Category: Uncategorised
The princesse de Lamballe
The princesse de Lamballe was Marie Antoinette’s foremost heroine. She returned to France from the safety of London so that Marie Antoinette could have a friend with her in the months before the king was deposed – and the brave woman was slaughtered just weeks after Marie Antoinette’s husband was deposed. Lamballe was by Marie … Read More
Axel von Fersen
“Stay in Paris, then it’ll be easy to reach you. The king of Prussia, with his army, has resolved to make straight for Paris. Stay in Paris.” This was the disastrous advice from Axel von Fersen, Marie Antoinette’s beloved, in the weeks before her palace was stormed and her husband deposed. Marie Antoinette listened to … Read More
Marie Therese, Marie Antoinette’s daughter
Meet Marie Antoinette’s long-forgotten heroes from her imprisonment: Marie Therese, Marie Antoinette’s 14 year old daughter – “I begged Chaumette [the public prosecutor, on his frequent visits to her room in the Temple Tower], to let me rejoin my mother. “That is not my decision,” he answered. For 2 and a half years the 14 … Read More
Duchesse de Tourzel
“Don’t worry, you were kind to us and we’ll stay with you till you’re safe.” These were the words spoken quietly to the brave duchesse de Tourzel, governess to Marie Antoinette’s children, shortly before she was led in to face the dreaded Revolutionary Tribunal. Marie Antoinette’s husband, Louis XVI had been deposed and imprisoned. Tourzel … Read More
Princesse de Tarente
“I’ll stay with her. I’ll keep her right by my side.” These were the words of the brave princesse de Tarente, one of Marie Antoinette’s ladies in waiting. She had turned up to the palace to be with the queen, even although she knew that the revolutionaries had threatened to storm the palace and massacre … Read More
Monsieur Hardi
“Citizens, this young girl has been arrested by mistake. I’m removing her from prison as it’s unfair to permit the innocent to die alongside the guilty.” The duchesse de Tourzel’s daughter was incarcerated in La Force Prison in September 1792, when the mob arrived to slaughter suspected royalists. Monsieur Hardi, a member of the Commune … Read More
Madame Campan
“Insults by day, assassins by night,” so said Marie Antoinette to Madame Campan, her chief maid. A few weeks before Marie Antoinette’s husband, Louis XVI was deposed, Marie Antoinette was working late into the night, writing to her beloved Axel von Fersen (who was in Brussels), and neighbouring powers, pleading with them to proceed as … Read More
Michonis, inspector of prisons
“I am writing to you, my dear child, to tell you I am calm and would be quite at peace if I knew that my poor children were free from anxiety. I love you both with all my heart.” Marie Antoinette had been transferred from the Temple Tower Prison to the Conciergerie Prison, away from … Read More
Pauline de Tourzel
“Will you be able to save my mother’s life, monsieur?” The 17 year old Pauline, daughter of the duchesse de Tourzel (governess to Marie Antoinette’s children) endured agonies when Marie Antoinette’s palace was stormed and she was separated from her mother. She witnessed the slaughter of many courtiers in the palace – many of whom … Read More
Marquis de Lafayette
“Do not ever let yourself fall into the hands of Lafayette!” In the weeks before the people stormed their palace and deposed Marie Antoinette’s husband, various aristocrats, including Lafayette, queued up to offer to escort the royal family safely out of Paris. The revolutionaries had made their plans clear and people were concerned for the … Read More
Father Magnin
“The good Lord has chosen me, in spite of my unworthiness, to fill your soul with His grace.” During her last weeks of life, Marie Antoinette was secretly visited in her cell, in the dead of night, and given Holy Communion – or was she? Some commentators afterwards ridiculed the idea that, at the height … Read More
Rosalie Lamorliere
“Madame, what would you like to eat this morning?” Marie Antoinette had been at court for her trial for two long days. She was only hours from death. Her beautiful young maid Rosalie, in tears, tried to encourage the queen to eat to keep up her strength. The queen tried – but did not succeed
Empress Maria Theresa of Austria (Marie Antoinette’s mother)
“My poor innocent queen.” Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, Marie Antoinette’s mother, was outraged when her 18 year old daughter became queen, and months later, a vile article was published, accusing the innocent young queen of being a nymphomaniac. These articles continued for almost 20 years, right up until the queen’s husband was deposed, with … Read More
Fouquier-Tinville
Fouquier-Tinville, public prosecutor when Marie Antoinette was put on trial. With a face which perfectly suited his occupation! You would cross the road if this man was approaching you on a dark night. You would even cross the road during broad daylight! How did Marie Antoinette feel being interrogated by this man?
Marquis de Mandat
“Your majesties, I have been inspecting our defences.” Mandat was commander of Paris National Guard and as such, on the 10th of August 1792, the day the revolutionaries had threatened to storm Marie Antoinette’s palace, he was busy preparing for the assault. However, shortly afterwards, Mandat was lured from the palace and shot. Then the … Read More
Princess Elisabeth
“Adieu, my good and loving sister. May this letter reach you.” How could we forget princess Elisabeth, Marie Antoinette’s sister in law? These two had often been at loggerheads in the past. There had even been some frostiness at the beginning of their imprisonment, but, as their captivity progressed, and first her husband, then her … Read More