Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette, or Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna was the wife of Louis XVI and
was the last queen of France. She was born on November 2, 1755, at the Hofburg Palace in
Vienna, Austria. She was the 15
th
child between Maria Theresa, who was the empress of
Austria, and Emperor Francis I. She obtained the name of Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna
after her baptism.

She had quite a decent and carefree childhood; however her education was not
excellent. She was educated with a typical requirements and subjects that were required to
aristocratic girls during the period. During that time, men were required to learn about the
subjects related to academic when girls couldnt. She received an education mostly based on
religious and moral principles. Marie Antoinette was mostly educated on her etiquettes, music,
dance, and the way to make up her appearance. However, she was educated on Austrian
history, and spoke fluent Italian, French, and German.

Empress Maria Theresa wished to strengthen the alliance between France and Austria
after Seven Years War ended. When the opportunity appeared, when King Louis XVs son
passed away, leaving his 11 years old son, whos the sole person that would claim the throne.
She engaged Marie Antoinette to Louis, who was the kings grandson. According to the tutor
who was sent by the king to instruct Marie Antoinette, she was intelligent compared to the
education she received, however he belittled her behavior. She was described as rather lazy
and extremely frivolous, and she is hard to teach. She was only a child, but still as a child,
she was a beauty, was gorgeous with her grayish blue eyes and blonde hair. From head to toe,
she was beautiful. She was married to Louis-Auguste on May 16, 1770, however it turned out
to be that she was not prepared for marriage and was not satisfied about it at all.

Louis-Auguste, or Louis XVI rose to succession in 1774, after his grandfather, Louis
XV died and Marie became the queen of the France. She was 19 years old during the
succession. Louis XVI and Marie were two different people. Louis was shy, timid, and
bashful and loved to have time to be alone while Marie was reckless and presumptuous, who
enjoyed spending time with other people. She loved to gamble, party, and enjoyed dressing
up herself with jewelry and clothes. She loved to shop her accessories and clothes too. She
spent the money presumptuously on her dressings.

Marie Antoinettes presumptuous spending was infamous around the people when
France met financial problems and decline of their productivity of their resources. There was
even a rumor about her having an affair with another man, with Swedish diplomat Count
Axel von Fersen. She attained the title of Madame Deficit from people due to her
commitments known and was talked among people of France. The diamond-necklace scandal,
which happened during 1785, haphazardly demolished her last stand of her reputation and
fame. She was also known as unqualified personal advisor of Louis XVI. She was the only
person who was able to make Louis listen to the advise, however, those advises she gave was
not for improvement of the country. It didnt improve the situation but actually worsen the
problem.

However, she was not known for only the bad deeds. Beside from her presumptuous
spending on her appearances, she actually donated money and shared charity to the poor
people, especially the widows. Not only that, she actually adopted orphaned child for her
servants, whoever wanted them.

She fled away from France, to avoid the execution; however she was caught up, and
was moved for her execution along with Louis XVI. She was sent to Guillotine, on October
16, 1793. She was executed several months after Louis XVI was executed. She did plenty of
good deeds toward the people, but due to her great deeds of improper actions she committed,
and also because of the reason that people usually remembers the bad deeds rather than good
deeds that have been committed, her image that was implanted to her mind was not be able to
modified to a good side and she was remembered as a childish, selfish, and improper queen
that people resented.


Maria Antonia Josepha Joanna. (2014). The Biogrphy.com website. Retrieved 02:23, Oct 16,
2014, from http:/www.biography.com/people/marie-antoinette-9398996.