Archduchess of Austria and Queen of France

Archduchess of Austria and Queen of France

by K.R.J.Tattersall

The future Queen of France was born on All Souls' Day, 2nd November, 1755, in Vienna as the youngest daughter of Maria Theresa and the Emperor Franz Stephan. She was baptised under the names Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna. A glorious future seemed to await the little Archduchess. Not only would she grow up in the bosom of a large and affectionate family, but from the very beginning her mother intended to marry her youngest daughter to the glittering Crown of France. The traditional marriage politics of the Habsburgs would secure her beloved daughter a brilliant position and help guarantee the peace and stability of Europe at the same time.

In view of these intentions, it is surprising that not greater attention was paid to the young Archduchess's education, especially since Maria Antonia exhibited little ability or inclination to concentrate, nor any great desire to apply herself to her studies. Music alone was capable of arousing moderate interest in the young princess. She showed some talent here and even played duets with the young Mozart in the Palace of Schцnbrunn.

In 1769 the much longed for news arrived from Versailles. After tedious and lengthy negotiations, King Louis XV had requested the hand of the Archduchess Maria Antonia for his grandson and heir, the Dauphin Louis-Auguste.

The 14 year old girl, who had hardly been prepared for her new exalted rank, bade farewell to her mother and family in Vienna on 21st April, 1770, and with an impressive bridal train began her fateful journey to the Kingdom of France. She travelled up the River Danube and via Munich and Augsburg, stopping at GÑŒnzburg, Ulm and Freiburg in what was then still Austrian territory. On 7th May, near Strassburg, she was delivered into the hands of her new French homeland. Both at Strassburg itself and at Saverne outside Strassburg she was the guest of Cardinal Louis de Rohan, who would later so damage her reputation in the so-called "Diamond Necklace Affair".

Having once arrived in Versailles, the young and inexperienced Marie Antoinette (as she would be called from now on) easily got into difficulties in a Court full of gossip and intrigue. She was not given by nature to diplomacy and reflection, and in the artificial and pleasure-loving atmosphere of Versailles her personality found hardly any chance for development. Her choice of amusements and occupations remained superficial and frivolous. Her husband, the Dauphin Louis-Auguste, was a shy and rather awkward young man, who remained unable to consummate the marriage for seven years. This fact alone brought a lot of criticism and mockery down on the head of the childless "Austrian woman". Marie Antoinette escaped into a world of amusement. She feared nothing so much as boredom. With her two brothers-in-law as companions, she dedicated herself to the theatre, to balls and to card games.

In 1774 the old King died, and the Dauphin acceded to the throne of France as Louis XVI. The young princess was now Queen of France.

The Empress Maria Theresa back in Vienna knew her daughter well, and she was apprehensive that Marie Antoinette should have to bear the burden of a crown so early in life. In a series of letters full of advice and admonitions, the mother tried to guide her daughter along the right paths, but Marie Antoinette was interested only in fashion, with its currently elaborate and absurd hair-styles. Her extravagant life style and the enormous sums spent on her pleasure palace of "Le Petit Trianon" in the park of Versailles brought her increasing criticism.

The notorious "Diamond Necklace Affair" is indicative of the loss of respect and popularity that Marie Antoinette was to undergo. In 1785 the ambitious Cardinal de Rohan fell into the clutches of a confidence trickster called Jeanne de la Motte. Having lost favour years before, the worldly prelate was desperately seeking a means of regaining the good graces of the Queen. Jeanne convinced him that Marie Antoinette wanted him to purchase for her a fabulous necklace made of 647 diamonds. The gullible cardinal proceeded to acquire the necklace, believing he was acting on behalf of his Queen. Jeanne took charge of the diamonds as the Queen's "go-between", and her husband smuggled them off to England to be sold. When the expected payment for the necklace failed to materialise, the jeweller took his claim directly to the Queen in Versailles.

Marie Antoinette was horrified. She saw in it a plot to bring further discredit upon her and she demanded that the Cardinal de Rohan be made to stand trial. Although Jeanne de la Motte was convicted, the cardinal was acquitted by the Parlement of Paris. This was openly celebrated as a victory over the "Austrian woman", because most people believed that the extravagant and unpopular Queen simply must be behind the matter somehow or other.

Meanwhile conditions in France had been deteriorating badly. Discontent stalked the land. The government was weak. The royal treasury was empty. By 1789 the state was bankrupt and Louis XVI had no choice but to summon a meeting of the Estates-General. The members of the Estates-General, however, refused simply to vote taxes as requied. They swore