King Louis XVI (1754-1793) and Queen Marie Antoinette (1755-1793)

[Harry's polo shirt]

Royal News Sweden's Crown Princess dresses as Marie Antoninette

http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/royal_family/87022004.htm

[tiaraprin]

Before Marie Antoinette came to the French court, she promised her mother, the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, that she would not receive Madame du Barry, mistress of her grandfather-in-law, Louis XV. This refusal lead to some of the early problems Marie Antoinette faced at the French court. However, this refusal pales in the light of what she did as time went on.

Eventually, pressure was placed on Marie Antoinette to just say one word to Madame du Barry. That one word would recognize Madame du Barry by Marie Antoinette to the court. Marie Antoinette backed down and did ask a simple question one time at a court event. Madame du Barry triumphed.

Madame du Barry was the last important Royal mistress. She died on the guillotine as a victim of the French Revolution in 1793.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madame_du_Barry

Madame du Barry (August 19, 1743 - December 8, 1793) was a courtesan who became the mistress of Louis XV of France.



Madame du Barry


Madame du Barry was born Marie-Jeanne Bécu at Vaucouleurs, Lorraine, France. She was born to poor parents, but relationships with rich men increased her social standing, and in 1769 she became the mistress of Louis XV of France, whose best known mistress Madame de Pompadour had died a few years earlier. She was an enemy of Marie Antoinette's.

Madame du Barry was a light-hearted woman, whose influence stayed limited. After the death of the King she left the court. She was executed by guillotine on the Place de la Concorde in 1793 after a predetermined trial. She became quite hysterical and tried to buy her life back. Her last words to the executioner "Encore un moment, monsieur le bourreau, un petit moment." (Just a moment, executioner, a small moment) were her most famous.

In 2006, she will be portrayed by Asia Argento in Sofia Coppola's biopic Marie-Antoinette

[Harry's polo shirt]

What do you all think of the treatment of her son Louis Charles (King Louis XVII)?

Does anyone know anything about him..all I know is that he died in prison, and in 2000 a body of a boy was proven to be his....??

[Layla1971]

Originally Posted by Harry's polo shirt

What do you all think of the treatment of her son Louis Charles (King Louis XVII)?

Does anyone know anything about him..all I know is that he died in prison, and in 2000 a body of a boy was proven to be his....??

During the French Revolution Prince Louis was imprisoned with his parents.
As the eldest living son of King Louis XVI, he was proclaimed King of France on January 28, 1793 by the declaration of his uncle Louis-Stanislas-Xavier, the Compte de Provence, issued in the city of Hamm, near Dortmund, Westphalia, a territory of the Archbishop of Cologne. The declaration at the time was without authority, since France had become a republic, however when the nation, and European powers accepted Louis-Stanislas-Xavier as Louis XVIII in 1815, they barely recognized Louis XVII's rights.
When the Royal Family was being held in prison in the summer of 1793, he was separated from his mother and sister to prevent a monarchist bid to free him.
He was imprisoned alone a floor below his sister, until his death in June 1795.
He was ironically called a "Capet," the family name that the revolutionaries applied to the French royals, Hugh Capet being the non-royal founder of the ruling dynasty's antecedents. The little boy was set to hard work as a cobbler's assistant and was taught to curse his parents. He was officially reported to have died in the prison from what is today recognized to have been tuberculosis. Reportedly, his body was ravaged by tumors. An autopsy was carried out on the child's frail body at the prison. Following a tradition of preserving royal hearts, his heart was removed by the physician, Philippe-Jean Pelletan, who smuggled it out in a handkerchief and finally preserved it in alcohol. His body was buried in a mass grave

[Harry's polo shirt]

Thanks for the info Layla1971!

I read somewere that while in prison his mother Marie could hear him crying from her cell above his...that is soooo sad!!

[semisquare]

was all of the royal family buried in a mass grave? or was louis treated any differently? and there will be a movie about marie, coming out sometime in 2006.

[Margrethe II]

Originally Posted by semisquare

was all of the royal family buried in a mass grave? or was louis treated any differently? and there will be a movie about marie, coming out sometime in 2006.

The movie, Marie-Antoinette is based on Antonia Fraser's biography of the Austrian Archduchess & Queen Consort of France.

The cast include:

Kirsten Dunst...Marie Anoinette
Jason Schwartzman...Louis XVI
Rip Torn... Louis XV
Judy Davis...Comtesse de Noailles (Australian Actress)
Asia Argento...Madame du Barry
Marianne Faithfull...Maria Theresa
Aurore Clement...La duchesse de Chartres
Guillaume Gallienne...Comte Vergennes
Clementine Poidatz...Comtesse de Provence
Molly Shannon...Anne Victorie
Steve Coogan...Count Mercy d'Argenteau
Jamie Dornan...Axel von Fersen
Rose Byrne...Yolande Martine Gabrielle de Polastron, duchesse de Poligna (Australian Actress)
Shirley Henderson...Aunt Sophie
Jean-Christophe Bouvet...Duc de Choiseul
Filppo Bozotti...Dimitri

I am looking forward to the movie's release very much as Marie Antoinette & the Court of France are two of my major historical interests.

Semisquare,

To which Louis do you referr?


"MII"

[semisquare]

louis the XVII , the son of louis XVI and maria. and wasnt there a louis XVIII that became king after napolean? correct me if i am wrong because i'm not sure.

[tiaraprin]

Originally Posted by semisquare

louis the XVII , the son of louis XVI and maria. and wasnt there a louis XVIII that became king after napolean? correct me if i am wrong because i'm not sure.

That was Louis XVIII, brother of Louis XVI, uncle of Louis XVII. Another brother/uncle was also king, Charles XX.

[Mapple]

Originally Posted by tiaraprin

That was Louis XVIII, brother of Louis XVI, uncle of Louis XVII. Another brother/uncle was also king, Charles XX.

Actually he was Charles X, not Charles XX. :)

[semisquare]

can someone answer my question: okay here it is- before the french revoulation and king & queen lived in versallies. were did their court live? when we tour the palace none of the rooms look like bed rooms.
pls excuse my spelling, its bad and im still trying to improve.

[Toledo]

Anyone saw the Affair of the Necklace ? It was based on the infamous piece of jewelry that became the center of the scandal during the revolution. Hillary Swank plays a member of the deposed Valois family getting involved into a scheme against the Bourbon family.

[Margrethe II]

Originally Posted by semisquare

can someone answer my question: okay here it is- before the french revoulation and king & queen lived in versallies. were did their court live? when we tour the palace none of the rooms look like bed rooms.
pls excuse my spelling, its bad and im still trying to improve.

Hi semisquare,

Your are correct, the Court's primary (main) residence was the Palais or Chateau du Versailles. Wherever the King & Queen where the court would follow as was & is, dictated by tradition.

Apart from those who worked under and for the royal family, other attendants of court did not reside there unless presented with "Grace & Favour" quaters or wings. Versailles was more of a gossip hot spot known for its corrupt alliances and at times, devilish & experimental behaviours (And I am most certainly not refering to HM the Queen Consort Marie-Antoinette or anyone within the royal family for that matter). It was to become, afterall, the most corrupt Court Europe had ever seen and to this day is still known to be so.

"MII"

[semisquare]

for anyone that is intrested, there are pic of the new maria antoinette movie. i dont know if kristen dunset looks like maria antoinette?

[Margrethe II]

Originally Posted by semisquare

for anyone that is intrested, there are pic of the new maria antoinette movie. i dont know if kristen dunset looks like maria antoinette?

Indeed semisquare.

I am most interested to see this picture...are you able to post it?

"MII"

[semisquare]

i am sorry but i cant post the pictures because i dont know how but if u type in maria antoinette 2006 movie. the sites should come up

[mandyy]

New portrait of a princess: A revolution in French thinking
Following the 250th anniversary of her birth and with a Hollywood film on the way, a more balanced view of Marie-Antoinette is emerging. John Lichfield reports.
Marie-Antoinette lives again. The last great queen of France, guillotined in 1793, threatens to make us all lose our heads in 2006. She may rival, or even eclipse, her close contemporary and fellow Austrian, Mozart, as "historical personality" of the year.
Michèle Lorin, the president of the Marie-Antoinette Association in France, confidently predicts that we are about to plunge into a warm bath of "Marie-Antoinette mania".
A much-awaited film on her pampered and troubled life at Versailles, pre-revolution - written and directed by Sofia Coppola with Kirsten Dunst in the starring role - will open this summer...................
http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article341926.ece

[margotantoinette]

At least as far as historical locations are concerned, the film seems like it will be fairly accurate, or as much as it can be in this day and age. They were filming in Versailles and around Paris (the Louvre etc) while I was studying abroad last spring. I got the impression that the French were more or less content with the way most of the historical locations were being portrayed, as well they should be, Versailles was closed off several days a week for filming if my memory serves.

[Vanesa]

Originally Posted by Alicky

I don't remember which said it, but during the Revolution when an aristocrat was being taken away to prison to await his execution, he said: "Make sure that after you cut my head off that you hold it up long enough for the crowd to see. It's worth looking at."

Hi, Alicky:

It was an aristocrat who said that, but a "simple commoner" whose name was ...Georges-Jacques Dantom. However, his sentence was...yes creepy-hilarious.

When Marie-Antoinette herself must go over the scalfold, she accidentally walked over the executioner's feet, so she said very politely: "I beg you to forgive me".

Vanesa.

[Margrethe II]

Originally Posted by Vanesa

When Marie-Antoinette herself must go over the scalfold, she accidentally walked over the executioner's feet, so she said very politely: "I beg you to forgive me".

Vanesa.

Actually, although this statemnt has been under circulation for many, many years,"they" are actually unsure as to whether or not MA did infact step on her executioner's foot and beg his pardon. There is a 50/50 chance that this did or did not happen.

"MII"