05/29/2020
“No one understands my ills, nor the terror that fills my breast, who does not know the heart of a mother.” -Marie Antoinette
When most modern day people think about Marie Antoinette, they think of a woman who spent vast fortunes on dresses, and who commented on the starving people in her country by saying “Let them eat cake” In reality, Marie was widely known as a kind and giving person with a complicated reign during the French Revolution.
Marie was born in Austria in 1755 and was the youngest of fifteen children. Her mother was Maria Theresa, Empress of Austria and her father was the Holy Roman Emperor Francis I. Her original name was Maria Antonia, and was changed to Marie Antoinette following her marriage in order to make her name sound French and more in line with her husband’s country.
Marie had a wealthy childhood and was given the best tutors to instruct her in the subjects deemed fit for a high class young woman: religion, language, and moral principles. Marie’s teachers often struggled to convince her to focus on her lessons, and by the time she reached 14 she did not speak any language but her native German. This was highly unusual for this time period, but Marie would have to learn French quickly. Marie’s mother, The Empress Theresa, had decided her daughter was to marry the future King Louis XVI of France. Their marriage was designed to build an alliance between France and the Austrian Empire.
Marie was escorted from her home with several carriages and taken to France where she met her future husband. They were wed, and Marie began to adjust the court life. Her frequent letters home to her mother reflected that she did not enjoy the level of spotlight she endured, and specifically found the morning rituals of dressing and putting on makeup with many people watching difficult. Shortly after their marriage, Marie’s husband was crowned the King of France. This made Marie the Queen, and increased the level of spotlight and scrutiny she was under. Marie was vivacious and outgoing, she enjoyed throwing parties and attending theatre shows. By contrast, her husband was quiet, shy, and preferred being alone.
Marie gave birth to their first child in 1778, a girl named Marie Therese. While many people in France were disappointed that she had not given birth to a boy that could someday take the throne, Marie appeared to be thrilled with her new baby and was by all accounts an involved mother. She would go on to have 3 more children; Louis Joseph, Louis Charles, and Sophie. Sadly, Sophie was born prematurely and died shortly after. Tragedy struck the family again when Louis Joseph died of spinal tuberculosis.
Marie is often remembered for spending a large amount of money on clothing and extravagant parties. While this does appear to be accurate, she was also one of the first French aristocrats to donate large sums to children’s charities. Marie was also known to assist in paying school fees for children from poor families so they could seek an education. While this was extremely kind, it did not settle the unrest in France.
France was in a space of upheaval for years before Marie was crowned Queen. Many people were experiencing poverty, and resented the royal families for their access to wealth and power. There was country-wide food shortages and famine. While the quote “Let them eat cake” is often attributed to Marie and reflects a lack of caring for the people, there is no evidence she ever said this. Due to the ongoing troubles in France, the Revolution began.
In 1792 Marie, her husband, and their two remaining children were arrested and removed from power by revolutionaries. During the siege of their home, Marie displayed courage and intelligence by writing several letters to friends and allies in codes and invisible ink. She entrusted these letters to various palace guards in the hopes of facilitating rescue. While there were several rescue attempts, Marie was executed in October of 1793. Her son Louis Charles lived two years past his mother’s death, but died of tuberculosis while still in prison. Her daughter Marie Therese was ultimately returning back to her mother’s home country of Austria and lived to be 72.
If you’d like to learn more about Marie Antoinette, check out the resources below:
Who Was Marie Antoinette? By Dana Meachen Rau
Marie Antoinette by Katie Daynes
Moi and Marie Antoinette by Lynn Cullen
