The dashing nobleman meets nineteenyearold marie antoinette at a masquerade ball. The scandalous life of marie antoinettes versailles. The tuileries, 20th june 1792 late september sunlight filters onto the blue velvet. Motherhood had been metamorphosing marie antoinette into a more grounded and responsible woman.
The author did all the research and based on the known facts delivered what she thought was going on in marie antoinette s head. Becoming marie antoinette by juliet grey, paperback barnes. Jul 23, 2018 before hitting my limit, i picked up a book called marie antoinette, serial killer at the seattle library. New book claims marie antoinette had 2 secret love. Princess of versailles discussion guide a discussion guide for marie antoinette. Wellresearched and lovingly written with sparkling detailsthis new trilogy is not one to be missed by any lover of historical fiction or marie antoinette centered works. Neither was true, but the life and tragic death of marie antoinette have, over the centuries, assumed almost mythical proportions. News of the revelations follow the publication of a new book by british historian evelyn farr, out in the spring, which suggests her daughter, sophie, who died as an infant, was fathered by her. Marieantoinettes 30year romance with a swedish count.
Andy garcias ode to his bygone cuba had no room in its limited imagination for the countrys impoverished masses, but that was because garcia only understood what was taken away from his family. I say do you, and marie antoinette did as well, way back in the 1700s. In the days of the european monarchies, marriage was less a matter of personal inclination than political expediency. Apr 20, 2008 marie antoinettes daughter, from privilege to prison to exile. Oct 18, 2019 the reign of louis xvi, the final bourbon king of france, was a varied and eventful one, but when we think of him and his queen marie antoinette, certain associations inevitably pop into our minds. He organized the royal familys escape from paris in 1791. Yes, she may love cake, grandiose fashion, and gambling, but her frivolity. Her actions during the french revolution contributed to the overthrow of the monarchy in august 1792. Marie antoinette book suggests a secret life, affair, love. A new book unveils marie antoinettes scandalous love letters. Her hair was piled atop her head, often ornamented with jewels or trinkets.
The book was written by historian evelyn farr and shares a collection of love letter antoinette reportedly wrote to her lover during their twodecade affair. Marieantoinettes 30year romance with a swedish count revealed. An austrian archduchess marie antoinette arrived in france at the tender age of fourteenandahalf. Drawing on a wealth of family letters and other archival materials, antonia fraser successfully avoids the hagiography of some the french queens admirers and the misogyny of many of her critics. A new book, i love you madlymarieantoinette and count fersen. When marie antoinette died under the heavy blow of the guillotine on oct. Listed here are five of the greatest books on marie antoinette that.
Her presence brought to mind the ideal of spring in her beauty and in her propensity for carrying around the fragrant flowers she adored. In the book, titled i love you madly marie antoinette and count fersen. Marie therese is the first daughter of marie antoinette and louis xvi. Apr, 2017 antonia frasers biography marie antoinette. The secret letters, historian evelyn farr compiled a set of letters between marie antoinette and swedish count and. Edited by fersens sister, the novel focuses on not only his relationship with marie, but fersens entire lifefrom his many romances to. She lives in paris with her husband, maurice lever, the author of sade evelyne lever.
Marie antoinettes scandalous secret letters to her. We are the perfect friends, marie antoinette tells us, though her rapturous description of fersen as the most handsome, the most kind and good and lovingah, yes, above all, lovingman in the world all but demands us to wonder whether there is more to their bond than an ideal, platonic bond sealed by a bittersweet transcendence of. I f these gilded walls could talk of the 700 rooms at the palace of versailles, among the most famous are the queens apartments, which include marie antoinette s private chambers. Lady atkyns was the friend, or rather lover, of marie antoinette, and. The human side of louis xvi and marie antoinette biography. I love you madly, the woman more commonly known as marie antoinette wrote from the tuileries palace, where she languished under house arrest. The untold love story, an area of history to which she has returned in the light of some exceptional new material.
However, as fraser acknowledges in the book, there was no solid proof that the love. She lives in paris with her husband, maurice lever, the author of sade. Marie antoinette had a passion for flowers so much that when her husband became king and gave her petit trianon, he did so saying, you love flowers well, i have a bouquet for you the little trianon. Marie antoinettes daughter, marietherese charlotte, madame royale, was born at versailles on 19 december 1778. Louis xvi and marie antoinette were barely in their teens when they married in the days of the european monarchies, marriage was less a matter of personal inclination than political expediency. Marieantoinettes torrid affair with swedish count revealed. Two hundred years after the death of marie antoinette, i found the experience of being asked to don white gloves to inspect the tiny swatches in her wardrobe book at the archives nationales both appropriate and affecting, the pinpricks made by the queen to indicate her choice of the days costume being still visible.
He was at the center of several key events during the french revolution involving the king and queen. Though shes not your traditional queen, marie antoinette fully embraced her own approach to life and that, i think, is worth appreciating. The five best marie antoinette books around the last french queen. Frances beleaguered queen, marie antoinette, wrongly accused. Frances beleaguered queen, marie antoinette, wrongly accused of uttering the infamous let them eat cake, was the subject of ridicule and curiosity even before her death. In lady antonias corrective portrait, marie antoinette is a sympathetic and at times even philanthropic figure.
Her pregnancies had necessitated several months absence from her usual round of gay amusements and she discovered that it was more fun to spend time with her children than it had been to play faro deep into the wee hours of the morning. Young marie antoinette, blissfully oblivious to the fate that awaits her. Marie antoinette, queen consort of king louis xvi of france. Louis xvi and marie antoinette were barely in their teens when they married. May 28, 20 the queens lover is a feat of research and imagination. She was born an archduchess of austria and was the penultimate child and youngest daughter of empress maria theresa and francis i, holy roman emperor. In the book rousseau recounts an episode in which he was seeking bread to. The notes started when marie antoinette was just 18, and it. Marie antoinettes love letters have been decoded, and boy. Marie antoinette, an enigmatic figure of history who has sparked interest, mystery and wonder. The scandalous life of marie antoinettes versailles apartments. One of the underlying causes of the french revolution, the disastrous marriage between louis xvi and marieantoinette, has been brought down. The child grew up in the loving arms of her mother, lived at versailles and lived through the.
The notes started when marie antoinette was just 18, and it became physical 10 years before she was killed. Jan 12, 2016 newly decoded letters penned by marieantoinette suggest frances last queen had a torrid affair with a swedish count, amid claims that two of the children she had with louis xvi were illegitimate. A queen and her troubles as the revolution turned more radical, the king was sunk in depressive apathy. New book claims marie antoinette had 2 secret love children. There are a few historical details in here, like du barrys first name and possible origins, as well as some stuff from the movie, some stuff i made up, and some stuff taken from kathryn laskys book marie antoinette.
Her face was always made up, and she wore the finest gowns and jewelry. The author has managed to decipher previously unpublished sentences adding some that were suppressed which show clearly that these two people were deeply in love. Evelyn farr is the author of before the deluge and marieantoinette and count fersen. Brilliantly written, marie antoinette is a work of impeccable scholarship. A series of letters, which are featured in farrs book i love you madly marieantoinette and count fersen.
Marie antoinette and her passion for flowers geri walton. Marie antoinette, the infamous queen of france who was beheaded by revolutionaries in 1793, allegedly had a torrid romance with a swedish count while she was married to king louis xvi. She was fourteen, married to an obese, uncouth husband who could not consummate the marriage. Oct 05, 2016 a new book, i love you madlymarieantoinette and count fersen. Sep 20, 2006 marie antoinette compares favorably to the new world and, more so, to the lost citytwo tales of edens stripped of their fruit. The secret letters, the british historian evelyn farr lays bare the queens alleged infidelity with the. The phrase appears in book six of jeanjacques rousseaus confessions, his autobiography whose first six books were written in 1765, when marie antoinette was nine years of age, and published in 1782. Two hundred years later, on april 15, 1983, a disgraced former israeli air force pilot turned career criminal named naaman diller, using homemade tools and cunning plans, robbed the l. Jan 08, 2016 people reports that the book, written by historian evelyn farr, contains juicy love letters that were sent over a period of 20 years. Princess of versailles, austriafrance, 1769 by kathryn lasky in the royal diaries historical fiction series. Dec 30, 2015 marieantoinette has endured centuries of negative press and now, more than 200 years after being guillotined, things are about to get worse as far as the late monarchs reputation is concerned. I love the clothes i bought and enjoyed every minute of the shopping experience.
However, historian evelyn farr claims she has proof the former queen of france had a longterm affair with the swedish diplomat. Drawing on antonia frasers 2001 book, marie is compassionate, altruistic, lonely, devastated by a cold husband and heartless court taking refuge in her beautiful children and many friends. Although interpreting the letters was not an easy task, the historian eventually deciphered the codes. Moira hodgson, the wall street journal dont remember anything about the french revolution from high school. Thats why i was keen to call the book marie antoinette. The national bestseller from the acclaimed author of the wives of henry viii. Edited by fersens sister, the novel focuses on not only his relationship with marie, but fersens entire lifefrom his many romances to his efforts in the american civil war. In her book, evelyn farr reveals the queen of france and her lover often used an elaborate code system and invisible ink in their correspondence to cloak their intimate relationship. Katie daynes has written oodles of books for usborne, from lifting the flaps on germs and poo, through things to spot in the sea and at school, to the life stories of nelson mandela and marie antoinette. Jan 07, 2016 marie antoinettes secret love children revealed in new book marie antoinette and her daughter, in a painting by joseph caraud. Marie antoinette is remembered primarily for her decadence and for her frivolityboth of which foreshadowed her early demise. Tara dodrill marie antoinette s secret love children have been revealed in a new book, i love you madly. The secret letters, the british historian evelyn farr lays bare the queens alleged infidelity. Dec 31, 2015 two of marie antoinette s four children were fathered by her swedish diplomat lover during 20year affair, secret love letters reveal marie antoinette had a 20 year affair with swedish count axel.
She was subsequently found guilty of all charges and executed on october 16, 1793. Here, his affair with marieantoinette is a source of much of the drama of the period, and a driving cause behind the queens aloof behavior. Antonia fraser is the author of many internationally bestselling historical works, including love and louis xiv. Newly decoded letters penned by marieantoinette suggest france s last queen had a torrid affair with a swedish count, amid claims that two of. Many french revolutionaries were ecstatic to bid the extravagant queen. Jan 11, 2016 nine months later, marie antoinette was charged with child molestation, theft, and treason.
There were so many flowers in the gardens of petit. Marie antoinettes gossip guide to the 18th century. May 01, 2007 in a book that is at once the personal chronicle of a major work and a beautiful tribute to the potential of film, featuring elements of the directors own screenplay as well as captivating stills, the directors personal photos, and original designs for costumes and sets, marie antoinette is an essential companion for any lover of modern cinema. Right away i noticed similarities between the book cover and the film marie antoinette starring kirsten dunst. Her name is associated with the decline in the moral authority of the french monarchy in the closing years of the ancien regime. She wrote my first chess book after being taught by her son, joe birks, who became the british under 9 chess champion in 2017. A series of explosive letters that reveal convincing evidence that the children were illegitimate will be published this march for the first time in i love you madly. Stiletto storyline becoming marie antoinette is a well researched and interesting novel. A resolute biographer and a kinder, gentler antoinette. From earliest childhood, mariethereses behavior mirrored her mothers, whether she was donning a miniature version of the. Jan 11, 2016 marie antoinettes secret love children have been revealed in a new book, i love you madly.
It was to be gifted to hans axels lover, maria antonia josepha johanna, better known to the french as marie antoinette. Marie antoinette is her first book to be published in the united states. This is one of those books where youll learn or relearn history effortlessly, as du plessix gray spins the affair of marie antoinette and a swedish count. Two of marie antoinettes four children fathered by her. The journey, published in 2001, also addresses their affair. But despite the grandeur she enjoyed at the royal court of. With this book i got into the head of marie antoinette. Marie antoinette, in a loveless arranged marriage to king louis xvi since the age of 14, conducted the liaison with fersen beginning when she was 18. After all attempts by marie antoinette to put down the resistance failed, the royal family finally planned to escape from paris. People reports that the book, written by historian evelyn farr, contains juicy love. Those of us who remember the illfated queen of france as the indolent and capricious young woman in sofia coppolas marieantoinette will be unsettledand deeply movedby the weary and brave queen of francine du plessix grays the queens lover, which portrays a wizened and seriously depressed marieantoinette in the years before her death. Marie antoinette frederic barbeys book about the exciting.
Evelyn farr is the author of before the deluge, which documents the parisian high life in the years leading up to the revolution. Thats according to a new book, i love you madlymarieantoinette and count fersen. With the help of marie antoinettes lover count fersen, the king and queen and their children boarded a coach to montmedy, near the austriancontrolled netherlands. Sofia coppola on the other hand had complete access to the real versailles, her marie antoinette shining brightly in a pastel laduree macaroon of a film. Below are six life lessons we can learn from her story. The secret letters, offers clues to the split, which ended the nearly 20year affair between the last french queen and diplomat. Apr, 2020 i f these gilded walls could talk of the 700 rooms at the palace of versailles, among the most famous are the queens apartments, which include marie antoinettes private chambers. At the end of the book is a list of source material, a brief timeline of events and an interesting conversation with the author.
882 1151 1439 193 439 471 981 1189 1347 643 1250 328 581 1042 29 206 808 843 1215 1543 1142 668 1061 607 117 160 447 793 333 1081 389