Marie Antoinette Facts & Worksheets

• One of her first problems during her reign was limited authority under existing power structures. Despite her position, the king and his advisers often ignored her ideas, including her attempts to install her favoured candidates in positions of power.
• A notable example was her desire to reinstate Choiseul, a key architect of her marriage. However, she did exert influence in some areas, such as the dismissal of the Duc d’Aiguillon.
• Another issue Marie Antoinette went through was her extravagant spending on the Petit Trianon, a small chateau within the grounds of Versailles. It became a source of public contention, especially since France wasn’t doing well financially.
• She also loved fashion and set many trends. She wore huge hairstyles, such as the poufs and panache, and had her dresses made from expensive fabrics by known designers, like Rose Bertin. This made her even more unpopular as her actions were seen as a display of indifference towards the difficulties faced by ordinary people.
• This discontent increased in 1775 when the Flour War caused riots in Paris because of the increasing price of bread. Derogatory pamphlets, known as libelles, disseminated accusations of the queen’s financial irresponsibility.
• Even though she was facing a lot of criticism, Marie Antoinette made some close female friends at court, notably the Princesse de Lamballe, whom she appointed superintendent of her household. Additionally, she continued to patronise the arts by supporting artists like her former music teacher, Christoph Willibald Gluck.
• After seven years of marriage, Marie Antoinette and the king finally had their first child, Madame Royale, in 1778. Despite being a happy event, rumours circulated about whether the king was actually the father. This was because Marie Antoinette was very close friends with a Swedish count named Axel von Fersen.
• Around this time she also started to get more involved in politics. She supported Austria in the War of Bavarian Succession, backed France’s decision to help America in its war for independence, exerted influence over ministerial appointments, and changed some of the traditional rules at the royal court. She often tried to help her home country, Austria, which increased public discontent among the French people who felt that she was putting Austria’s needs before France’s.
• By this point, it was clear that many people in France disapproved of Marie Antoinette. This growing anger and distrust would eventually lead to the French Revolution.

French Revolution

• The roots of the French Revolution can be traced back to several years of social and economic equality in France. Marie Antoinette, in particular, became the symbol of public hate towards the monarchy due to her lavish lifestyle and Austrian heritage.
• In 1785, she was falsely accused of having participated in a plot to trick royal jewellers. What made the scandal worse were the libelles filled with scandalous rumours about her. Known as the Diamond Necklace Affair, the scandal solidified her image as immoral despite her innocence. 
• Although the monarchy attempted to resolve the financial crisis in the country, efforts were futile as expensive wars and reluctance of the privileged classes to help those in need worsened the situation. Marie Antoinette’s involvement in politics only backfired and was interpreted as favouring her own interests. 
• In 1789, the representative assembly, Estates-General, which had not been summoned for over a century, was called to address France’s problems. It was composed of three estates – the clergy, the nobility and the commoners – and divisions between them were emphasised in the assembly. 
• The Third Estate, representing the majority of the country’s population, demanded greater political representation and an end to the privileges of the upper classes. Marie Antoinette opposed these demands for reform due to her approval of the existing social order. This only worsened tensions.
• In retaliation, the Third Estate defied the king’s order and convened at a tennis court to take the Tennis Court Oath for the creation of a new French constitution in 1789. This defiance signalled a significant shift in the balance of power.
• In the aftermath of the fall of Bastille, many aristocrats, fearing their safety, fled to France. However, Marie Antoinette remained loyal to the king, even as the revolution stripped him of his power and a new governing body, the National Constituent Assembly, emerged. This Assembly enacted reforms which included the abolition of feudal privileges and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.
• After these events, life at court continued and Marie Antoinette was still engaged in political manoeuvring. For one, she tried to have a good relationship with the commander of the National Guard and revolutionary leader, Lafayette. Despite the latter’s initial resentment towards the queen, he was persuaded to collaborate with her to some extent. Nonetheless, their relationship was always full of suspicion and mistrust.
• Marie Antoinette also sought an alliance with revolutionary leader Mirabeau. The latter was initially impressed with her political skills and agreed to work with her, but his efforts were constrained by his own revolutionary ideals and the growing radicalisation of the movement.
• In June 1791, in an event known as the Flight to Varennes, the royal family disguised themselves and attempted to escape France, only to be caught in Varennes and returned to Paris. This failed attempt only damaged the perception of the public towards the monarchy, leading to their imprisonment in the Tuileries Palace under stricter surveillance.