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The following article contains a fictional portrayal of a real-life person or persons. Details in this article may differ from real world facts. For more information on the historical figure(s), consult the links provided within or at the bottom of the article.

"In that moment it was as if I could see straight through Elizabeth's veils, and what I saw was a woman completely free, free of Mama, free of Austria, free of empires and husbands and filled only with her own music and love of God. If people, especially women, knew the secret of Elizabeth, she would be the most envied woman in the Empire, in Europe, in the world!"
—Marie Antoinette[4]

Marie Antoinette (November 2, 1755 – October 16, 1793), born as Maria Antonia Josepha Joanna, was the last Queen of France.[5] She was the youngest daughter of Maria Theresa and Francis I, rulers of Austria and Hungary. Marie Antoinette became the Dauphine of France upon marrying Louis Auguste, who later became King of France.

Biography[]

Early life[]

Maria Antonia was born on November 2, 1755 in Vienna, Austria.[2] She was the youngest daughter of Francis I, the Holy Roman Emperor, and Maria Theresa. Maria had sixteen siblings, including Maria Anna, Joseph II, Maria Christina, Maria Elizabeth, Maria Amalia, Leopold II, Maria Josepha, Maria Carolina, Ferdinand, and Maximillian Francis. Three of her siblings died at a young age.

At age nine in 1765, Antonia's father passed away, followed by her elder sister, Josepha in 1767. That same year, her favorite sister Caroline was sent away to marry Ferdinand of Naples.

1769 – 1771[]

In 1769, Antonia was being prepared for her marriage to Louis Auguste, Dauphin of France. Her lessons ranged from French history and etiquette to learning how to dance and ride a horse in the French style. She received the official marriage proposal, while vacationing at Schönbrunn with her family. Antonia's mother increased all of her lessons in order for her to be ready in six months.

The following winter of 1770, Antonia's dear governess, the Countess Lerchenfeld, and beloved niece, Maria "Titi" Theresa passed away. On April 19, 1770, she married by proxy with her brother, Ferdinand standing in as Louis. Over the next few weeks, Antonia made her way to the Austrian border and eventually Compiègne, where she met her husband for the first time.

At the Palace of Versailles, Antonia, now Marie Antoinette, and Louis performed a second marriage ceremony. Her standing at court was shaky, when it appeared that Louis disliked her. However, they eventually became good friends, vexing the allies of Madame du Barry, the King's mistress. Antoinette refused to speak to du Barry for several months, even with the urging of her advisers. On New Year's Day, Antoinette conceded and simply said, "There are a lot of people today at Versailles."

Later life[]

Upon the death of King Louis XV in 1774, Louis Auguste and Marie Antoinette became King and Queen of France. They had their first child, Marie Thérèse in 1778, followed by Louis Joseph in 1781, Louis Charles in 1785, and Sophie Beatrice in 1786. Their youngest passed away in infancy, while their elder son died of tuberculosis in 1789.

In 1789, the "French people's anger exploded" at the extravagant upper class, marking the beginning of the French Revolution. Antoinette and her family were captured, after a failed escape attempt. In January 1793, Louis Auguste was found guilty and beheaded. Marie Antoinette was beheaded the following October. Their oldest daughter was allowed to go to Austria, but their youngest son died in prison two years later.

Physical appearance[]

In her words, she was regarded as "quite pretty." Marie Antoinette had blue eyes and ash blonde hair, as well as a fair complexion. One of her few physical flaws was her hairline, which her mother thought was too high.

Personality and traits[]

Marie Antoinette was a happy and content girl, despite some doubts about herself and her situation. She was extremely fun-loving, and took pleasure in simple things, such as sledding and wading in water. Antoinette became confident during her time at Versailles, even describing herself as "resplendent" and "majestic" at times. She also had a soft spot for animals and children.

She had a hard time reading and writing French and her native language, German. Her teacher, Abbé de Vermond instructed her to write in a journal and she improved greatly over the following months.

Family tree[]

The Habsburg-Bourbon Family Tree[2]
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Francis I
(1708-1765)
 
Maria Theresa
(1717-1780)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Maria Anna
(1738-1789)
 
Joseph II
(1741-1790)
 
(1) Isabella
of Parma
 
Leopold II^
(1747-1792)
 
Maria Luisa
of Spain
 
Maria Josepha
(1751-1767)
 
Marie Antoinette
(1755-1793)
 
Louis XVI
(1754-1793)
 
Maximilian Francis
(1756-1801)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Maria Elizabeth
(1743-1808)
 
Maria Theresa
(1762-1770)
 
(2) Maria Josepha
of Bavaria
 
Francis II
(1768-1835)
 
Louis Antoine
(1775-1844)
 
Marie Thérèse
(1778-1851)
 
Louis Joseph
(1781-1789)
 
Louis Charles
(1785-1795)
 
Sophie Hélène
(1786-1787)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Maria Christina
(1742-1798)
 
Charles Joseph
(1745-1761)
 
Maria Amalia
(1746-1761)
 
Maria Joanna
(1748-1763)
 
Maria Carolina
(1752-1816)
 
Ferdinand
(1754-1806)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Albert of Saxony
 
 
 
 
 
Ferdinand, Duke of Parma
 
 
 
 
 
Ferdinand of Naples-Sicily
 
Beatrice of Modena
Key:
♜ - Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary
♛ - Holy Roman Emperor
♚ - King or Queen of France
^ - Leopold had twelve children total.

Behind the scenes[]

Appearances[]

In chronological order:

References[]

See also[]



My Story characters
Main characters

Nebka | Hatshepsut "Asha" | Claudia | Bran | Tor Scaldbane | Jenkin Lloyd | Eva De Puebla
Elinor Valjean | Lady Jane Grey | Matilda "Tilly" Middleton | Catherine "Kitty" Lumsden | Thomas Hobbs
Remember "Mem" Whipple | Thomas Adamson | Alice Paynton | Susannah Makepeace | Ignatius Sancho
Euphemia Grant | Mary Wade | Elizabeth "Lizzie" Harvey | Isabelle | James Grant | Mary Prince | Bob Jenkins
Dick Maybury | Eliza Helsted | Phyllis McCormack | Lily Hicks | Michael Pope | Hanuman Singh | Clotee Henley
Will Reed | Edith Lorrimer | Jabulani | Florence Finch | Flora Bonnington | Sophia Duleep Singh | Dollie Baxter
Margaret Anne Brady | Billy Stevens | Jack Fairfax | Daphne "Daffy" Rowntree | Eleanor Rhys Davies
Rebecca "Becky" Mortkowicz | Harry Woods | Princess Margaret | Sophie Ridel | Peter Rogers | Kitty Langley
Edith "Edie" Benson | Noor Inayat Khan | Tim Jackson | Andrew "Andy" Pope | Paul Lelaud | Violet Debuchy

Supporting characters

Ptolemy Auletes | Henry VIII | Catherine of Aragon | Anne Boleyn | Jane Seymour | Anne of Cleves
Catherine Howard | Catherine Parr | Edward VI | Mary I | Elizabeth II

Lists of characters by book

Pyramid of Secrets | Princess of Egypt | Pompeii | Roman Invasion | Viking Blood | Agincourt | My Tudor Queen
Anne Boleyn and Me | Lady Jane Grey | Bloody Tower | The Queen's Spies | Armada | Mayflower | Civil War
The Great Plague | Highway Girl | Ignatius Sancho | The '45 Rising | No Way Back | Transported
The Fall of the Blade | Trafalgar | Mary Prince | Waterloo | Dodger! | Mill Girl | The Hunger | The Crystal Palace
Crimea | Indian Mutiny | Slave Girl | The Sweep's Boy | Victorian Workhouse | Zulu War | Factory Girl
Twentieth-Century Girl | Princess Sophia Duleep Singh | Suffragette | Titanic | The Trenches | Flying Ace
Road to War | Berlin Olympics | Nowhere to Run | Battle of Britain | Wartime Princess | Sophie's Secret War
U-Boat Hunter | War Nurse | Blitz | Noor-un-Nissa Inayat Khan | Desert Danger | D-Day | Spy Smuggler
Codename Céline | London Stories

My Royal Story characters

Cleopatra VII | Beatrice Townhill | Elizabeth I | Mary, Queen of Scots | Marie Antoinette | Victoria | Anastasia

Lists of My Royal Story characters by book

Cleopatra | Henry VIII's Wives | Elizabeth | Mary, Queen of Scots | Marie Antoinette | Victoria | Anastasia

My True Story characters

Dora Thewlis | John "Jack" Cornwell | Joe Read | Susan | Vera

Lists of My True Story characters by book

Give Us the Vote! | Standing Alone | Hero at Dunkirk | What If They Find Us?

External links[]

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