Where was Marie Antoinette born?
Marie Antoinette was born in Vienna, Austria on November 2, 1755. She was the youngest daughter of Emperor Franz I and Empress Maria Theresia. She young Marie grew up as a wealthy princess. She had her own tutor and she lived in a large palace in Austria. She spent a lot of time with her closest sister, Maria Carolina.
Marie Antoinette Overview:
| Occupation | Queen of France |
| Children | Marie-Thérèse Charlotte, Louis Joseph Xavier François, Louis XVII of France, Sophie Hélène Béatrix |
| Born | November 2, 1755 in Vienna, Austria |
| Died | October 16, 1793 in Paris, France |
| Best known for | The last Queen of France who was beheaded during the French Revolution |
Biography of Marie Antoinette:
Marrying a Prince
When Marie was eleven years old, she was promised marriage to the Prince of France. This wasn’t the romantic princess and prince wedding you see in the movies.
This marriage was to create an alliance between Austria and France. Marie married a distant prince at the age of fifteen. She had never met her husband. A month later, she finally met the prince and celebrated another wedding with him.
An Extravagant Queen
In 1774, King Louis XV of France died and Marie’s husband became Louis XVI. crowned. Marie became Queen of France. She loved the idea that Marie would make her a queen. She spent a lot of money on the palace’s new decorations, exotic dresses, jewelry and extravagant hairstyles.
At a time when Marie Antoinette was spending French money on a luxurious life, the French economy was in trouble. The average person in France didn’t have enough money to buy bread to feed their family. People began to blame Marie, Princess of Austria, for their problems. The king’s enemies began spreading rumors about their wild life, free extravagance, and love affairs.
The Diamond Necklace Scandal
In 1778, Marie had her first child, a daughter named Maria. She had four children, including her eldest son, Prince Louis Joseph (called the Dauphin). She became more involved in politics, often supporting her native Austria. She has also toned down her lifestyle and started cutting back on her spending.
Despite her changes, people willingly believed almost all the gossip that circulated about her queen. One such story revolved around a very expensive diamond necklace that the king offered the queen to buy. She refused twice on the grounds that the Queen was too expensive. However, a group of crooks hatch a plan to steal the necklace. They claimed to represent her Queen. Even though Marie had nothing to do with her plans, many blamed her and her reputation only worsened.
Let Them Eat Cake
According to a popular story, when asked what she would do when she had no bread to eat, Marie replied, “Give me cake.” This story is probably not true, but stories and rumors like this about the Queen and Queen are well known. The king who triggered the popular uprising during the French Revolution.
The French Revolution Begins
The French Revolution began with the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. At first it seemed that the king would continue to rule.
But a few months later, on October 5, a large number of men and women marched from Paris to the Palace of Versailles. They rioted in front of the palace for some time and some demonstrators managed to get inside. The Queen and her wife had to flee from the protesters to the King’s bedroom to avoid being killed.
Afterwards, the crowd demanded to see her queen. She was made to stand on a balcony in front of a crowd and was yelled at and at gunpoint. First, she took her children and hoped her protesters would sympathize with her. But they demanded that the children go.
Marie stood before the crowd for a while and prayed that she would not be killed. Finally, the Marquis de Lafayette knelt down as peacemaker and kissed her hand. The crowd was impressed by her queen’s bravery and let her live.
An Escape Attempt
The people then deported Marie and her king from Versailles to Paris, where they held them as virtual prisoners. On June 20, 1791, they attempted to escape. After reaching the town of Varennes, they were arrested and deported to Paris.
Trial and Execution
In the years that followed, the French government was in turmoil. January 21, 1793, Louis XVI. Executed. Later that year, the French government announced a “terror” period during which those opposed to the revolution would be executed. Shortly after the Reign of Terror began, Marie Antoinette was put on trial. She was found guilty and executed by guillotine on October 16, 1793.
Interesting Facts about Marie Antoinette
Many blamed France’s financial troubles on Marie Antoinette, earning her the nickname “Madame Deficit”.
At times, she had huge hair that could be four feet tall. She once had a large model of a French warship braided into her hair to commemorate the victory of the French navy.
Two of her favorite things were chocolate and flowers. She hired her own chocolate maker and often started the day with a mug of hot chocolate.
Marie and her husband Louis XVI were very different. While she enjoyed wild parties and dances, he enjoyed reading and building furniture.