Ashleigh Jenson - Marie Antoinette: Frances Most Controversial Queen

Marie Antoinette: Frances Most Controversial Queen

Jessica Manson

Published by Jessica Manson at Smashwords

Copyright 2012 Jessica Manson

Chapter1: Marie Antoinettes Childhood

Chapter2: Marriage to Louis XVI

Chapter3: A Life of Luxury?

Chapter 4: Political Affairs

Chapter5: The Downfall of Marie Antoinette

Courage! I have shown it for many years; think you I shalllose it
at the moment when my sufferings are to end?

Introduction:

OnOctober 16th, 1793, Marie Antoinette stood before a Guillotine atPlace de la Concorde, awaiting her death. For the past four years,she had been held as a virtual prisoner in Paris alongside herfamily. After earning the nickname Madame Deficit, Marie Antoinettehad become known as Frances most controversial queen. Her death atthe age of 37 was one of the focal points of the French Revolution,and has become symbolic of the French people taking control fromthe ancien regime once and for all. This book tells the story ofFrances most controversial and tragic queen, from herunconventional childhood and reputed extramarital liaisons, to thetruth behind her life of luxury and her role in the FrenchRevolution.

Chapter 1: Marie Antoinettes Childhood

OnNovember 2nd 1755, Marie Antoinette-- also known as ArchduchessMaria Antonia Josepha Johanna Von Habsburg Lothringen-- was born.As the fifteenth child of the Holy Roman Emperor Francis I Stephenand Empress Maria Theresa, she was born at the Hofburg Palace inVienna. At the time that she was born, Austria was on the verge ofentering into the seven years war with France as an ally againstthe British. Like many women born into royal families in 18thcentury Europe, Marie Antoinettes existence was to be dominated bythe part she could play in securing strong relationships betweenher country and other European powers. Despite the fact that shewas later to become the woman who would later seal the relationshipbetween France and Austria, before eventually acting as one of theFrench Revolutions catalysts, Maries future was much more stableat the time of her birth.

The first portrait of Marie Antoinette, two months after herbirth.

As achild, Marie Antoinette had a carefree life. Many royal children inEurope would be subjected to a life ruled by conventions andgovernesses, but that was not the case for Marie and her siblings.Marie began her infant life as many European princesses would, witha wet nurse called Constance Weber. At the time that Weber begannursing Marie Antoinette, she was still feeding her three month oldson. Unlike many wet nurses, she was not to become a fragment ofthe Austrian royal familys past. Once Marie moved beyond the stagewhere she needed to be nursed, Weber continued to be a friend tothe family. Her son, Joseph, was allowed to play with the childrenof the royal family, and Constances status in Austrian society waselevated. When she first began nursing Marie, she was merely thewife of a local magistrate. As her son grew to play alongside Marieand her siblings, Constance was able to take on benefits, such as apension for her older years.

Beingallowed to play alongside the son of a commoner was not the onlyunconventional aspect of Marie Antoinettes childhood. Incomparison with many of her European princess contemporaries, shewas allowed to live a relatively carefree life. During the winterperiod, she would go sledding with her brothers and sisters.Historical accounts from travellers moving through Austria recallMarie sledding through the Austrian countryside in a swan shapesledge, while her parents led the race.

As ayoung girl who was fond of comedy and performing, Marie wasencouraged to entertain those who arrived at the Austrian courtwith her singing and dancing skills. Partying and entertainmentbecame a big partof her life from a young age, as she wasencouraged by her mother to acquire skills that would allow her totake part in gambling. It is rumored that the Duchess encouragedher to learn these skills, as she was worried that she wouldotherwise lose money one day. As well as her mother helping todevelop her taste for gambling, her father would lavish her withattention; this was rather unusual for such high ranking Europeanroyals. Sadly, when Marie was nine, he died of a stroke.

Althoughmuch of Maries childhood was exciting and unconventional, she wasnot completely exempt from the responsibilities that came withbeing an Austrian princess. Although she grew to be an image ofbeauty, she was not considered to be an attractive child. From ayoung age she was required to wear a pelican, which was a devicedesigned to straighten her crooked teeth. Her wild hair was alsofrowned upon, and she would regularly have to have it styled intothe large quiff we are so familiar with today.

As wellas being trained to become a picture of Austrian beauty, Mariereceived a formal education. Marie was homeschooled by a dedicatedgoverness. Despite all her best effort, Maries governess could notconvince the young princess to give her studies the attention theyneeded in order for her to reach her full potential. Marie grew toknow virtually nothing about the history of her own country, andwas more concerned with musical pursuits than cultural learning.She also appeared to be disinterested in learning the most basic ofskills, such as adopting a style of handwriting that was neat.Rather disastrously, Marie had a poor grasp of French, but couldspeak Italian and Latin eloquently.

Marieslack of educational prowess was not down to her parents beingunwilling to educate her. It later came to light that those whotaught her would often hide the fact that she was doing poorly, asthey were too scared about losing their jobs to do otherwise. Inaddition to this, Maries arrival as her parents penultimate childmeant that she did not initially have a vital role to play in thepolitical field of Europe. Before Marie was promised to Louis VXI,her sister Marie Elisabeth was promised to the young French prince.Unfortunately, her sister contracted smallpox, and was left soscarred that the Austrian royal family felt she was no longerdestined to become the wife of Frances next king. It was due tothis that Marie was destined to become Frances most controversialqueen.

Towardsthe end of her childhood in Austria, Marie was catapulted into acrash course that was to prepare her for life as the Queen ofFrance. Despite being excellent at Italian and Latin, her grasp ofFrench was poor, and so she spent a year learning it in preparationfor her new life in Versailles. As she grew closer to her 14thbirthday, she was almost ready to enter into her new life. Despitea years worth of extra effort from her educators, Marie Antoinettewas about to enter into French society very unprepared, andextremely undereducated.

Chapter 2: Marie Antoinettes Marriage

WhenMarie Antoinette was 14 and Louis was 15, the two were married byproxy. Marie was in the St. Augustine Church in Vienna, on May 7th,1770, while Louis was in France. The marriage was designed tosecure the existing alliance between France and Vienna, and twodays after the by-proxy marriage, Marie Antoinette arrived atVersailles Palace for the formal celebrations.