Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette is one of the more famous French monarchs. Born an Austrian princess, she became one of the last monarchs to rule the French. Marie Antoinette has had a big impact on the French Revolution. But sadly, she isn’t remembered as a great queen or ruler because of the way she and her husband died on the guillotine.

Born November 2, 1755, in Vienna, Austria,   Marie Antoinette was the youngest daughter of Emperor Francis Stephen I and Empress Maria Theresa of the Holy Roman Empire. She was raised with the intent of someday becoming the queen of France. So in 1770, at the tender age of 15, she was wed to Louis XVI, the prince of France. Four years later, she achieved her goal when Louis was crowned king.

    Although she loved being queen, Marie did not love Louis much. He was ugly and awkward; She prided herself on her beauty and was very arrogant. They did not take interest in the same things, but she took her mother’s advice and stayed with the king. And after some time, Marie became sick of always being under constant watch. She yearned for the days back in Vienna where her lifestyle was much more relaxed and laid-back. She was very upset with how things were, and she didn’t like being up on such a pedestal. To fill her time, she spent increasingly more time with her young friends. She showered her them with lavish gifts and positions of power within her court, and went to many extravagant events with them; such as masquerade balls, theatrical events, and late night “promenades” in the park. Because her circle of friends was filled with numerous attractive men, it was rumored that she had affairs with a few of them.

Another thing Marie prided herself on was her fashion sense. She was often setting trends in France. But being so fashionable came at a price. A high one, at that. She spent more and more on clothing and accessories every year, and the king picked up the bill for her always. She was often ridiculed for being so...