Marie Antoinette 2006 Sophia Coppola

Marie Antoinette 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793 Austrian Princess – her mother was the Empress of the Austrian Empire, Maria Theresa. France and Austria had been fighting off an on for hundreds of years so a marriage between Marie and the French dauphin was planned to end the hostilities permanently.

Marie’s Mother Her mother had 16 children, 13 surviving infancy. She spent about 20 years pregnant and that whole time she was also fighting two wars. She made sure to make really successful marriages for her children and stayed in touch with them constantly, even while they were with governesses or after they moved to marry. She sent them all letters that told them how much she loved them while also criticizing them mercilessly.

Marie Antoinette Marie Leszczyńska, Polish princess Louis XVI She was tutored her whole childhood, but she was never very good at school. She was a good musician and dancer however. When she was 14 she was married to the dauphin, or heir to the French throne. Louis- Auguste was the grandson of the king, Louis XV (he was king for 60 years so his son, Louis’ father, Louis, died before he could inherit the throne.) Louis XV was a terrible king who drained the French treasury fighting in many wars and fighting nobles in France. Louis XVI

Louis XIV Louis XIV was the king that created the palace at Versailles and made the monarchy so strong and rich. He was the most powerful king in French history and his sons and grandsons all wanted to be like him. He made the king the strongest figure in France by weakening the nobility and local governments.

Versailles

Versailles One of the ways that Louis XIV got control was by moving the palace from Paris at the Louvre to Versailles, which was 12 miles away. He forced all of the families that wished to keep their noble status to send representatives of their family to live on the grounds all year. They had to participate in all the royal events and daily activities, dress appropriately and follow very strict manners and etiquette. This made them spend tons of money and time and kept them from being able to plot against him or gain wealth without his grace.

Examples of Versailles manners Knocking on a door is not allowed. One must only tap or scratch on the door with your pinky finger. A chair with a back and arms was only for the royal family, and a stool only for the most important nobles. Everyone else had to stand in the presence of the royals. At the Grand Couvert, men were expected to wear full dress, including swords and women full dress, including a whale bone corset and wig. When you stood in Versailles, men were to stand in the third position from ballet, and walk always with the left foot first. The distance between the right and left foot should never be more than a foot, and women were never to link arms with a man, only lightly place their fingertips on the man’s outstretched forearm.

Versailles’ Fashion

Court Life Duke Count Marquise Viscount Baron King and Queen Dauphin and Dauphine Sons of the current king Daughters of the current king Sons of the former king Daughters of the former king Nobles of the Blood Nobles of the Robe Duke Count Marquise Viscount Baron

Problems Louis XIV and Louis XV spent 130 years establishing a very high standard of living for the French monarchy- they spent hundreds of millions of livres every year on Versailles, on construction, staff, operating expenses, grounds, entertainment, their own personal staff and budgets, clothing, jewels, etc, etc, etc. They also fought a series of wars, spending tons of money. Louis XVI was not as strong of a personality as his grandfather and great grandfather, and managing the debt and all of the crises in France was difficult for him. They also had problems consummating the marriage and went 8 years without doing so- it was a problem that led to rumors about both of them. When Louis, who had a physical problem, was able to, they had four kids. Marie loved her kids and also adopted four children of different servants who died. She also received a Senegalese boy as a gift, instead she had him baptized and raised with the other children. The press ignored all the positive aspects of their lives, and instead painted horrid pictures of them as a cuckold and a whore, stupid and spendy.