However, these aims were blocked at every juncture by a hostile aristocracy desperate to preserve the social structure in France and irritated that their money was funding foreign wars. Her favorite form of chocolate was in liquid form; she’d begin every day with a hot cup of chocolate with whipped cream, often enhanced by orange blossom. Or, maybe we recall their blasé attitude towards the working poor, as reflected in Marie Antoinette’s famous quip, “Let them eat cake.” Some of us may think immediately of the grim machine responsible for the royal couple’s untimely end, the guillotine. There were over 5,000 guests, and a crowd of 200,000 watched the concluding fireworks display. He is most remembered for King of France. She died by the guillotine A special tea set was dedicated to the purpose. Louis rian XVI was the king of France. Marie Antoinette married Louis XVI at the age of 14. She was the last queen of France. Two of Marie’s favorite things were, ironically enough, things we associate with romance: flowers and chocolate. This historical shorthand may be the best we can do when we’re trying to absorb the whole of human history, but it doesn’t present us with a very well-rounded picture of an era or its important actors. Marie Antoinette (2006), Columbia Pictures . Together with Louis, Marie gave liberally to charity. He crafted her a spinning wheel, a considerate present for a clotheshorse like Marie Antoinette, who averaged over 200 new dresses per year. A party girl, she planned and attended innumerable dances, once famously playing a trick on her homebody husband to get out the door sooner. Louis xvi was then 15 years old. Several reasons have been proposed for the fact that the marriage went unconsummated for seven years. Maria Antonia (1755 – 1793), commonly known as Marie Antoinette, was born in Vienna as the youngest daughter of … Versailles. Louis XVI - Execution, Marie Antoinette & Children - Biography In 1746, Louis received the Order of the Golden Fleece from his father-in-law, King Philip V of Spain. Louis was only 16 years old. History is made by people – people who have likes and dislikes, who love and hate, who possess virtues as well as flaws. When not pursuing animals in the field, he would often hunt and shoot the cats overrunning the Versailles grounds. An early marriage was hardly surprizing among royals. 15. Who is Louis XVI's wife? A marriage between the two royal houses had been planned since the early 1760s, but only came about in 1770. In 1770, she was finally sent to France for the formal marriage ceremony. King Louis XVI of France was 38 years old when he died. On the other hand, being king allowed Louis to explore his interests on an extravagant level, given that the palace at Versailles was his playground. At the age of four years and eight months, he was, according to the laws of the kingdom, not only the master but the owner of the bodies and property … During the famine of 1787, she sold the royal flatware to provide grain for struggling families, and the royal family ate cheaper grain so there would be more food to go around. In the case of the royal couple, a long night stretched into seven years, a situation that not only personally distressed the members of the royal household, but which in time became a political liability. How did Louis XVI(16) treat the people of France and what was his level of preparedness to become the King of France? Such personal indulgences no doubt added fire to the ire of the revolutionaries. Marie became a scapegoat for the nation’s ills, her alleged moral failings representative of the monarchy’s evidently debauched character. All of this slander would be so much hot air if it didn’t have real-life consequences. However, the French people hardly the union considered something to celebrate. For pornographic publishers, vilifying the queen while also engaging in cheap (and profitable) titillation was a win-win situation. Unencumbered with learning how to be kingly at a young age, Louis found himself drawn to the solitary pursuits of lock making and carpentry. On May 16, 1770, Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were married at Louis was born on August 23, 1754 in Versailles to parents Louis, the... See full answer below. There are stories that Louis-Auguste may have been scratched by one of these cats as a child. Much of this character assassination was simply invented. Unlike Marie, whose education was spotty, Louis was well-educated and continued to be interested in learning once he became king. Because of this, the young prince was sidelined and not trained for royal duties. Wedding Night Jitters. He had an enormous responsibility, as the government was deeply in debt, and resentment of despotic monarchy was on the rise. He grieved intensely at the loss of his wife, but his responsibility to provide for the succession to the French crown required he marry again quickly. Louis XVI married to a austrian princess mary antoineete 1 Thank You. While Louis was busy making locks and spinning wheels, Marie was indulging her taste for luxury. On 10 May 1774, her husband ascended the throne as Louis XVI and she became queen. Marriage myths of a foppish Louis XVI and his Austrian queen are shattered by new research. He succeeded his father on May 14, 1643. At Versailles, Louis, the French dauphin, marries Marie Antoinette, the daughter of Austrian Archduchess Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I. France hoped their marriage would strengthen its alliance with Austria, its longtime enemy. Louis was the son of Louis XIII and his Spanish queen, Anne of Austria. Louis was a strong student nevertheless, excelling in history and languages. After a show trial, she was marched into the streets and attacked by a violent mob. As was the custom, the groom’s grandfather accompanied the … On the big day, Louis donned a suit of silver, and Marie wore a lilac dress dripping with diamonds and pearls. Marie Antoinette. Her mother Maria Theresa, acting as queen after the death of the emperor, planned to unite Austria with its former enemy France through marriage. He was very young when he got the leadership of being a king passed down to him, and he did not really know how to do his job correctly. When one of her maids died, Marie adopted the woman’s orphaned daughter, who became a companion to Marie’s own first daughter. This brother died young, however, and Louis-Auguste the loner was thrust into a public role as the heir apparent to the throne. He advocated the abolition of serfdom, an increase in religious tolerance, and fewer taxes on the poor. His zodiac sign is Leo. We take a look at a few of the most notorious. Louis XVI of France was previously married to Marie Antoinette (1770 - 1793). Copyright © 2021 Multiply Media, LLC. Key Points. It wasn’t long before Louis became interested in carpentry and began to make furniture. Explain the political reasons for the marriage of Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI. Marie Antoinette was 14 years of age; Louis XVI was Louis usually went to bed at 11 p.m., so the mischievous Marie set the clocks back so that he went to bed earlier without realizing it. Louis XIV, the Sun King, was particularly known for his behavior with women. French Royal Louis XVI of France was born Louis Auguste de France on 23rd August, 1754 in Palace of Versailles, France and passed away on 21st Jan 1793 Paris, France aged 38. It’s anyone’s guess where this hatred stemmed from, but a likely source would be his grandfather, Louis XV, who adored cats. As an Austrian princess, her marriage to the future French king was an excellent way to seal the newfound bond between their two countries. Louis XVI came down from his horse carriage and was greeted by the headsman, Charles-Henri Sanson. Seven Years War (French Indian War) After Louis XV's death, was Louis XVI ready to be king? For a king who tried very hard to be popular and fair, asserting more than once that he “wanted to be loved” by the people, this development was dismaying. Marie warned Louis that Gamain might be untrustworthy, but Louis could not believe that his friend of 20 years would betray him. His grandfather, the king, considered him “ungainly” and “dimwitted”; kinder appraisers regarded him as shy and withdrawn, living in the shadow of an attractive older brother being groomed for the crown. Raised by her family in a homespun manner, often helping out with chores and playing with “common” children, Marie nonetheless took to the role of queen with gusto. Learning Objective. Perhaps we think of the couple’s ostentatious wealth, as exemplified by their palace at Versailles. If his path in life hadn’t been preordained, it seems likely that Louis would have been a simple craftsman rather than a king. Nervous about the revolutionary fervor bubbling up in France, Louis asked Gamain to craft an iron chest with a special lock to protect important papers. She became notorious for her pricey fashions and expensively sculpted hair. He supported the American Revolution, hoping to weaken the British Empire. Since they were more or less children at the time, we would not be surprised today that nothing much happened at first when Louis and Marie were thrust together. All Rights Reserved. Marie was especially fond of children, possibly because she had been childless for so long, and she adopted a number of children during her reign. Louis-Auguste was not a promising specimen. … Louis became a married man early—in 1770 he married Marie Antoinette, his 14-year-old second cousin once removed, when he was just 15 himself. Marriages often took place by proxy in those days; Maria Antonia was married to Louis in 1768, without having met him (her brother stood in). Louis XVI (23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the King of France from 1774 until 1792, when the monarchy was abolished during the French Revolution.His overthrow and execution ended a monarchy that was over 1,000 years old, although he was not the last French king.. Louis came from the House of Bourbon.He became the king at the age of 20, after the death of his grandfather Louis XV. Second marriage. The future king always knew he had to find a wife, but his search for a suitable partner took years. She was 14 at the time, Louis was 15. How do you Find Free eBooks On-line to Download? Scurrilous publications had depicted the princess as the queen’s lesbian lover, and public sentiment was against her. Not yet 12 years old, she was promised to the future king of France. By this time, Gamain had secretly joined the revolutionary cause. 'Satchmo' became an international star known for his jaunty personality and such popular tunes as 'What a Wonderful World' and 'Hello Dolly.' He ascended the throne in 1744. She paid for his care and supported his family until he was able to work again. For instance, Marie Antoinette, forever identified with the contemptuous phrase “Let them eat cake,” never actually spoke those words. Always somewhat unpopular in France owing to her provenance (the French and Austrians had disliked each other for hundreds of years), Marie Antoinette was one of the most attacked public figures in the history of France. Some accounts say that the head was tauntingly raised up so that Marie could view it from her cell in the Temple tower, where she was imprisoned. As for chocolate, Marie had her own chocolate maker on the premises at Versailles. Even before revolutionary fervor took hold of the country, pamphleteers published satirical, often obscene libelles intended to smear the Queen’s reputation. Kings and queens, living on a large stage, experience more spectacular successes and more dramatic failures than most of us, but ultimately they are just people. A frustrated populace soon blamed the king and the nobility for inaction and revolutionary attitudes began to foment. 0 Thank You. Marie Antoinette was only 14 years old when she married 15-year-old Louis XVI. Although he was generally a fair and gentle man, Louis XVI did bear some hatred in his heart for one particular race of creatures: cats. Throughout his life, he had a myriad of affairs before, during, and after his marriage to Queen Marie Thérèse. 15. Some wags wondered if the children were Louis’s, given Marie’s almost understandable interest in other men at court, but no one was able to prove otherwise. Yet, this tidbit of misinformation has defined her for generations. He was married to a Austrian princes named Marie Antonitte . She established a home for unwed mothers; patronized the Maison Philanthropique, a society for the aged, widowed, and blind; and made frequent visits to poor families, giving them food and money. Marie Antoinette flew out of the carriage to attend personally to the hurt man. Get an intimate look at the king and his wife — the good, the bad and the naughty. Some ill-advised policies advanced by Louis did nothing to contradict this point of view. 2. Most strikingly, she baptized and took into her care a Senegalese boy presented to her as a gift, who normally would have been pressed into service. She actually met Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart when he was a seven-year-old child prodigy when she was a kid. The long delay had done damage to Louis’ reputation as king, however, with some critics contending that a man who could not perform on a personal level was likely to be just as ineffective as a leader. Unlike Louis-Auguste, who had a rather austere upbringing, she was a very social child with a close family and many friends. Although he no doubt read the philosophy and political thinking that was current, he was a big fan of history and even read fiction. The childlessness of the royal couple was no doubt responsible for the initial attacks, which focused just as frequently on Louis. What war bankrupted France during Louis XIV's reign? What influence does Sikhism have on drinking? When did organ music become associated with baseball? Other examples of her kindness abound. Not yet 12 years old, she was promised to the future king of France. Louis XVI had one of the most impressive personal libraries of his day, almost 8,000 carefully arranged volumes of bound leather. Often, the attacks on her took on a very unwholesome hue. Marie, who was interested in sex, became increasingly frustrated with this state of affairs. Furthermore, Louis XV had allowed his cats to breed indiscriminately, and they overran the grounds at Versailles. He did, and the betrayal led to the discovery of the iron chest by the ministers seeking to overthrow the king. Political pamphleteers of the day did much to deride Marie Antoinette for her profligate spending habits, nicknaming her “Madame Déficit.” They often portrayed her as an ignorant woman who treated her social inferiors with disregard at best and contempt at worst. This tradition came to an end during Louis’s lifetime. It should be noted in Louis’s defense that household cats were not as common in the 18th century as they are now, and his distaste for them was not unusual. Her mother eventually sent Marie’s brother Joseph to town to find out what the problem was. She became dauphine of France in May 1770 at age 14 upon her marriage to Louis-Auguste, heir apparent to the French throne. Chocolate was still largely a luxury item in 18th century France, so a steady diet of chocolate was the kind of luxury only available to a queen. 1. louis XVI was from the nourbon family of kings who ascended the throne of the france in 1774 2.He was 20 year old when he got married to the Austrian princess marie antionette 3.under Louis XVI ,france helped the thirteen American colonies to gain their independence from the common enemy ,britain 1 Thank You. She died by the guillotine She was the last queen of France. But his impact was much, more more. As time went on, however, speculations about the Queen’s love life independent of her husband became rife. Today, on the anniversary of King Louis XVI's execution in 1793, we spotlight some facts about him and his wife Marie Antoinette that may help to add a human dimension to our understanding of these often maligned historical figures. The royal locksmith, a man named François Gamain, befriended him and taught him how to make locks from scratch. Out for a carriage ride, one of her attendants accidentally ran over a winegrower in the field. Louis XVI was unprepared to be king. It wasn’t the first time she and Louis picked up the bill; they even took financial care of the families hurt in the stampede on their wedding day. Louis XIV was 15 years old at the time of his coronation in 1654, but he did not wield absolute power over France until seven years later when Mazarin died. But in case the bride was too young her mother or another concerned woman took pains to avoid a too early hankypanky. One of the most troubling is the fate of Marie’s close friend, the Princess de Lamballe, who was superintendent of the royal household. Louis’s extensive reading fostered enlightened aims. In fact, sometimes it doesn’t deliver a very accurate picture at all. Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna was born in Vienna, the beautiful daughter of Emperor Francis I. Louis XVI married Marie Antoinette (Austrian name was Maria Antonia) on May 16, 1770. At various times, Marie was accused of sleeping with her brother-in-law, generals of the army, other women (apparently, women of Austrian background were considered by many French to be inclined towards lesbianism), and even her son. As king, Louis XVI focused primarily on religious freedom and foreign policy. The abolition of serfdom, an increase in religious tolerance, and fewer taxes on the rise scratched... 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