What happened to Marie Antoinette’s private apartments in Versailles?
Just how luxurious will be more apparent now that Versailles has reopened Marie Antoinette’s exquisite private apartments after three years of restoration, according to the BBC. On October 6, 1789, months after the French Revolution broke out, Marie Antoinette left these apartments, never to return.
When did Marie Antoinette marry Louis XVI?
Her marriage with the future Louis XVI, celebrated in the Royal Chapel at Versailles on 16 May 1770, was partly the work of the Duke de Choiseul, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and one of the principal architects of the reconciliation between France and Austria.
Who was Marie Antoinette and what did she do?
Queen of France 1755-1793 Described by her brother, Emperor Joseph II, as “honest and lovable,” Marie Antoinette was an Austrian princess and the wife of King Louis XVI. She remains one of the most iconic characters in Versailles’ rich history.
Why visit Marie-Antoinette’s Versailles?
Presentation Marie-Antoinette’s estate, brings a touch of intimacy and of the countryside to Versailles, appreciated by leaders from Louis XIV to Charles De Gaulle, not forgetting the enchanting and legendary Queen Marie-Antoinette herself…
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Is Marie Antoinette in Versailles?
Whether adored or detested, Marie-Antoinette has never ceased to fascinate. The only Queen that ever really reigned over Versailles, she endured its constraints and tedium and took part in its luxury, pleasures and scandals to finally witness, within its walls, the rise of a fledgling Revolution.
What castle did Marie Antoinette live in?
Masterpiece of the Estate of Marie-Antoinette, the Petit Trianon is a castle built in the park of Versailles during Louis XV reign. It was offered by Louis XVI to Marie-Antoinette. It is a three storey square building.
Did Marie Antoinette build Versailles?
Near the Grand Trianon, Marie Antoinette, the queen of Louis XVI, created an estate for herself. She took over a building called the "Petit Trianon" and built a number of structures, including a working farm (also called the "hamlet"), which provided the palace with fresh produce, and a nearby house and small theater.
When did Marie Antoinette leave Versailles?
1789In 1789, faced with a grave financial crisis, the king summoned a meeting of the Estates General at the palace. Later that year, ceding to popular pressure, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette left Versailles for Paris. Both died by the guillotine in 1793.
Where is Marie Antoinette's grave?
Basilica Cathedral of Saint Denis, Saint-Denis, FranceMarie Antoinette / Place of burialBetween the 7th and the 19th century, 43 kings and 32 queens were interred in the Saint-Denis Basilica, and over 70 recumbent effigies and tombs from the 13th to the 16th century can still be found there.
Who lives at Versailles now?
21st century The Palace of Versailles is currently owned by the French state.
Did Nobles pay rent to live Versailles?
There the hotel was theirs (bought or rented ) and when they organized festivities or hold their " own little court " it was up to them to pay of course.
How old was Marie Antoinette when she died?
37 years (1755–1793)Marie Antoinette / Age at death
What happened to Versailles after Louis death?
Following the death of Louis XIV in September 1715, the court abandoned Versailles for Vincennes and transplanted itself briefly to Paris the following December.
Who is the father of the black baby in Versailles?
Nabo (died 1667) was the African court dwarf at the court of King Louis XIV of France. He was a favorite of Queen Maria Theresa of Spain, Louis' wife, who enjoyed his company and played peek-a-boo with him. In 1667, he had an affair with Maria Theresa, resulting in the birth of a black baby.
Are there any French royalty still alive?
France is a Republic, and there's no current royal family recognized by the French state. Still, there are thousands of French citizens who have titles and can trace their lineage back to the French Royal Family and nobility.
Who were the last king and queen to live in Versailles?
The French Revolution was a turning point in the history of both France and the Palace of Versailles. The main royal residence since 1682 and the reign of Louis XIV, the Palace was abandoned by the royal family in 1789.
Is Marie-Antoinette's castle still standing?
Marie Antoinette's Estate is a quiet haven, compared to the crowded Palace of Versailles. It was in Marie Antonette's time, and it still is today. Most of the many visitors to the palace and gardens don't bother coming here.
What was Marie-Antoinette's last words?
Found guilty, she was condemned to death and was guillotined on 16 October 1793. Her last words, after accidentally stepping on the foot of her executioner, were "Pardon, monsieur. I did not do it on purpose" (Fraser, 440). The legacy of Marie Antoinette is of a tragic figure, a victim of her time and circumstance.
How did Marie-Antoinette go to the bathroom?
Though she had what we would consider a 'bathroom', there was no permanent bath fixed into the room. Her bathtub would be rolled into her bathroom by her servants and filled, bucket by bucket, with hot water. Once the linen-lined bathtub was full, the queen would add perfumes to the water.
What was Marie-Antoinette's home called?
The Hameau de la Reine (French pronunciation: [amo də la ʁɛn], The Queen's Hamlet) is a rustic retreat in the park of the Château de Versailles built for Marie Antoinette in 1783 near the Petit Trianon in Yvelines, France.
How to take part in the history of the Palace of Versailles?
Take part in the history of the palace of Versailles by supporting a project that suits you: adopt a linden tree, contribute to the missions of the Palace or participate in the refurnishing of the royal apartments.
Did Marie-Antoinette ever reign over Versailles?
Whether adored or detested, Marie-Antoinette has never ceased to fascinate. The only Queen that ever really reigned over Versailles, she endured its constraints and tedium and took part in its luxury, pleasures and scandals to finally witness, within its walls, the rise of a fledgling Revolution.
Where did Marie Antoinette flee?
With moments to spare, Marie Antoinette fled to the apartments of her son, the Dauphin, before going to the rooms of her husband. The mob, mostly women, gathered in the courtyard and demanded a royal appearance. Marie Antoinette Queen of France with her three eldest children. The King showed himself and said he would go to Paris.
What was Marie Antoinette's hairstyle?
Marie Antoinette wearing the distinctive pouf style coiffure: her own natural hair is extended on the top with an artificial hairpiece. The restoration work concentrated on the gilding, the finishes, using Blanc de Roi paint, and the lighting. Techniques of the 18th century were used whenever possible. Wall fabrics were re-created in the style that ...
What did Louis XVI say to the Duke of Rochefoucauld?
The next morning, Louis XVI said to the Duke of Rochefoucauld, “Is it a revolt?”. The duke answered, ‘No Sire, it is a revolution.”. Conditions soon worsened, and with bread shortages and chaos convulsing Paris, on October 5th, a large crowd marched on the palace of Versailles to confront Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
What happened to the Queen's rooms during the French Revolution?
During the French Revolution, some of the items in the Queen’s rooms were looted. Replacements have been made to approximate what would have been there in the days of Marie Antoinette.
What time did the crowd arrive at the Palace?
The crowd arrived at the Palace at half past midnight, soaked by the rain. At 6 am, having forced open the gate of the Princes’ Courtyard, they crossed the Royal Courtyard and entered the Queen’s Apartments.”. Some of the mob called for the Queen’s death.
Did Marie Antoinette say let them eat cake?
While it’s very much disputed that Marie Antoinette said, “Let them eat cake,” the French queen lived a life of tremendous luxury. Just how luxurious will be more apparent now that Versailles has reopened Marie Antoinette’s exquisite private apartments after three years of restoration, according to the BBC.
When will Marie-Antoinette's palace reopen?
— AFP news agency (@AFP) April 16, 2019.
How old was Marie Antoinette when she was king?
It’s a poignant reminder that Marie Antoinette was only fourteen or fifteen during her reign, which makes her a much more sympathetic character. It also highlights how out of touch the monarchy was in France and how infuriating it must have been to be an actual peasant, being forced to play peasants with a spoiled teenager.
Why did Marie Antoinette build a village?
A bored Marie Antoinette ordered the village to be built as a place for her to relax and play away from the palace. She made peasants dress up as farmers to act in the background, and filled the village with farm animals such as chickens and sheep.
Where did Louis XIV live?
In 1682, in an effort to seal his authority and subjugate his nobles, Louis XIV moved his court permanently to the gilded mega-palace of Versailles. At times over 10,000 royals, aristocrats, government officials, servants and military officers lived in Versailles and its surrounding lodgings.
Why was Louis XV's toilette so bad?
But without a doubt, the most pressing health concern was caused by the dearth of waste disposal options in an era before reliable plumbing. “Feces and urine were everywhere,” Eleanor Herman, author of The Royal Art of Poison, says of royal palaces.
What did the Louvre report say about the Louvre?
A 1675 report offered this assessment of the Louvre Palace in Paris: “On the grand staircases” and “behind the doors and almost everywhere one sees there a mass of excrement, one smells a thousand unbearable stenches caused by calls of nature which everyone goes to do there every day.”.
Why did Henry VIII sleep on a bed?
The king slept on a bed surrounded by furs to keep small creatures and vermin away, and visitors were warned not to “wipe or rub their hands upon none arras [tapestries] of the King’s whereby they might be hurted.”
What forced European monarchs to constantly move their courts?
Filthy residences forced European monarchs to constantly move their courts. In July of 1535, King Henry VIII and his court of over 700 people embarked on an epic official tour. Over the next four months the massive entourage would visit around 30 different royal palaces, aristocratic residences and religious institutions.
Did Henry VIII bathe?
The Western European belief that baths were unhealthy did not help matters, either. Although neat freak Henry VIII bathed often and changed his undershirts daily, he was a royal rarity. Louis XIV is rumored to have bathed twice in his life, as did Queen Isabella of Castile, Herman says. Marie-Antoinette bathed once a month. The 17th century British King James I was said to never bathe, causing the rooms he frequented to be filled with lice.
Was Versailles clean?
Despite its reputation for magnificence, life at Versailles, for both royals and servants, was no cleaner than the s lum-like conditions in many European cities at the time. Women pulled up their skirts up to pee where they stood, while some men urinated off the balustrade in the middle of the royal chapel. According to historian Tony Spawforth, author of Versailles: A Biography of a Palace, Marie-Antoinette was once hit by human waste being thrown out the window as she walked through an interior courtyard.
When did Marie Antoinette get to Versailles?
When Marie Antoinette got to Versailles in the mid-1700s, she took women's fashion to a new level, at the same time that giant hairstyles came into vogue. Now ladies were also expected to get feet of height on their hair, which was achieved through pillows, hair extensions, and lots of ornamentation.
What was the ultimate weapon of Marie Antoinette?
Gossip was the ultimate weapon. Littell's Living Age recorded, "Gossip could not be more rife, or slander more virulent than it was at Versailles." If you wanted to move up in the world, and someone was in your way? Just start a rumor about them, since "cleverly veiled innuendos and graceful insinuations did the work of destroying reputations." Marie Antoinette's dear friend the Princesse de Lamballe – who would stand by the queen until the very end and be literally ripped to pieces by the Paris mob for her loyalty — even fell out of favor for a time because one Madame de Polignac "hinted, ridiculed, and insinuated" until she succeeded in undermining their relationship.
How many toilets did Versailles have?
Versailles was a massive palace of 700 rooms and acres of gardens. And by 1789, the year of the French Revolution, it had just nine flushing toilets. Almost all of them were for the exclusive use of members of the royal family.
Why did the aristocrats fight for royal favor at Versailles?
Wikipedia. Part of the point of bringing all the aristocrats to Versailles in the first place was so they could be on hand to serve the royal family. For women, this meant getting close to and finding favor with the queen.
Why did Louis move his entire court to Versailles?
The idea was for Versailles to be a place where the king could get away from Paris, with its filth and crowded conditions. But the magnificent palace became its own cesspit.
Why did women wear skirts at Versailles?
Since wearing a skirt and riding sidesaddle would make hunting difficult , it was acceptable for women to wear breaches while chasing a poor animal to its death. Hunting was so much a part of life for women at Versailles that many chose to have their portraits painted as if the artist had caught them during a pursuit.
What were the women expected to wear at Versailles?
Dress in France in the Eighteenth Century says women were expected to wear a rigid whalebone corset that was so painful, it took literally days of training before they could stand the agony enough to don one in public. Skirts could be 12 feet in circumference and made of up to 30 yards of fabric. And you couldn't just waddle around under all that weight: Women at Versailles were expected to do a special walk of tiny steps that made it look like they were gliding across the floor.
Who was Marie Antoinette's mother?
Marie Antoinette reported to her mother, the Empress Maria Theresia, soon after her arrival at Versailles in 1770, that her chamber was opened at midday and she did her toilette; that is, put on her rouge and washed her hands, before an audience of courtiers.
When did Marie Antoinette have her first child?
At the delivery of her first child in December 1778 (whatever Joseph advised had evidently worked), Marie Antoinette shared her inner chambers not only with her medical support and the King, but also the extended royal family, prince and princesses of the blood, and those who enjoyed particular honours at court.
What does Wolstencroft argue for Versailles?
Wolstencroft argues for Versailles that “when it comes to history there isn’t one singular truth — we can’t know, it’s all speculation.”. Historians regularly seek multiple perspectives on past events. But this does not make interpretations drawing upon varied, even divergent, viewpoints simply speculation.
When did Catherine de Medici have her first child?
When another dauphine Catherine de Medici delivered her first child in 1544, the king François I not only wanted to know the exact time of day the boy was born, but demanded to see “all that came out with the child,” presumably the placenta and/or umbilical cord.
Who was the Queen of France at 16?
Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria, the later Queen Marie Antoinette of France, at age 16.
Who played Queen Mary Stuart in the reign?
Toby Regbo as King Francis II and Adelaide Kane as Queen Mary Stuart in Reign. CBS Television Studios.
Who played Louis XIV in Capa Drama?
Fornication, fluids and faeces: the intimate life of the French court. Louis XIV (played by George Blagden) cavorts with a young nymph (Alexia Giordano) in Versailles. Capa Drama.