Who was Marie Antoinette? A prestigious queen who was the face of France and a role model to her people, or a partying, rude woman with a luxurious life that would come to a tragic end? Ever since Marie Antoinette was 10 she always knew she would be a queen. Her mother Maria Theresa, who was the Empress of Austria, had arranged a marriage with King Louis XV; the grandfather of Louis XVI, who was to become the King of France, the man she was destined to marry. Together they would rule France and stay entwined in marriage through thick and thin, and anything that came their way. The marriage between the two happened when Marie was only 15 and Louis was 19. Having an arranged marriage was very common in the 1700s and the ages could differ from two to 10 years apart. Despite their age difference, that never stopped Marie and Louis from having the same marital problems. Marie Antoinette lived a life of crime, gambling, having affairs, and starting revolutions which all turned into her gruesome death.
Born on November 2nd, 1755 in Hoffenberg palace in Vienna, Austria, Marie Antoinette had many brothers and sisters to share the huge palace along with her mother and father. Louis XVI’s grandfather Louis XV believed that Marie needed training to prepare to be so, he sent a tutor to help her. The tutor stated that Marie was "more intelligent than has been generally supposed," but rumors later on spread that Marie was very stupid, for a queen’s standards. The tutor also said: "She is rather lazy and extremely frivolous, she is hard to teach," which showed that Marie Antoinette had an excitable side to her and would likely lean towards breaking the rules. Looking into Marie’s future she had a wild side, which was even noticeable at a v...
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...ually abusing her son this crime truly helped decide her sentencing of death. Although the accusation was completely false, Marie was then sentenced on October 16,1793 to death by the guillotine the same way her husband was killed. Before her death, a priest told her to have courage and Marie replied, “The moment when my ills are going to end is not the moment when courage is going to fail me.” Everyone watching Marie expected her to be shaking and crying, but she stayed composed and stayed strong. Marie Antoinette was the last queen of France and left the biggest impact on France after she died. Whether Marie was canceling laws or starting revolutions she always winded up finding a way to escape the grasps of the law. Marie will always be known as the most hated queen of France that had always caused the most havoc, but still left her people infatuated with her.
In 1765, Holy Roman Emperor Francis I, her father, died of a stroke. He left Maria Theresa his position, and gave their eldest son, Emperor Joseph II, the throne. Because of this political, it became a requirement for Marie Antoinette to marry Louis Auguste. Her mother sent her to France and agreed on this marriage. It was hard to adjus...
The French Revolution, beginning in 1789, was a lengthy process in which the people of France took over the government and instituted a Republic (Chambers). The overarching goal of the Revolution was to place the power of government in the hands of the people. For two years, whilst France was facing internal disorganization and external wartime threats, the government was run by a war dictatorship under Maximilien Robespierre, the head of the Committee of Public Safety (“Reign of Terror”). Amid much internal suspicion and fear, the Reign of Terror began. Much of France was politically divided, and Robespierre’s method for keeping the government stable in a time of crisis involved severe penalties for any suspected of plotting against the new government (Chambers). Soon the accusations began to fly and a handful of people convicted and killed for treason became thousands. Many of the cases turned into the accuser’s word versus the accused, and a government preoccupied with bigger issues often did not care to look into these cases, simply convicting the accused, supposedly to promote a sense of unity and control to the citizens of France, and to forewarn anyone who did attempt treasonous deeds (Chambers). Eventually, Marie Antoinette, guilty of no crime other than marrying the former king, was executed on the grounds of treason (“French Revolution: The Reign of Terror”). Many thought this was taking a step too far. The former Queen was well-respec...
Before the French Revolution, an inexperienced king, and an irresponsible queen ruled over the citizens of France. Food cost was high due to the poor crop season, and Antoinette gambled away what would be billions today.
In the book, Marie Antoinette: The Last Queen of France , the author, Evelyne Lever, paints a beautiful portrayal of the life of Marie Antoinette; from an Austrian princess to Queen of France to her untimely death at the end of a guillotine. Marie Antoinette was the fifteenth child born to the Empress Maria Theresa and Francis I, the Holy Roman Emperor. She lived a carefree childhood until she was strategically married and sent to France when she was fourteen years old. The marriage between Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, the future King of France, was meant to bring Austria and France closer together politically. Unfortunately, that did not happen; instead the monarchy collapsed with Marie Antoinette managing to alienate and offend a vast
Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette Louis XVI was king of France from 1774 until his execution in 1792. He was married to Marie Antoinette. King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were unfavored by the French society. King Louis XVI was an indecisive king, who did not do anything to help France in their time of debt and need. Marie Antoinette was known as Madame Deficit because of her excessive spending. King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were important because of their rule, the French society was unhappy and started to rebel leading to the French Revolution.
Thesis Statement: Marie Antoinette is an influential person because she was only fourteen years old when she got married. She was also a teen idol and after she passed away a U.S city was named in honor of her. Marie Antoinette was born on November 2, 1755, in Vienna, Austria (Source 1). Marie Antoinette was the 15th out of 17 children from her mother (Source 1). Marie Antoinette’s parents were emperor Francis I and empress Maria Empress (Source 3). Marie Antoinette lived a childhood that was mainly carefree (Source 4). Her education was emblematic of an upper class girl (Source 1). She mainly learned how to act and how not to act when she was at school during her childhood (Source 1). France and Austria had been enemies for a long time, but when Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis I were king and queen they made a treaty (Source 3). Marie Antoinette married Louis XVI to strengthen France and Austria's bond
Marie Antoinette, or officially known as Marie-Antoinette-Josephe-Jeanne d'Autriche-Lorraine, was born in 1755 to the life of luxury as the Princess of Austria. Her family was rather close despite being raised by a series of governesses. She also received the necessary education at that time. At age 14, her mother arranged Marie to be married
King Louis attempted to escape, but was quickly captured, taken back to paris, and was tried and executed for crimes against the people. Louis XIV, executed in 1793, was the last Bourbon king of france. Nine months later, his wife was executed. His wife was Marie Antoinette, an Austrian. She married king louis XIV when she was only fifteen years old and had a tough time being queen ever since she got married. She Was blamed for the country going downhill, and she had to live under the supervision of the revolutionary once they took over. In 1793 her husband was executed, and nine month later, so was
Up until his death he was unwavering: while maintaining his innocence and love for his people. As new radical governments usually are, the Republic of France was incredibly bloody and horrific. It claimed thousands of French lives post Bastille Day, and unfortunately, Marie Antoinette’s as well. October 16th 1793 proved to be the Queen’s last day. But even in death she was a picture of grace and dignity. She was noted to have said “Courage? The moment when my ills are going to end is not the moment when courage is going to fail me.” Marie Antoinette was a dignified woman up until her last day, never allowing anyone to see how the circumstances were affecting her. Unfortunately, that may have been her downfall. Appearing unrelatable and emotionally desolate drew a wedge between her and her people
When Marie crossed the border at fifteen into Paris, everything about her previous identity was stripped down and carted away. She became a fine edition to the French court, and the current king, Louis XV wrote in his journal, approving of her being "full-figured and delightful.” She adjusted to a new life and language, and a few months later, at the coronation ceremony, her husband Louis XVI was crowned the next ruler of France, and her in turn, queen. In her early years, she was popular among the aristocracy and nobles (Morris), but as time passed with endless court rituals and strict etiquette, Marie became bored of her position and her failing husband. Louis XVI allowed for his wife to endure the reproachful mockery of the elite, as the pair was unable to produce an heir for nearly a decade, at the faulting awkwardness of the king (Marie Antoinette: Story of a Queen through Primary Sources).
Marie Antoinette was the 15th child of Maria Theresa and Francis I. Marie Antoinette. She focused her education mainly on religious and she was the last queen of France. She helped exasperate the turbulence which led to the French Revolution and to the conquest of the throne in August 1792. She became a figure head to grant an audience to the monarchy. She was distinguished with the honors of saying “Let them eat cake” even though there was no proof that she literally said it.
Marie Antoinette, Queen of France from 1770 to 1797 was despised by the people of France. Their hatred of her and the monarchy in general led to the French Revolution. Many issues led to the unpopularity of Queen Maria Antoinette, her vanity, her disregard for the people, but perhaps the most significant was the Affair of the Diamond Necklace.
“Let them eat cake.” A famous response given by Queen Marie Antoinette when she was asked about the grain shortages in her country. But, did she really say this? Many people see Marie Antoinette as a leading cause of the French revolution, with her enormous spending, affairs, disapproval of reform, and influence on her husband, King Louis XVI. But did Marie Antoinette play a decisive role in causing the French Revolution? Or were the peoples judgements the cause of the uprising? This essay will provide both sides of this argument, stating findings and facts about Marie Antoinette’s influence on the people of France, and what feelings she provoked in them with her actions, and if there was any connection between her behavior and beginning of the French Revolution.
The film “Marie Antoinette” is a very useful source when looking into her life. It shows the extravagance of her life very extremely, in order to get the point across that is really was so very extravagant. However it leaves much of the political matters out, only giving glimpses into small meetings with the king and his advisers.
King Louis XVI was next in line for the throne in 1774 and gladly inherited it from Louis XIV to become the ruler over France. He drastically changed the whole country and put its people through ghastly conditions. There was not a soul left unharmed. In Paris, nearly half of its population in 1788 was unemployed. They produced no crops due to them not growing and had extremely high prices on food. With the whole nation already furious with his doings, he decided to marry Marie Antoinette who was foreign. They decided to blame her for their problems of their economy because they figured that King Louis was letting her make major decisions and control them. Together, Antoinette and Louis had a total of four children. Their oldest child lived to be seventy-three.