| November 2 marks the 270th anniversary of the birth of Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France. Born Maria Antonia in Vienna, Austria, she was the youngest of fifteen children born to Empress Maria Teresa and Emperor Francis I. When the Austrian duchess was fourteen a marriage was arranged between her and Louis, the teenage Dauphin of France. The marriage was the capstone of negotiations to create a political alliance between traditional rivals Austria and France. The duchess moved to France accompanied by an entourage of 57 carriages, 117 footmen, and 376 horses. Her arrival in Paris was met with mixed reactions. Many in the upper class didn’t approve of her because they opposed the French-Austrian alliance. However most commoners were charmed by her striking grace and beauty. After Louis XV died in 1774, The Dauphin became King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette became queen. Marie Antoinette became known for her conspicuous displays of wealth. She grew a pouf that was four feet high. Her wigs were powdered white with flour which was an affront to many peasants who couldn’t afford bread. The royal couple were portrayed as being greedy, stupid, and immoral. Louis was often portrayed in artwork as a pig while a popular painting featured snakes in the queen’s hair- a la Medusa. The young king was not intellectually or emotionally up to the job. We are talking about a guy who took seven years to finally consummate his marriage. The public’s disapproval of the hapless king drove him into a severe depression. A woefully unprepared Marie Antoinette became more involved in day-to-day governance. Meanwhile, she was ostentatiously spending on personal luxuries while peasants were starving to death. Marie Antoinette was accused of defrauding the state treasury in order to purchase a diamond necklace worth two million livres (about $15M in today’s dollars). The queen was proven innocent in court but the people’s discontent was bubbling over. Fearing for their safety, the royal family disguised themselves as commoners and fled Paris in June,1791. Their escape to the eastern border ended when they were apprehended in Varennes. The family was brought back to Paris and placed under house arrest in the Tuileries Palace. In January 1793, Louis XVI was put on trial and executed by guillotine. The 37- year-old queen’s execution by guillotine followed on October 16, 1793. About That Cake Marie Antoinette probably never uttered the phrase “Let them eat cake” but her alleged words became part of a vicious propaganda campaign. One hundred years before Marie Antoinette was born, Swiss philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau attributed those words to Marie-Therese, the Spanish princess who married King Louis XIV. The Queen was one of the first casualties of the Reign of Terror. A revolutionary tribunal tried her on trumped-up crimes against the republic that included high treason and sexual deviance. She was even charged with having incestuous relations with her son Louis-Charles. The ten-year-old boy was forced to testify that his mother had molested him. It took only two days for the tribunal to find Marie Antoinette guilty on all charges and condemn her to the guillotine. Classy to the end During her final days in prison, Marie Antoinette conducted herself with dignity and courage. Her last words were spoken as she ascended the guillotine stairs. She accidentally stepped on the foot of the executioner and exclaimed “Pardonnez-moi, monsieur. Je ne l’ai pas fait exprès” (“Pardon me, sir, I did not do it on purpose.”). I am certainly not an expert on Marie Antoinette, however, my cursory view is that she was thrust into a leadership role for which she had neither the qualifications nor intellect. It’s unfortunate that she didn’t just remain in the comfort of her parent’s Vienna palace. Although, those must have been some fabulous soirees at her French palais. C’est tout. Passez un bon weekend. Thanks to everyone who has bought my book, “Get Smarter-Be Amazed”. If you haven’t purchased your copy yet, please visit www.tedcurtinstories.com for more information and links to online retailers. |
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