was found innocent of any wrongdoing and allowed to leave the Bastille. Marie Antoinette, who had insisted on the arrest of the Cardinal, was dealt a heavy personal blow, as was the monarchy, and despite the fact that the guilty parties were tried and convicted, the affair proved to be extremely damaging to her reputation, which never recovered from it.

Suffering from an acute case of depression, the King began to seek the advice of his wife. In her new role and with increasing political power, the Queen tried to improve the awkward situation brewing between the Parlement and the King. Continuing deterioration of the financial situation despite cutbacks to the royal retinue and court expenses ultimately forced the King, the Queen and the Controller-General of Finances, Charles Alexandre de Calonneat the urging of Vergennes, to call a session of the Assembly of Notablesafter a hiatus of years.

The assembly was held for the purpose of initiating necessary financial reforms, but the Assembly refused to cooperate. The first meeting took place on 22 Februarynine days after the death of Vergennes on 13 February. Marie Antoinette did not attend the meeting and her absence resulted in accusations that the Queen was trying to undermine its purpose.

It did not pass any reforms and, instead, fell into a pattern of defying the King. He began to institute more cutbacks at court while trying to restore the royal absolute power weakened by the Parlement. The continued poor financial climate of the country resulted in the 25 May dissolution of the Assembly of Notables because of its inability to function, and the lack of solutions was blamed on the Queen.

France's financial problems were the result of a combination of factors: several expensive wars; a large royal family whose expenditures were paid for by the state; and an unwillingness on the part of most members of the privileged classes, aristocracy, and clergy, to help defray the costs of the government out of their own pockets by relinquishing some of their financial privileges.

She had played a decisive role in the disgrace of the reformer ministers of finance, Anne-Robert-Jacques Turgot inand Jacques Necker first dismissal in The political situation in worsened when, at Marie Antoinette's urging, the Parlement of Paris was exiled to Troyes on 15 August. It further deteriorated when Louis XVI tried to use a lit de justice on 11 November to impose legislation.

Finally, on 8 August, Louis XVI announced his intention to bring back the Estates Generalthe traditional elected legislature of the country, which had not been convened since While from late up to his marie antoinette biography louis xvi style in June Marie Antoinette's primary concern was the continued deterioration of the health of the Dauphin, who suffered from tuberculosis[ ] she was directly involved in the exile of the Parlementthe May Edicts, and the announcement regarding the Estates General.

She did participate in the King Councilthe first queen to do this in over years since Marie de' Medici had been named Chef du Conseil du Roibetween andand she was making the major decisions behind the scene and in the Royal Council. Marie Antoinette was instrumental in the reinstatement of Jacques Necker as Finance Minister on 26 Augusta popular move, even though she herself was worried that it would go against her if Necker proved unsuccessful in reforming the country's finances.

On the eve of the opening of the Estates General the Queen attended the mass celebrating its return. The death of the Dauphin on 4 June, which deeply affected his parents, was virtually ignored by the French people, [ ] who were instead preparing for the next meeting of the Estates General and hoping for a resolution to the bread crisis. As the Third Estate declared itself a National Assembly and took the Tennis Court Oathand as people either spread or believed rumours that the Queen wished to bathe in their blood, Marie Antoinette went into mourning for her eldest son.

In addition, she showed her determination to use force to crush the forthcoming revolution. The situation escalated on 20 June as the Third Estate, which had been joined by several members of the clergy and radical nobility, found the door to its appointed meeting place closed by order of the King. Marie Antoinette, whose life was as much in danger, remained with the King, whose power was gradually being taken away by the National Constituent Assembly.

On 5 October, a crowd from Paris descended upon Versailles and forced the royal family to move to the Tuileries Palace in Paris, where they lived under a form of house arrest under the watch of Lafayette's National Guard, while the Count of Provence and his wife were allowed to reside in the Petit Luxembourgwhere they remained until they went into exile on 20 June Marie Antoinette continued to perform charitable functions and attend religious ceremonies, but dedicated most of her time to her children.

She blamed him for his support of the Revolution and did not regret his resignation in Lafayette, one of the former military leaders in the American War of Independence —served as the warden of the royal family in his position as commander-in-chief of the National Guard. Despite his dislike of the Queen—he detested her as much as she detested him and at one time had even threatened to send her to a convent—he was persuaded by the mayor of ParisJean Sylvain Baillyto work and collaborate with her, and allowed her to see Fersen a number of times.

His relationship with the King was more cordial. As a liberal aristocrat, he did not want the fall of the monarchy but rather the establishment of a liberal one, similar to that of Great Britainbased on cooperation between the King and the people, as was to be defined in the Constitution of Despite her attempts to remain out of the public eye, Marie Antoinette was falsely accused in the libelles of having an affair with Lafayette, whom she loathed.

There is no evidence to support the accusations. Like Lafayette, Mirabeau was a liberal aristocrat. He had joined the Third Estate and was not against the monarchy, but wanted to reconcile it with the Revolution. He also wanted to be a minister and was not immune to corruption. At leastpersons participated from all over France, including 18, National Guards, with Talleyrandbishop of Autuncelebrating a mass at the autel de la Patrie "altar of the fatherland".

The King was greeted at the event with loud cheers of "Long live the King! There were even cheers for the Queen, particularly when she presented the dauphin to the public. Mirabeau sincerely wanted to reconcile the Queen with the people, and she was happy to see him restoring much of the King's powers, such as his authority over foreign policy, and the right to declare war.

Over the objections of Lafayette and his allies, the King was given a suspensive veto allowing him to veto any laws for a period of four years. In March Pope Pius VI had condemned the Civil Constitution of the Clergyreluctantly signed by Louis XVI, which reduced the number of bishops from to 93, imposed the election of bishops and all members of the clergy by departmental or district assemblies of electors, and reduced the pope's authority over the Church.

The Queen's political ideas and her belief in the absolute power of monarchs were based on France's long-established tradition of the divine right of kings. On 18 April, as the royal family prepared to leave for Saint-Cloud to attend Easter mass celebrated by a refractory priest, a crowd, soon joined by the National Guard disobeying Lafayette's ordersprevented their departure from Paris, marie antoinette biography louis xvi style Marie Antoinette to declare to Lafayette that she and her family were no longer free.

This incident fortified her in her determination to leave Paris for personal and political reasons, not alone, but with her family. Even the King, who had been hesitant, accepted his wife's decision to flee with the help of foreign powers and counter-revolutionary forces. There had been several plots designed to help the royal family escape, which the Queen had rejected because she would not leave without the King, or which had ceased to be viable because of the King's indecision.

Once Louis XVI finally did commit to a plan, its poor execution was the cause of its failure. After many delays, the escape was ultimately attempted on 21 Junebut the entire family was arrested less than 24 hours later at Varennes and taken back to Paris within a week. The escape attempt destroyed much of the remaining support of the population for the King.

On the way to the capital they were jeered and insulted by the people as never before. The prestige of the French monarchy had never been at such a low level. Brought safely back to Paris, they were met with total silence by the crowd. Thanks to Barnave, the royal couple was not brought to trial and was publicly exonerated of any crime in relation with the attempted escape.

After their return from Varennes and until the storming of the Tuileries on 10 Augustthe Queen, her family and entourage were held under tight surveillance by the National Guard in the Tuileries, where the royal couple was guarded night and day. Four guards accompanied the Queen wherever she went, and her bedroom door had to be left open at night.

Her health also began to deteriorate, thus further reducing her physical activities. On 17 Julywith the support of Barnave and his friends, Lafayette's Garde Nationale opened fire on the crowd that had assembled on the Champ de Mars to sign a petition demanding the deposition of the King. The estimated number of those killed varies between 12 and Lafayette's reputation never recovered from the event and, on 8 October, he resigned as commander of the National Guard.

Their enmity continuing, Marie Antoinette played a decisive role in defeating him in his aims to become the mayor of Paris in November As her correspondence shows, while Barnave was taking great political risks in the belief that the Queen was his political ally and had managed, despite her unpopularity, to secure a moderate majority ready to work with her, Marie Antoinette was not considered sincere in her cooperation with the moderate leaders of the French Revolution, which ultimately ended any chance to establish a moderate government.

Marie Antoinette continued to hope that the military coalition of European kingdoms would succeed in crushing the Revolution. She counted most on the support of her Austrian family. After the death of her brother Joseph II inhis successor and younger brother, Leopold II[ ] was willing to support her to a limited degree. In a letter to her brother, penned in SeptemberMarie Antoinette expressed how she expected the revolution to react: " The King, his powers restored, will be entrusted with negotiations with the foreign powers, and the princes will return, in the general tranquillity, to reassume their ranks at his court and in the nation.

Upon Leopold's death inhis son, Francisa conservative ruler, was ready to support the cause of the French royal couple more vigorously because he feared the consequences of the French Revolution and its ideas for the monarchies of Europe, particularly, for Austria's influence in the continent. Barnave had advised the Queen to call back Mercy, who had played such an important role in her life before the Revolution, but Mercy had been appointed to another foreign diplomatic position [ where?

At the end ofignoring the danger she faced, the Princesse de Lamballewho was in London, returned to the Tuileries. As for Fersen, despite the strong restrictions imposed on the Queen, he was able to see her a final time in February This resulted in the Queen being viewed as an enemy, although she was personally against Austrian claims to French territories on European soil.

That summer, the situation was compounded by multiple defeats of the French Revolutionary Army by the Austrians, in part because Marie Antoinette passed on military secrets to them. Barnave remained the most important advisor and supporter of the Queen, who was willing to work with him as long as he met her demands, which he did to a large extent.

Barnave and the moderates comprised about lawmakers in the new Legislative Assembly ; the radicals numbered aroundand the rest around Initially, the majority was with Barnave, but the Queen's policies led to the radicalization of the Assembly and the moderates lost control of the legislative process. The moderate government collapsed in April to be replaced by a radical majority headed by the Girondins.