Marie Antoinette: Queen Consort of France

Marie Antoinette was the Queen of France, and lived from 1755-1793. She was born in Austria, Germany, but eventually migrated to France. She became Queen in 1774, when her husband Louis XVI was crowned King. Antoinette was the fifteenth child of Empress and Emperor Francis, and had come from royalty since birth. As a young woman, she enjoyed music and played the harpsichord for the people of her parent's court. Her relationship with her mother was unstable, and many historians say that it created a slight skepticism towards females. In 1767, smallpox was rampant in Europe, and many of Marie Antoinette's siblings contracted the disease and died. At age 12, she was married to Louis Auguste, and introduced to the people of the nation. It has been said that thousands wept at the sight of her because of her beauty. But behind the façade, the elders of the court scoffed at her, and her marriage to Louis was strained and generally unhappy. When Louis was crowned King in 1775, she was not crowned Queen at the same time. She often had lovers and the pair did not consummate their marriage until 1777.

Early Years – A timeline of her early years
Biography – A brief biography of the Queen's life
Artists' Depictions – Introduction to Marie Antoinette, and a gallery of artwork showing her life
Love Life – Some background on Marie's many affairs and her reputation
Queen of France – Website dedicated to Marie Antoinette

Finally in 1778, the Queen became pregnant, and France was eager to discover that there would finally be an heir to the throne. She had consorted with other men, and rumors spread about whether or not Louis XVI was in fact the father. In 1781, she gave birth to a boy, Louis Joseph Xavier Francois. Despite giving birth to her son, Marie Antoinette's political influence was wavering and many were clamoring for her to do more for the people of France. The French Revolution was taking place, and many citizens were perishing in the war. In the meantime, she was dancing, gardening, and cavorting with the upper class of France, all the while claiming that she simply had very little power. In 1785, she had a second son, Louis Charles. Many felt during her reign that she helped to destroy the financial status of France, and she used her motherhood as a defense against their criticisms.

Insight on a Life – A look inside of Marie Antoinette's life
Marie: A History – In-depth article about the life and history of Marie Antoinette
Scandals – A list and information about the 5 most well-known scandals surrounding her life
The History of Marie Antoinette – A brief, informative history about the Queen
A Story in the History – Images, quotes, and interesting angles on the infamous woman

The French Revolution came into full force, and Marie refused to get involved in too much of the political side. She did, however, attend charitable functions and gave much of her own wealth to those in dire need at that time. Unfortunately, all of her affairs and lavish lifestyle was catching up with her, and she had lost almost all respect from the people of France. There were spies within the court who were assigned to watch her actions. In 1793, Louis XVI was executed. Soon thereafter, Marie was also captured and sentenced to death by guillotine. On the date of her death, October 16, 1793, she was confronted by angry mobs of French citizens, calling out for her death. Her children clung close to her side. There are those include sending money to Austria, organizing sex parties, and even committing incest, although not all of the rumors have ever been confirmed. Mariemany different rumors as to why she was executed, and some of those include sending money to Austria, organizing sex parties, and even committing incest, although not all of the rumors have ever been confirmed. Marie Antoinette will always live in the memories of the French as the Queen with exquisite tastes who defied the masses until her demise.

Execution – Brief information on the execution
Louis XVI Execution – Background and history of Louis XVI's execution
Overview – An overview of the life and death of the famous Queen
On Her Death – Excerpt of a speech by Edmond Burke on the Queen's death
Portraits – Artist's portrayals of Marie Antoinette over her lifespan