Marie AntoinetteAnalyzing the Rumours and

Myths as...

First, some background information Born Nov. 2nd, 1755 in Vienna

Became the Daupline of France at 14 when she married Louis-Auguste

Youngest daughter of Francis I of Holy Roman Empire and Maria Theresa

Lived a quiet and private childhood, French life would be a shock

Several of her siblings were set up fro arranged marriages to consolidate various alliances her mother had set up

Many of her siblings died of small pox and she was left being the only potential bride for Louis-Auguste

Handed over to French bearers on May 7th 1770

Relatively popular at first because of her charm and beauty

Not liked by older members of the court because of long standing conflicts with Austria

Would not acknowledge Madame du Barry Accused at laughing at other older women in the court Her and the King taking a long time to consummate

marriage and produce heir Had 4 children, (Marie-Therese Charlotte, Louis

Xavier, Louis Charles and Marie Sophie Helen) Bad political image led her concentrate on her

children After the storming of the Bastille (beginning of

revolution), Women march to Versailles and take the royal family to the tuileries palace in Paris

Executed on Oct 16th, 1793.

Myth #1: She said “Let them eat cake”

Myth: Supposedly she said when hearing the peasants had no bread “Let them eat cake.”

Reflects unawareness of lower class problems.Statement first appeared in Jean Jacques

Rousseau’s Confessions in 1769... She was only 13 then.

Rousseau vaguely referred to a “great princess”Also this statement appeared in a letter Rousseau

wrote in 1757, 18 years before Antoinette's birthFamous Biographer Antonia Fraser wrote in 2002

that Rousseau is likely referring to Marie-Therese, Louis XIV’s wife

Attributed to her because she was often a scapegoat for France’s problems

Also bread was the staple of the lower class diet so it was fitting for the time

Some believe that Rousseau created this statement himself

Verdict:

Myth #2: She Participated in a Diamond Necklace

Scandal

2,000,000 2,000,000 livreslivres

[$100 million today][$100 million today]

Myth: People of France persisted that Marie Antoinette had participated in this Scandal

An extravagant necklace designed for Madame du Barry

Louis XV died, jeweller tries to sell it to the new Queen

Countess de LeMotte, acting as a con-artist conceives a plan

She became the mistress of Cardinal de Rohan, a former French ambassador to the court of Vienna

The Cardinal wanted to win the Queen’s favour in order to gain a position as one of the King’s ministers.

The Countess tells him that she is speaking well about him to the Queen, but is lying

A fake correspondence is created between “Queen” and Cardinal

LaMotte hires a prostitute to act as the Queen This fake queen lets Rohan know she wants to

purchase the necklace but needs to borrow the funds to save her public image

Worked it out that he would pay in instalments and met with a messenger to do the exchange

When the funds were insufficient, the jeweller complained to the Queen...who said she didn't know what he was talking about

Rohan called to court to state his story, he a letter signed by the Queen, signed Marie Antoinette de France... They didn’t use surnames

Rohan arrested and Jeanne was branded, whipped and sent to the prostitutes prison

Verdict:

Myth #3- She deserved the title “Madame Deficit”

Myth: Marie Antoinette spent outrageous amounts of money and helped drive the country further into debt.

She was given the Petit Trianon, a small farm in 1774 Rumors circulated that she plastered the walls with

gold Rousseau’s ideas of the natural state of man

resonated with her and she thought the Petit Trianon helped her accomplish this.

Later on she had the Hameaude de la reine- a modern hamlet built in the garden of the petit Trianon with a mill and 12 cottages

Also bought the Chateau de Saint-Cloud and intended to leave it for her children- cost 6 million livres- the people were shocked

Verdict:

Myth #4: The Queen had a wild extra-marital sex life

Her marriage to Louis XVI was not great, it took them a long time to consummate their marriage

Suspected she might have had an affair with the handsome Swede, Count Axel von Freson

Satirical pamphlets were published about the king’s impotence and her finding sexual gratification elsewhere

Her close friendships with women led to rumours of lesbianism

Rumours of orgies, and even an affair with her brother in law Comte d’Artois

During her execution trial she was deemed guilty of having orgies and sexually abusing her son.

Her son was coached into stating that his mother sexually abused him by his guardian

There is no real proof that Marie Antoinette had any affairs, however it is known that her and her husband did not have a close marriage

Verdict: