Marie Antoinette: 5 Myths About the Infamous Queen of France
Marie Antoinette, queen consort of France, is more than just decadence and desserts.
Marie Antoinette was an archduchess of Austria and queen consort of France. Born on November 2, 1755, she is still one of the most important figures in history, frequently portrayed in literary and cinematographic works.
With the outbreak of the French Revolution and the end of the monarchy in 1792, the monarch was imprisoned in the Temple Tower and her husband, Louis XVI, was deposed and executed. Nine months after the king's death, Marie Antoinette was sentenced to the guillotine for treason and died on 16 October 1793.
The curious historical personage aroused several theories and speculations about her life and personality, especially in movies. Here are the 5 most famous myths about Marie Antoinette:
1. She had blonde hair
Portrayed as blonde in several films, Marie Antoinette was actually a redhead. This motivated Madame du Barry, mistress of King Louis XV, to nickname her “la petite rousse,” which in free translation corresponds to "little redhead."
2. She was originally from France
Marie Antoinette, the youngest daughter of the Empress of Austria, was born in Vienna and at age 14 married Louis XVI, aged 15 at the time. Marriage was the political strategy adopted to end a 950-year-old rivalry between the kingdoms.
3. She was the one who said the famous sentence, "Let them eat cake."
The famous phrase, “Qu'ils mangent de la brioche (“Let them eat cake”), was uttered by Maria Theresa, the Spanish-born queen of the Louis XIV. Marie Antoinette was recognized for being extremely generous with her subjects, having helped the underprivileged with financial and material contributions.
4. She was responsible for bankrupting France
It wasn't the lavish spending or passion for fashion of Marie Antoinette, nicknamed "Madame Deficit," that bankrupted France. The kingdom was already facing financial mishaps even before the marriage between her and Louis XVI. Although the nation's situation worsened during her husband's reign, it was due to Louis XVI's financial contribution to the American Revolution.
5.She was promiscuous
Portrayed as promiscuous in some works, Marie Antoinette actually remained a virgin for the first seven years of her marriage. The marriage took place on May 16, 1770 and was not consummated until August 22, 1777. Furthermore, the Queen did not have numerous lovers of both sexes, as some versions of her story have been told.
