Basic Info:
Maria Antonia Josepha Joanna
Last Queen of France
Born- November 2, 1755
Died- October 16, 1793
Husband- Louis XVI of France
Children- Marie Thérèse of France, Louis XVII of France, Louis Joseph Dauphin of France, Ernestine Lambriquet, Sophie of France

Childhood:
Marie was born on November 2, 1755 in Vienna, Austria. She was the 15th and second to last child in her family. Her parents were Maria Theresa, empress of Austria, and the Holy Roman Emperor Francis I.

Her education focused on religious and moral principles. Her brothers studied academics. Her childhood was that of a typical aristocrat in the time: carefree and lavish.

Marriage:
In order to strengthen the alliance with France, Marie's mother arranged for her to marry the heir to the French throne. She set out for France in May of 1770, accompanied by 57 carriages, 117 footmen, and 376 horses.

Marie married Louis-Auguste in May 16. She was only fifteen and her new husband was fourteen.

She did not adjust well to her new life and often write to her mother back home. She was incredibly homesick and felt out of place in France. She hated the French life. She described how odd it was to do tasks like dress and wash her hands with all the servants helping or watching her.

She and her new husband had vastly different personality. Louis was shy, and enjoyed solitary activities such as reading and metalwork. Marie was outgoing and bold. She loved to party and gamble. While he worked or slept, she partied. They were not close.

Rise to the Throne and Time as Queen:
Louis became king in 1774 when his grandfather died. At just 19 years old, Marie Antoinette was Queen of France.

She spent a lot of time in her private castle, the Petit Trianon, than she did at the main palace in Versailles. She rarely ever saw her husband, and rumors were spreading that se bad started an affair with Count Axel von Fersen, a Swedish diplomat.

Marie Antoinette had been facing a lot of pressure to consummate her marriage and produce an heir. Marie's mother even sent her son to act as a marriage counselor to the king and queen of France. Whatever he did must've worked.

In 1778, after eight long years of marriage, Marie finally gave birth to a daughter named Marie Thérèse-Charlotte.

Marie's extravagant lifestyle and constant spending led people to label her with the nickname "Madame Deficit." Pamphlets were published, in which authors called her ignorant or selfish.

France was slipping further and further into financial crisis. To make matters worse, grain harvests were poor.

In 1785, a thief dressed up and posed as Marie Antoinette and stole a priceless diamond necklace, then smuggled it to London and sold pieces of it. This further enraged the people of France, although she had. I thing to do with this criminal act.

Marie Antoinette did not cut down her spending habits, despite all the harsh criticism she received. She began building her own personal retreat: the Hameau de la Reine.

However, she did donate to charity in order to help the poor people suffering in France.

The French Revolution:
On July 14, 1789, 900 workers and peasants stormed the Bastille prison. They took weapons and ammunition, beginning the French Revolution.

On October 6, 10,000 people gathered outside the Palace of Versailles. They demanded for the king and queen to go to Paris. When they arrived in Paris, the kid was frozen in fear. He had not been expecting this kind of outrage from the people.

Marie reacted much more calmly. She met with advisers and different ambassadors, trying desperately to save the monarchy.

Marie realized things were getting bad, and might not get better. She and her lover, Count Axel von Fersen, along with the children, attempted to escape France in June of 1791. However, they were captured and sent back to France.

King Louis was forced to sign a constitution and gave up much of his power. The only power he had now was symbolic. However, the following year, a radical Jacobin leader named, Maximilien de Robespierre, demanded the complete removal of the king.

In September of 1792, the monarchy was abolished and the king and queen were arrested.

Death:
Marie Antoinette was executed by guillotine on October 16, 1793, just nine months after the execution of her husband. She was charged with treason, theft, and sexual abuse against her son.

There were many lives lost to the guillotine during his time, which we now call the "Reign of Terror."

Legacy:
Marie Antoinette had been used a symbol of the evil monarchy. She is remembered for her lavish lifestyle and exuberant spending.

She was also known for being a fashion and beauty icon.

Quotes:
"There is nothing new except what has been forgotten."
"No one understands my ills, not the terror that fills my breasts, who does not know the heart of a mother."

Movies and Books:
Marie Antoinette (2006) starring Kirsten Dunst
Becoming Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey

Many nonfiction books

Cool Facts:
• some day she said the phrase "let them eat cake" when she was told that the people did not have enough bread to eat. It is unclear if this is true or not
• the term Marie Antoinette Syndrome is used to refer to when all of the hair on a person's scalp turns white. It is said that all of Marie's hair turned white the night before her execution
• Thomas Jefferson once said "I have ever believed that if there had been no Queen, there would have been no revolution."
• she wanted to ride horses, but it was deemed too dangerous, so she was given a donkey to ride instead
• she founded a home for unwed mothers
• she brought food to poor families
• France had been having financial struggles long before she came to the throne. So, she wasn't the main cause of the Revolution.
• she was known for her great love of children. She even adopted several
• it's said she apologized to her executioner because she accidentally stepped on his foot while walking to the guillotine
• she was originally buried in an unmarked grave