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Donada Peters Narrator. Maria Antonieta Mass Market Paperback. Marie Antoinette: Biographie. Marie Antoinette: The Journey Audiobook. Marie Antoinette: De Biografie Paperback. Maria Antonieta: Biografia Hardcover. Published August 29th by Nan A. Talese, Doubleday. Maria Antonieta: A Viagem Paperback. Irene Daun e Lorena Translator ,. Nuno Daun e Lorena Translator. Marie Antoinette. Maria Antonietta: La solitudine di una regina Hardcover. Maria Antonieta. Maria Antonina. Roser Vilagrassa Translator. Marija Antoaneta Hardcover. Marie Antoinette Audio CD. Add a new edition. The Emperor went with a cortege to the Church of the Augustine Friars, the traditional church used by the court, and heard Mass, including the sermon. After that, at twelve o'clock, as Count Khevenhuller noted in his meticulous diary, which is an important source for our knowledge of events in Maria Teresa's family, the baptism was held in "the new and beautiful Anticamera" and performed by "our Archbishop," since the new Papal Nuncio had not yet made a formal appearance at court. The imperial family sat in a row on a long bench. Two galas were ordered: a great gala for the day of the baptism, and a lesser gala for the day after. On 5 and 6 November there were two more spectacles that were shown to the public for free, and on those days there was no charge to the public for entry at the city gates. It was all a very well established ritual. The baby in whose honour these celebrations were held was given the names Maria Antonia Josepha Joanna. The prefix of Maria had been established for all Habsburg princesses in the days of the baby's great- grandfather, the Emperor Leopold I and his third wife Eleanora of Neuburg; it was intended to signify the special veneration of the Habsburg family for the Virgin Mary. Obviously in a bevy of eight sisters and a mother all enjoying the same hallowed prefix, it was not going to be used for everyone all the time. In fact the new baby would be called Antoine in the family. The French diminutive of the baptismal name, Antoine, was significant. Viennese society was multilingual, people being able to make themselves easily understood in Italian and Spanish as well as in German and French. But it was French, acknowledged as the language of civilization, that was the universal language of courts throughout Europe; Frederick II of Prussia, Maria Teresa's great rival, for example, preferred his beloved French to German. It was French that was used in diplomatic despatches to the Habsburgs. Maria Teresa spoke French, although with a strong German accent she also spoke the Viennese dialect , but the Emperor Francis Stephen spoke French all his life, not caring to learn German. In this way, both in the family circle and outside it, Maria Antonia was quickly transmogrified into Antoine, the name she also used to sign her letters. To courtiers, the latest archduchess was to be known as Madame Antoine. Charming, sophisticated, lazy and pleasure-loving, an inveterate womanizer who adored his wife and family, Francis Stephen of Lorraine handed on to Marie Antoinette a strong dose of French blood. As for Francis Stephen himself, although he had Habsburg blood on his father's side and was adopted into the Viennese court in at the age of fourteen, it was important to him that he was by birth a Lorrainer. From , when his father died, he was hereditary Duke of Lorraine, a title that stretched back to the time of Charlemagne. This notional Lorrainer inheritance would also feature in the consciousness of Marie Antoinette, even though Francis Stephen was obliged to surrender the actual duchy in It was part of a complicated European deal whereby Louis XV's father-in-law, who had been dispossessed as King of Poland, received the Duchy of Lorraine for the duration of his lifetime; it then became part of the kingdom of France. In return Francis Stephen was awarded the Duchy of Tuscany. The renunciation of his family heritage in order to soothe France was presented to Francis Stephen as part of a package that would enable him to marry Maria Teresa. On her side, it was a passionate love match. The British ambassador to Vienna reported that the young Archduchess "sighs and pines all night for her Duke of Lorraine. If she sleeps, it is only to dream of him. If she wakes, it is but to talk of him to the lady-in-waiting. The medal struck for the wedding bore the inscription in Latin : "Having at length the fruit of our desires. Her solution was to tolerate and even encourage her husband's Lorrainer relations at court, as well as a multitude of Lorrainer hangers-on. The marriage of Maria Teresa's sister Marianna to Francis Stephen's younger brother Charles of Lorraine strengthened these ties; Marianna's early death left Maria Teresa with a sentimental devotion to her widower. Then there was Francis Stephen's attachment to his unmarried sister Princess Charlotte, Abbess of Remiremont, who was a frequent visitor. She shared her brother's taste for shooting parties, in which she personally participated. In the year of Marie Antoinette's birth, a party of twenty-three, three of them ladies, killed nearly 50, head of game and wild deer. Princess Charlotte fired over shots, nearly as many as the Emperor. This strong-minded woman was so devoted to her native Lorraine that she once said she was prepared to travel there barefoot. Thus Marie Antoinette was brought up to think of herself as "de Lorraine" as well as "d'Autriche et de Hongrie. This ambiguous status was one from which the foreign princes ever sought to escape, while those of superior birth in French courtly terms sought to hold them down. This was an age of multiple intermarriage where royal houses were concerned. On the maternal side, Marie Antoinette inherited German blood from her grandmother Elizabeth Christina of Brunswick-Wolfbuttel, once described as "the most beautiful queen on earth. Home 1 Books 2. Read an excerpt of this book! Add to Wishlist. Sign in to Purchase Instantly. Members save with free shipping everyday! See details. Married in mere girlhood, this essentially lighthearted, privileged, but otherwise unremarkable child was thrust into an unparalleled time and place, and was commanded by circumstance to play a significant role in history. Britain on the Brink, She is also the author of Must You Go? My Life with Harold Pinter. She was made a Dame of the British Empire for services to Literature in Read an Excerpt chapter one A Small Archduchess "Her Majesty has been very happily delivered of a small, but completely healthy Archduchess. Show More. Would it ever have been possible for an Austrian princess to have a satisfactory life in France? What effect did this have on her character—and her relationship wth her husband? Were the accusations of extravagance and frivolity leveled against Marie Antoinette justified—both during her own lifetime and since? Marie Antoinette was also the target of numerous vicious libels about her sexuality. What part did these libels played in blackening the image of royalty in France, and how valid were they? Assess the political role of Marie Antoinette in the years shortly before the French Revolution: Should she have tried to influence Louis XVI more or was she correct to let history take its own course? Marie Antoinette was a patron of the arts and a nature enthusiast. Is philanthropy an essential part of the royal role? Once the French Revolution started, Marie Antoinette could probably have escaped by herself, or with her little son disguised as a girl. Knowing that she was an unpopular queen, why did she make that decision? How much had her character changed since her youth? Or were such qualities always latent in her personality? Related Searches. The Bull from the Sea. A brilliant reconstruction of the legend of Theseus, the valiant youth who slew the Minotaur, A brilliant reconstruction of the legend of Theseus, the valiant youth who slew the Minotaur, became king, and brought prosperity to Attica. This brilliant recreation of the story of the legendary hero Theseus begins with his triumphant return from Crete after Marie Antoinette: The Journey Summary & Study Guide

Maria Teresa spoke French, although with a strong German accent she also spoke the Viennese dialect , but the Emperor Francis Stephen spoke French all his life, not caring to learn German. In this way, both in the family circle and outside it, Maria Antonia was quickly transmogrified into Antoine, the name she also used to sign her letters. To courtiers, the latest archduchess was to be known as Madame Antoine. Charming, sophisticated, lazy and pleasure-loving, an inveterate womanizer who adored his wife and family, Francis Stephen of Lorraine handed on to Marie Antoinette a strong dose of French blood. As for Francis Stephen himself, although he had Habsburg blood on his father's side and was adopted into the Viennese court in at the age of fourteen, it was important to him that he was by birth a Lorrainer. From , when his father died, he was hereditary Duke of Lorraine, a title that stretched back to the time of Charlemagne. This notional Lorrainer inheritance would also feature in the consciousness of Marie Antoinette, even though Francis Stephen was obliged to surrender the actual duchy in It was part of a complicated European deal whereby Louis XV's father-in-law, who had been dispossessed as King of Poland, received the Duchy of Lorraine for the duration of his lifetime; it then became part of the kingdom of France. In return Francis Stephen was awarded the Duchy of Tuscany. The renunciation of his family heritage in order to soothe France was presented to Francis Stephen as part of a package that would enable him to marry Maria Teresa. On her side, it was a passionate love match. The British ambassador to Vienna reported that the young Archduchess "sighs and pines all night for her Duke of Lorraine. If she sleeps, it is only to dream of him. If she wakes, it is but to talk of him to the lady-in-waiting. The medal struck for the wedding bore the inscription in Latin : "Having at length the fruit of our desires. Her solution was to tolerate and even encourage her husband's Lorrainer relations at court, as well as a multitude of Lorrainer hangers-on. The marriage of Maria Teresa's sister Marianna to Francis Stephen's younger brother Charles of Lorraine strengthened these ties; Marianna's early death left Maria Teresa with a sentimental devotion to her widower. Then there was Francis Stephen's attachment to his unmarried sister Princess Charlotte, Abbess of Remiremont, who was a frequent visitor. She shared her brother's taste for shooting parties, in which she personally participated. In the year of Marie Antoinette's birth, a party of twenty-three, three of them ladies, killed nearly 50, head of game and wild deer. Princess Charlotte fired over shots, nearly as many as the Emperor. This strong-minded woman was so devoted to her native Lorraine that she once said she was prepared to travel there barefoot. Thus Marie Antoinette was brought up to think of herself as "de Lorraine" as well as "d'Autriche et de Hongrie. This ambiguous status was one from which the foreign princes ever sought to escape, while those of superior birth in French courtly terms sought to hold them down. This was an age of multiple intermarriage where royal houses were concerned. On the maternal side, Marie Antoinette inherited German blood from her grandmother Elizabeth Christina of Brunswick-Wolfbuttel, once described as "the most beautiful queen on earth. Home 1 Books 2. Read an excerpt of this book! Add to Wishlist. Sign in to Purchase Instantly. Members save with free shipping everyday! See details. Married in mere girlhood, this essentially lighthearted, privileged, but otherwise unremarkable child was thrust into an unparalleled time and place, and was commanded by circumstance to play a significant role in history. Britain on the Brink, She is also the author of Must You Go? My Life with Harold Pinter. She was made a Dame of the British Empire for services to Literature in Read an Excerpt chapter one A Small Archduchess "Her Majesty has been very happily delivered of a small, but completely healthy Archduchess. Show More. Would it ever have been possible for an Austrian princess to have a satisfactory life in France? What effect did this have on her character—and her relationship wth her husband? Were the accusations of extravagance and frivolity leveled against Marie Antoinette justified— both during her own lifetime and since? Marie Antoinette was also the target of numerous vicious libels about her sexuality. What part did these libels played in blackening the image of royalty in France, and how valid were they? Assess the political role of Marie Antoinette in the years shortly before the French Revolution: Should she have tried to influence Louis XVI more or was she correct to let history take its own course? Marie Antoinette was a patron of the arts and a nature enthusiast. Is philanthropy an essential part of the royal role? Marie Antoinette is none of those things. She was, as Madeline put it in her review, an idiot. A kind and sweet idiot, but still an idiot. She didn't read much, she wasn't very good at writing, she wasn't a master of languages she forgot her homeland's language within a couple years of being in France , and she certainly didn't care about the government until it was too late in her life. She loved frivolous things. Let's be honest. I mean, most likely they were there to help her disguise her tumultuous marriage, but still. However, two things struck me while listening to this. Right at that time, she was starting to enter into politics more. And, during the Revolution, she was more careful and obvious. She started applying what she knew Would she have fixed things, or would she have let the economy become worse? Would she have really made a difference? It's a question that we'll never know. They would have been great parents, loving and considerate. They weren't fit for being royals, which is how I feel about the last Romanovs. Nicholas and Alexandra weren't meant to be royals. They were meant to be in a family, just normal people. If you decide to read this -- and you know a lot about the Romanovs and their downfall -- you'll be struck by the similarities to it, something Fraser does point out around the epilogue. Marie's life was tragic. Interspersed with the parties and balls and dresses, her life wasn't easy. Louis distrusted her for most of their marriage. He also only went to bed with her out of duty to create children, and it seems to be that way for most of their marriage despite the honest love that developed between the two of them. Then, her children. One died a horrible, excruciating death. Another died as an infant. Her other son died after she was executed. She herself had bad health for most of her life. It wasn't easy, no matter what people might say. When I went to Versailles, all I could think of -- besides that I was likely stepping and walking where so many noble people peed and pooped because toilets were too far away -- was this was the place Marie Antoinette lived. She walked these halls. She danced in the Hall of Mirrors which is absolutely gorgeous. It was striking and very, very emotional. This book is certainly one I'll want to read rather than listen to at some point. It reminded me how much I used to love Marie Antoinette. Funny how that works. Nov 15, Cassie rated it it was amazing. This book took me a while to get through because of Mrs. Fraser's dense style of writing but also because I tried to savor each moment of this biography. Somehow Antonia Fraser writes in a no nonsense way yet allows the reader to hear the music, and the swish of Marie Antoinette's skirts as she walked through Versailles. This book takes the reader on a journey through an incredible life, causing me to laugh, cry and at one point throw the book I was so incensed at the injustices against this tragic figure. I enjoyed how Antonia Fraser analyzed both sides of the argument and presented the Queen's life in an impartial way. However this did not feel like other biographies I have read that are cold and impersonal because Mrs. Fraser allows her opinion she clearly states that it is her opinion though and that draws the reader in as if she is telling you a secret. This long, involved book feels too quick and at the end truly you feel as if you have lost a good friend. Although it took me so long to read it that I had to pay tremendous fines at the library ahem I did enjoy this book and a better understanding of Marie Antoinette. I certainly learned a lot about Marie Antoinette and the French Court and Revolution, and I liked that it was easy to read but not sensationalized. I was disappointed, though, that Antonia Fraser, rather than simply writing about Marie Antoinette's life, projected across her views of Marie Antoinette through her writing, forcing Although it took me so long to read it that I had to pay tremendous fines at the library ahem I was disappointed, though, that Antonia Fraser, rather than simply writing about Marie Antoinette's life, projected across her views of Marie Antoinette through her writing, forcing me if I wasn't careful! I suppose it's difficult to write an unbiased biography, and maybe she wasn't even trying to, but I would prefer a biography that simply tells me the story and lets me decide for myself. An absolute intriguing historical figure. I think all the injustice she faced makes me just love her more! Fascinating, well-written, and tragic. With a nice and very accessible writing style, we go through 'The Journey' more like through a novel than an historical biography; making for a quick and pleasing read. The fact the author deals straightforwardly with Marie-Antoinette as a woman and a mother above all, beyond the historical and well-known character, also allows for an original outlook helping to sympathise with her. Simple pawn on the geopolitical chessboard of the times, married at 15 and against all expectations just so as to With a nice and very accessible writing style, we go through 'The Journey' more like through a novel than an historical biography; making for a quick and pleasing read. Simple pawn on the geopolitical chessboard of the times, married at 15 and against all expectations just so as to seal a weak alliance between Habsbourg and Bourbons, sent over like a parcel in a foreign country despising hers and, later victim of hideous propaganda, political games of the Terror and a disgusting trial, there is indeed more than one reason to have pity for her! And, sure enough, Antonia Fraser doesn't hesitate to assail reader's sensitivity with a wealth of pathos and cheesy emotions spilling all over, until overflowing to the extreme in the last chapters! Here's in fact the problem: refusing to take some distance with her subject by having a clear and well asserted! The Necklace Affair in which she was without a shadow of a doubt an innocent victim, let's be fair is for example dealt with in great details whereas, on the contrary, other aspects more controversial of her personality are gently brushed under the carpet e. Without being completely apologetic the excesses of 'Madame Deficit' and her court are widely recognised that all along the book private matters like her relationship with Fersen get more attention than political ones is indeed problematic; and such a lack of balance is frankly disappointing. In a word, it still is a serious book. A good read, but damn it! Keep some tissues at hand! Sep 23, Miriam rated it liked it. I saw the movie based on this book in the theater when it came out, and I didn't like it that much. I guess it was too subtle for me. I saw it again recently and liked it more. So I decided to read the book. The movie only goes up to the leaving of Versailles, not the horrible denouement of the story. In some ways, that fits the tone of the film better--the fall from grace, the decline of Eden, and we all know what happens next. And the book turns at this point from an analysis and interpretation I saw the movie based on this book in the theater when it came out, and I didn't like it that much. And the book turns at this point from an analysis and interpretation of history the common stereotypes of Marie Antoinette, whether those can be documented historically, the context of women's roles in diplomatic history, the various factors playing into the way things all turned out, etc to a more straight-up narrative: this happened, then this happened, then they killed Louis XVI, then Marie Antoinette. But Fraser's epilogue is masterful. She reminds us of the queen's traits: her lack of and neglected education, her frivolity likely born from her attempts to find joy in the absence of purpose--when Louis wouldn't have sex with her and wouldn't let her influence his political decisions , her desire to please, her beautiful grace and charm. She reminds us of the period, the changes taking place toward the end of the eighteenth century the simplification of court rituals and dress, the growing deficit in France, the need for reforms, the unrest growing. And she provides an important reading of Marie Antoinette's fate--her status as a foreigner and a woman made her the scapegoat for the entire Revolution. She may have had royal blood, she may have given birth to the next generation of French royalty, but she herself was an outsider. And a woman! It's not just that she was a foreigner, it's also that she was a woman. Sure, Marie Antoinette wasn't perfect, but to blame her for the entire Revolution is to neglect a wide range of other causes. The book suggests how easily people make up their minds about public figures, especially women, based on scanty information or outright lies. It's an indictment of the sexism of the time and of the historians and writers who perpetuate it in the present. Fraser presents a flawed yet sympathetic figure for us to see, and then points how various social factors and real, actual people came together to torture her and finally kill her. It's an interesting book to be reading in this election season, that's for sure. Oct 15, Alison rated it liked it Shelves: nonfiction. I enjoyed this quite a bit. I haven't read anything else about Marie Antoinette, but I felt that Fraser did a good job of telling "Marie Antoinette's dramatic story without anticipating its terrible ending," as she writes in the author's note. Here and there she mentions that something will have greater consequences in the future, but she does so in a straightforward manner, with no melodrama. She provides a cultural context where necessary, and points out inconsistencies in the contemporary, and more modern, accounts of the events of Marie Antoinette's life. We follow her from her upbringing in Vienna through to her death at the guillotine during the French Revolution. Having seen the Kirsten Dunst film earlier in the fall, it was quite interesting to read a fuller account of Marie Antoinette's life than we see in the film. It was also fun to be reading along and have a scene from the movie come along -- while the filmmakers certainly took liberties, some of the more memorable scenes from the movie at least for me appear to have actually happened much as they are presented in the film. I highly recommend this to anyone wondering how much of the film is taken from life, or to anyone with an interest in royal histories. Jul 17, LibraryCin rated it really liked it Shelves: royalty , history , biography , women , france , 18th-century , marie-antoinette. As a little girl, Marie Antoinette was an Archduchess of Austria. They ruled France in the late 18th century, but that came to an end via the French Revolution. They had to run for their lives, which in the end, they both lost. This is her biography, so it's nonfiction. This was very good. I must admit to not knowing a lot about her, the time period, or the other people involved, so I learned a lot. It's a long book, but it was very good. And I think it's the first I've read by Fraser. I'm sure I'll pick up more and I'll likely read more about Marie Antoinette, as well. It's no surprise that this book took me forever to get through, it is a really dense, long history book. Despite this fact I really enjoyed it! I didn't know much about Marie Antoinette prior to reading this, but I was very interested in her life, and now I feel like I know practically everything about her! The author definitely has a more sympathetic view of the doomed queen, which is not a bad thing in this case. It really seems like bad luck was really Marie Antoinette's problem! I would defi It's no surprise that this book took me forever to get through, it is a really dense, long history book. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Marie Antoinette, and up for a very thorough, cohesive, and ginormous historical biography! Aug 28, Amanda rated it liked it Recommends it for: lovers of history. Three stars for a very well written biography, but minus two for the difficulty in user[reader] friendliness. I don't think I would've read this whole thing if it wasn't so darned interesting to me. It's loaded with historical facts about what we know of Marie Antoinette the person, which is extremely interesting especially since she lead such an inte Three stars for a very well written biography, but minus two for the difficulty in user[reader] friendliness. It's loaded with historical facts about what we know of Marie Antoinette the person, which is extremely interesting especially since she lead such an interesting life. This is also the book that inspired the movie made in with Kirsten Dunst. Jun 29, Susanna - Censored by GoodReads rated it really liked it Shelves: france , history , baroque , biography , women. I've yet to read a book of Fraser's I didn't like. Thoroughly enjoyable. When the Duchess visited France and met the Queen, the two women discovered they had a lot in common and became life long friends. So, what are the similarities between them? The two women were convinced the Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, and Georgiana Cavendish nee Spencer, Duchess of Devonshire were two of the most famous women of the 18th century. The two women were convinced they always knew what was best for their daughters and often sent them letters full of advices, instructions and reproaches. Can you imagine how these poor girls must have felt like every time they received a letter from their mums? Both wanted to please their parents, but this wasn't always an easy task. They were put under a lot of pressure, resulting in an uneasiness in the relationship with their mums. Marie Antoinette in particular, was said to love her mother dearly but to also be in awe, and even sometimes scared, of her. Georgiana, instead, was happy at the prospect of marrying the Duke of Devonshire but soon after the wedding she realised how cold her husband really was. Even though overtime the couples grew closer Marie Antoinette refused to leave her husband during the French Revolution and William was said to be completely devastated when Georgiana died , both women were trapped in a loveless marriage. In addition, they hadn't just married a man, they had a married a position and had to deal with all the expectations, restrictions and duties their status imposed upon them. Some people may have envied them for their positions and the privileges that came with them, but if they had looked more closely, they would have realised how deceiving appearances can be and that they didn't have an easy life.. They would spend entire nights at the gaming table, gambling away enormous fortunes and piling up huge debts. Their husbands weren't happy about it. He granted her permission to play one last time, though, and the game went on for three days! Louis was disgusted. Georgiana instead, never stopped. She kept borrowing money from her friends and never repayed them to pay off her creditors, in the hope they wouldn't demand money to the Duke. She was constantly on the verge on bankruptcy and feared her husband's reaction should he find out the extent of her debts. Even when he came really close to demand a separation because of her debts, Georgiana wouldn't neither tell him the exact amount of her debts, nor stop playing. Women would wait to see what clothes and hairstyles these two fashionable women, who had exquisite but also extravagant tastes, would wear so that they could imitate them. It was Georgiana who first wore big ostrich feathers on her hair and pretty soon, all the ladies followed suit, to some ridiculous extents at times. Marie Antoinette: The Journey ebook. Donada Peters Narrator. Maria Antonieta Mass Market Paperback. Marie Antoinette: Biographie. Marie Antoinette: The Journey Audiobook. Marie Antoinette: De Biografie Paperback. Maria Antonieta: Biografia Hardcover. Published August 29th by Nan A. Talese, Doubleday. Maria Antonieta: A Viagem Paperback. Irene Daun e Lorena Translator ,. Nuno Daun e Lorena Translator. Editions of Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser

Antonia Fraser ,. Joan Peregalli Translator ,. Claudia Pierrottet Transaltor. Marie Antoinette Hardcover. Marie Antoinette: The Journey ebook. Donada Peters Narrator. Maria Antonieta Mass Market Paperback. Marie Antoinette: Biographie. Marie Antoinette: The Journey Audiobook. Marie Antoinette: De Biografie Paperback. Maria Antonieta: Biografia Hardcover. Published August 29th by Nan A. Talese, Doubleday. Maria Antonieta: A Viagem Paperback. Irene Daun e Lorena Translator ,. Nuno Daun e Lorena Translator. Marie Antoinette. Maria Antonietta: La solitudine di una regina Hardcover. Maria Antonieta. That's very different than with Marie Antoinette. Her they did absolutely despise. That was definitely more cruelty than sacrifice. Would this book be appropriate for a teenager? I know Marie Antoinette was somewhat scandalous in regards to relations, but still. See all 3 questions about Marie Antoinette…. Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 3. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Start your review of Marie Antoinette: The Journey. Thorough research and minute attention to details is the clear mark of both. Wicked lies, if repeated often enough, can very easily become verity in the minds of the less enlightened. View all 8 comments. Sep 17, K. Absolutely rated it really liked it Shelves: history , french , bio. Next Saturday, October 16th will be her th Death Anniversary. On that same day, years ago, Marie Antoinette or Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna was executed by guillotine. She was convicted of treason. These all happened at the height of the French Revolution Marie Antoinette was a victim from birth to death. Prior to their marriage, France was used to be Austria's traditional enemy. Even at the time of her execution, peasants were shouting: "Hang the Austrian woman! Long live France! Marie Antoinette did not dream of becoming a French queen. She just followed the wishes of her mother, Empress Maria Theresa who she did not have a good relation as the later had her favorite, Marie Antoinette's younger sister, Maria Carolina. Thus leaving Hamburg for Paris to live in Versailles was Marie Antoinette way of ending her jealousy of being the less-favoured daughter of the empress. Unfortunately, King Louis XIV did not love her and it took time for their marriage to be consummated. They had 4 children and two of them died at their young age. Their eldest survived, Marie-Therese Charlotte who later became Dauphine of France upon ascension of her father- in-law to the throne of France in After the death of the first son who died at the age of 7, the second son third child was born: Louis XVII He, too died but this time, during the imprisonment of her parents in the palace tower. The line "let them eat cake" , with "them" being the hungry French peasants because of bread shortage, has not been proven to have come from her. It first appeared in Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Confessions but Rousseau did not name who the "great princess" was. Marie Antoinette was never a political animal. She had no power and was content in playing her role as a queen attending social functions and doing civic works. Her unhappy marriage resulted to her becoming frivolous. She dressed herself up extravagantly and wanted to have all the luxuries despite the poor economic condition of the country. She was accused of everything from lesbianism, occult and having incestuous relation with her own son. This is a heartfelt biography of a misunderstood famous figure in French history. She is said to be one of the 4 world-famous French figures in the history following Napoleon Bonaparte, Joan of Arc and Charles de Gaulle. According to Wiki, Fraser's depiction of Marie Antoinette here is kind. For me, that's baloney. This work presented the balanced view of Marie Antoinette and is well-documented as Fraser has all the footnotes and cross-references. Oh yes, like her king husband he faced her trial and execution with grace. Those last words that should have come from the people who condemned her, in my honest opinion. Her being a political pawn and scapegoat was too tragic. A queen killed by her own people was too sad. Excellent writing though. Amazing biography! View all 34 comments. As a former French major in college, I really enjoyed this book and learned so much about this period of time and the dynamics of the monarchy in France. Most people today have little sympathy for this queen, but I came away from this book with a much altered impression of her character and personality. She was truly in an impossible positio As a former French major in college, I really enjoyed this book and learned so much about this period of time and the dynamics of the monarchy in France. She was truly in an impossible position It reminded me of the "hero worship" of athletes and entertainment celebrities yet the gratification many feel when they are brought down! It's as though we want them to be "bigger than life" and put them in that place, yet resent it at the same time. Anyway, an interesting read for the history buff. You will most certainly come away with a much greater understanding of and sympathy for Marie Antoinette! Sep 01, Jennifer rated it really liked it. Frasier packs in gossipy details that keep this from being a dry read. At the age of 14, a deal is cut for Antoine to marry the future king of France, sealing an alliance between the two empires. Immediately, preparations begin to prepare her for the marriage. Since birth, Marie Antoinette, like all good royal girls, is groomed to be a feminine and submissive royal wife, with lessons in dance, music and etiquette - unfortunately she is otherwise poorly educated, even by 18th century standards. At 15, she is wed to the French dauphin and shipped to France, where she is expected, with not-so-gentle prodding by her mother and the French royal court to deliver a future king. Until she delivers, her position in France is uncertain. Marie Antoinette is dressed by ladies in waiting, who get to help based on rank. Of course, in 18th century France, these were all matters of national importance indicating the future direction of the country. It goes a long way to explaining why Marie Antionette and Louis XVI were so unprepared when they became king and queen. It would have been interesting to get more perspective on the problems going on in the country and whether the King and Queen were totally disconnected as at least Marie Antionette seemed to be. Even Thomas Paine argued that the family should be allowed to leave the country and resettle in America. View 2 comments. I'm really surprised that it has so many high ratings, so take my review with a grain of salt, but I just found this book to be a complete chore to wade through. It's really frustrating to see Fraser take such a fascinating historical figure and rob her of all interest with some of the dullest writing and bald assertions I've ever seen in a biography. I'm sorry to say that the book reads like the worst of high school history books - dryly vomiting up names and dates with very little context, and jumping about the map to cover events "chronologically" with very little effort made to tie events to one another with any sort of compelling or competent narrative. Fraser seems to regard name-dropping and quote-dropping as being most crucial details, and thus she never hesitates to drop in random quotes from various philosophers, sooth-sayers, and poets - even when doing so is distracting and detracts from the narrative flow. Too much bald assertion is used here, and to ill effect. For example, Fraser insists that Marie Antoinette's memorable "re-dressing" ceremony was simply not bothersome or traumatic to the young woman, because it was the fashion of the time, not unusual at all, and that "she had, after all, been treated as a doll, to be dressed up in this and that at the adults' whim since childhood; this was just one more example of that process. Do not, however, just attempt to "channel" the spirit of the biography from the depths of time, and tell us how they felt, because it's just not accurate - it's one woman's opinion. The entire book is written in this vein, and you just never get the impression that you're reading actual history, but rather Fraser's version of how she has decided it must have been. Whether you trust her to be the expert and know what she is talking about is another matter. I recommend avoiding this book. As a source for Marie Antoinette, I found it sadly lacking, as much of what Fraser asserts as truth is undocumented at best. As reading material, I was repulsed by the turgid prose and by the jump-around-the-map, cram-everything-in- without-context, and drop-a-lot-of-cool-sounding-quotes approach to history. View 1 comment. This is an interesting and extremely readable biography of the late Queen. This somewhat removes the Queens actual power and agency. She was a major player in revolutionary events. For details check out John Hardman's 'Marie-Antoinette: The Making of a French Queen" which focuses almost exclusively on her actions leading up to and during the revolution. Her death is memorialized in every detail. Yet many of my ancestors This is an interesting and extremely readable biography of the late Queen. Yet many of my ancestors no doubt died at her and her husband's hands- chattel slavery in Haiti was unbelievably awful. Where are their names? Where is the story of their deaths? What effort has been made to restore their treasures to their descendants? Government is responsible for it's crimes. There was gross mismanagement of resources causing massive poverty and starvation throughout France. Sure some poor folks had it harder in other nations but that's in effect irrelevant. When an individual or a family choose to be monarchs they know this is a possibility. Just like presidents and prime ministers are aware of political assassinations. Don't be a corrupt leader. Don't be married to one. Don't be the child of one. Hold your family to account for their behaviors and choices if you do belong in the family of a highly placed government official. Shelves: , non-fiction. I am not a history buff, so it's hard for me to judge if this book is historically accurate. What I can attest to is that Antonia Fraser knows how to write a very engaging non-fictional narrative. And from my limited experience with non-fiction, it is a hard thing to do. Fraser paints a very sympathetic portrait of Marie Antoinette, who at some point in I am not a history buff, so it's hard for me to judge if this book is historically accurate. Fraser paints a very sympathetic portrait of Marie Antoinette, who at some point in French history was the most hated woman in the country and was accused of being sexually deviant to the point of incest , an Austrian spy, an enemy of French people, of bankrupting the country Fraser's French queen is extremely likable. Not raised for the high throne, lacking education and crucial understanding of politics, Marie Antoinette is a tragic figure more than anything else. She marries French Dauphin at the age of 14 almost by default, when her sister dies. Without proper tutoring, with her marriage unconsummated for over 7 years, Marie Antoinette keeps herself busy by frivolous occupations: she organizes parties, she dances, she gambles, she buys jewelry and dresses. She is kept in the dark about politics and current events, her first obligation is to be a decoration, not to rule French people who are struggling under heavy taxes. As the years pass, Marie Antoinette becomes a mother, and a great mother at that. She is still apolitical, and yet strangely held responsible for everything bad happening in the country. Marie Antoinette's political awakening finally happens when France is taken over by the revolutionary forces. When her husband as inexperienced in politics as she is finds he has no courage or ability to make decisions about their future, it is Marie Antoinette who takes charge and attempts to salvage monarchy for her son. Unfortunately, due to the lack of clear understanding of politics, she is unable to make the right decisions, and her entire family eventually meets an awful demise. She is thrown into the world of politics without any preparation and is quickly consumed by it. Recommended to those readers who are interested in history and biographies of royalty. View all 4 comments. Aug 28, Czarny Pies rated it really liked it Recommends it for: Those who like great books about celebrities. Shelves: european-history. I am giving for stars to this book which I cannot in conscience recommend to anyone. Fraser's extensive research and brilliant discernment ultimately prove beyond a doubt that Marie Antoinette was a non-entity who did not affect the cataclysmic events of her era either one way or the other. Fraser's nominal objective was to show that was made the scapegoat for the sins of several generations of the Bourbon dynasty of which she bore none of the responsibility. However, Marie Antoinette's critics I am giving for stars to this book which I cannot in conscience recommend to anyone. However, Marie Antoinette's critics were so highly disreputable and such obvious liars that it is questionable that any defense of hers was ever needed. A strong point of Fraser's book is the remarkable portrait of the elaborate protocols and rituals of the Bourbon court that prevented Marie Antoinette and her husband Louis XV I from seeing what was happening in the world. Fraser is similarly brilliant at describing the how the courtiers at Versailles swarmed about Marie Antoinette extracting privileges and appointments for their family members while giving nothing in return neither warning her of the approaching dangers nor doing anything to save her once the revolution had begun. Although quite aware Fraser neglects to point out that the elaborate rituals and practices of the Bourbon court had been created to undermine the power of the aristocracy of France by Louis XIV. By calling the nobles to his court, he cut them off from their power bases and through his complex protocol he had them scurrying about like rates in a labyrinth. Unfortunately his dimwitted grandson Louis XVI fell into the trap created for the nobles and perished. Fraser does however spend a great deal of time on the incompetency of Louis XVI in bed and the psychological distress that it caused Marie Antoinette. Anyone who enjoys good writing about sex will enjoy this book. A major thesis of Fraser is that the extravagance of Marie Antoinette has been exaggerated since her day to the present time. Her spending was quite in line with the traditions of both the Bourbon dynasty and her own Habsburg dynasty. The depth of the research and the quality of insight make "Marie Antoinette" an excellent book. The problem for me was that Marie Antoinette truly was not a player of any significance in the great events. Fraser demonstrates clearly that she was badly treated by her family, her husband, her friends and her adopted country. Moreover she was unjustly blamed for many things by the propagandists of the Revolution and by later historians. All of this makes her a victim not a person of historical importance. And it only took me 11 years to finish it Jul 24, Harriet M. This was a good for a beach-ready kind of history. Fraser's good in terms of readability, but she bends over backwards to explain how Antoinette was misunderstood without really coming to terms with the complexity of her public face. I would have liked more footnotes, although I'm probalby not the target audience in that regard. I REALLY would have liked some more editing, not just in terms of overall repetitiousness, but in terms of readability. Fraser writes engagingly and well most of the tim This was a good for a beach-ready kind of history. Fraser writes engagingly and well most of the time, but every now and then, you arrive at these sentences that make no sense at all. I prefer histories that try to stir up an argument or some kind of engagement with the reader. I felt more like I was being handed a bill of goods. I have a slight fascination with Marie Antoinette. She is what led me to study the French Revolution whe I did my minor in History. While in Paris, I wanted to visit everything related to her, and when anything on the History Channel comes on about the French Rev. She is probably one of the most misunderstood monarchs. I suppose it's unjust of me to sympathize with her, but she too, was just a girl. Married at 14 to a prince who knew nothing about how to rule a kingdom. Forced I have a slight fascination with Marie Antoinette. Forced to learn the French language and the French ways. Taught that decadance was her right and then punished for living up to that expectation. Forced to see friends and loved ones beheaded. I can never get over how they lifted the Princess de Lamballe's head on a stake just for her to see; just out of cruelty. I'm sure her mother, the Empress of Austria, had no idea what kind of life she was sending her daughter to live. Had she known, she probably would have sent her to a nunnery at birth. I've read some great historical fiction on Marie Antoinette Juliet Grey's trilogy starting with Becoming Marie Antoinette comes to mind but this was my first nonfiction read on this doomed queen. It was comprehensive and packed full of information, but never dragged. I really like it when history books do this because I've read some great historical fiction on Marie Antoinette Juliet Grey's trilogy starting with Becoming Marie Antoinette comes to mind but this was my first nonfiction read on this doomed queen. I really like it when history books do this because when an author talks about a certain artifact or painting, it's helpful to have the picture immediately available for reference. The text itself was quite good. I appreciated how the author also interpreted the emotional states and personalities of the main players, because this made them come alive in my mind. I regarded Marie Antoinette as a sympathetic historical figure before I ever read this book, but this biography does an especially good job of outlining the ultimate tragedy of Marie Antoinette--that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The author does present a balanced picture of her strengths and faults along with those of her husband Louis XVI , but in the end, whatever her faults were, Marie Antoinette was a completely different person than how she was portrayed in the libellous pamphlets of the time and how some people still regard her today. I enjoyed learning more details about her life with this excellent biography. Dec 05, Madeline rated it liked it Shelves: history-nonfiction. This book was one of Sofia Coppola's primary sources for her movie "Marie Antoinette" and anyone who's seen the movie will enjoy finding all the quotes used in the movie that the historical figures actually said. It's a good biography and, unlike Coppola's movie, actually tells you what happened to Marie-Antoinette and her family after the mob arrested them and brought them to Paris. Fraser goes a little out of her way to portray Marie- Antoinette as just a misunderstood but good-hearted person This book was one of Sofia Coppola's primary sources for her movie "Marie Antoinette" and anyone who's seen the movie will enjoy finding all the quotes used in the movie that the historical figures actually said. Fraser goes a little out of her way to portray Marie-Antoinette as just a misunderstood but good-hearted person the woman was an idiot, Fraser. A nice idiot, but an idiot. For instance, did you know that she hated the color orange so much she wouldn't even allow it to be near her? Neither did I, but apparently it's true. Fraser casts Marie in a very good light, making her seem smart and powerful and very much like the Queen of France, dispelling rumors that have stuck with her throughout the years, such as "Let them eat cake! See, when I was a kid, I read diaries for the royal 4. See, when I was a kid, I read diaries for the royals. And, it's very funny how I go with who I like as historical figures. Anastasia was a very strong woman, or was developing into one when her life was cut short. Cleopatra was ruthless; a sister Berenice killed her other sister Cleopatra Tryphaena , she watched her father kill a sister Berenice got killed this time , killed her two little brothers, and then exiled and finally killed another sister Arsinoe. Anne Boleyn, my current beloved, was extremely smart and ambitious. Marie Antoinette is none of those things. She was, as Madeline put it in her review, an idiot. A kind and sweet idiot, but still an idiot. She didn't read much, she wasn't very good at writing, she wasn't a master of languages she forgot her homeland's language within a couple years of being in France , and she certainly didn't care about the government until it was too late in her life. She loved frivolous things. Let's be honest. I mean, most likely they were there to help her disguise her tumultuous marriage, but still. However, two things struck me while listening to this. Right at that time, she was starting to enter into politics more. And, during the Revolution, she was more careful and obvious. She started applying what she knew Would she have fixed things, or would she have let the economy become worse? Would she have really made a difference? It's a question that we'll never know. They would have been great parents, loving and considerate. They weren't fit for being royals, which is how I feel about the last Romanovs. Nicholas and Alexandra weren't meant to be royals. They were meant to be in a family, just normal people. If you decide to read this -- and you know a lot about the Romanovs and their downfall -- you'll be struck by the similarities to it, something Fraser does point out around the epilogue. Marie's life was tragic. Interspersed with the parties and balls and dresses, her life wasn't easy.

Marie Antoinette: The Journey - Wikipedia

Images Donate icon An illustration of a heart shape Donate Ellipses icon An illustration of text ellipses. Marie Antoinette : the journey Item Preview. EMBED for wordpress. Want more? Advanced embedding details, examples, and help! Includes bibliographical references p. Married in mere girlhood, this essentially lighthearted, privileged, but otherwise unremarkable child was thrust into an unparalleled time and place, and was commanded by circumstance to play a significant role in history. Antonia Fraser's lavish and engaging portrait of Marie Antoinette, one of the most recognizable women in European history, excites compassion and regard for all aspects of her subject, immersing the listener not only in the coming-of-age of a graceful woman, but also in the unraveling of an era. Learn how to enable JavaScript on your browser. NOOK Book. Since the experience of childbirth was no novelty, and since Maria Teresa, Queen of Hungary by inheritance, Empress of the Holy Roman Empire by marriage, hated to waste time, she also laboured in another way at her papers. For the responsibilities of government were not to be lightly cast aside; in her own words: "My subjects are my first children. It was a girl. Or, as the Court Chamberlain, Count Khevenhuller, described the event in his diary: "Her Majesty has been happily delivered of a small, but completely healthy Archduchess. The announcement was made by the Emperor Francis Stephen. He left his wife's bedroom, after the usual Te Deum and Benediction had been said. In the Mirror Room next door the ladies and gentlemen of the court who had the Rights of Entry were waiting. Maria Teresa had firmly ended the practice, so distasteful to the mother in labour but still in place at the court of Versailles , by which these courtiers were actually present in the delivery room. As it was they had to content themselves with congratulating the happy father. It was not until four days later that those ladies of the court who by etiquette would formerly have been in the bedchamber were allowed to kiss the Empress. Other courtiers, including Khevenhuller, were permitted the privilege on 8 November, and a further set the next day. Perhaps it was the small size of the baby, perhaps it was the therapeutic effect of working at her papers throughout the day, but Maria Teresa had never looked so well after a delivery. The Empress's suite of apartments was on the first floor of the so-called Leopoldine wing of the extensive and rambling Hofburg complex. The Habsburgs had lived in the Hofburg since the late thirteenth century, but this wing had originally been constructed by the Emperor Leopold I in It was rebuilt following a fire, then greatly renovated by Maria Teresa herself. It lay south-west of the internal courtyard known as In Der Burg. Swiss Guards, that doughty international force that protects royalty, gave their name to the adjacent courtyard and gate, the Schweizerhof and the Schweizertor. The next stage in the new baby's life was routine. She was handed over to an official wet-nurse. Great ladies did not nurse their own children. For one thing, breastfeeding was considered to ruin the shape of the bosom, made so visible by eighteenth-century fashions. The philandering Louis XV openly disliked the practice for this reason. As the Empress said of herself, she was insatiable on the subject of children. Marie Antoinette was put into the care of Constance Weber, wife of a magistrate. Constance, according to her son Joseph Weber, who later wrote his memoirs, was famed for her beautiful figure and an even greater beauty of soul. She had been nursing little Joseph for three months when she took over the baby Archduchess, and it was understood in the family that Constance's appointment would improve all their fortunes. As the foster-brother of an archduchess, Joseph Weber benefited all his life; there were pensions for Constance as well as his other brothers and sisters. During Marie Antoinette's childhood, Maria Teresa took her to visit the Weber household; there she showered gifts upon the children and, according to Joseph, admonished Constance: "Good Weber, have a care for your son. In any case it seems that Maria Teresa had expected a daughter. One of her courtiers, Count Dietrichstein, wagered against her that the new baby would be a boy. When the appearance of a girl, said to be as like her mother as two drops of water, meant that he lost the bet, the Count had a small porcelain figure made of himself, on his knees, proffering verses by Metastasio to Maria Teresa. He may have lost his wager but if the new- born augusta figlia resembled her mother, then all the world would have gained. If the birth of an eighth surviving daughter was not in itself a disappointment, was there not perhaps something inauspicious about the date itself, 2 November? This, the Feast of All Souls, was the great Catholic Day of the Dead, when the departed were solemnly commemorated in a series of requiem Masses, in churches and chapels heavily draped in black. What this actually meant during the childhood of Marie Antoinette was that her birthday was generally celebrated on its eve, the Feast of All Saints, a day of white and gold. Besides which, 13 June, the feast of her patron saint St. Antony, tended to be regarded as Marie Antoinette's personal day of celebration, just as the feast of St. Teresa of Avila on 15 October was the name-day of her mother. If one looks to influences, the baby born on the sombre Day of the Dead must have been conceived on or around a far more cheerful feast of the church: 2 February, the traditionally candle-lit celebration of the Purification of the Virgin Mary. An episode during the Empress's pregnancy could also be seen as significant. In April, Christoph Willibald Gluck was engaged by Maria Teresa to compose "theatrical and chamber music" in exchange for an official salary; this followed his successes in Italy and England as well as in Vienna. A court ball at the palace of Laxenburg, fifteen miles from Vienna, on 5 May , marked his inauguration in this role. In contrast, the fact that a colossal earthquake took place in Lisbon on 2 November, with 30, killed, was not at the time seen as relevant. This was an age of poor European communications and news of the disaster did not reach Vienna until some time afterwards. It was true that the King of Portugal and his wife had been engaged to stand as the coming baby's godparents; the unfortunate royal couple had to flee from their capital at about the time Marie Antoinette was born. Download as PDF Printable version. Italiano Edit links. This article about a biographical or autobiographical book on royalty is a stub. 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