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. He himself felt woefully unqualified to resolve the situation. He was not very prepared. 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. In 1746, Louis received the Order of the Golden Fleece from his father-in-law, King Philip V of Spain. All of this slander would be so much hot air if it didn’t have real-life consequences. As king, Louis XVI focused primarily on religious freedom and foreign policy. Yet, this tidbit of misinformation has defined her for generations. Louis was the son of Louis XIII and his Spanish queen, Anne of Austria. Louis rian XVI was the king of France. In 1770, she was finally sent to France for the formal marriage ceremony. Get an intimate look at the king and his wife — the good, the bad and the naughty. Some accounts mention mutilation and sexual violation as part of the attack, although these accounts have been disputed; what is not disputed is that she was beaten and beheaded, her head stuck on a pike and marched around Paris. Unencumbered with learning how to be kingly at a young age, Louis found himself drawn to the solitary pursuits of lock making and carpentry. The story goes that Marie thanked him courteously and then gave it away to one of her attendants. 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. Why don't libraries smell like bookstores? At the time of his birth, Louis was third in line to the throne, behind his father and older brother. 'Satchmo' became an international star known for his jaunty personality and such popular tunes as 'What a Wonderful World' and 'Hello Dolly.' 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 … Some ill-advised policies advanced by Louis did nothing to contradict this point of view. As time went on, however, speculations about the Queen’s love life independent of her husband became rife. Marie Antoinette, adorned with a necklace of her children, mourns the death of her husband. He did, and the betrayal led to the discovery of the iron chest by the ministers seeking to overthrow the king. She paid for his care and supported his family until he was able to work again. 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. 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. Later on, Louis had much worse luck with his old friend from the locksmith shop. A view of the Tapis Vert at Versailles, with the king and Marie Antoinette in the foreground. Louis-Auguste was not a promising specimen. Out for a carriage ride, one of her attendants accidentally ran over a winegrower in the field. 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. Robinson Crusoe was one of his favorite fictional works. 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. Throughout his life, he had a myriad of affairs before, during, and after his marriage to Queen Marie Thérèse. At Metz, near France’s northeastern border, “Cat Wednesday” was a Lenten tradition in which 13 cats in a cage were burned alive in front of a cheering crowd. Louis XVI was 15 years old when he married Marie Antoinette on May 16, 1770. Even before revolutionary fervor took hold of the country, pamphleteers published satirical, often obscene libelles intended to smear the Queen’s reputation. Second marriage. There were over 5,000 guests, and a crowd of 200,000 watched the concluding fireworks display. But in case the bride was too young her mother or another concerned woman took pains to avoid a too early hankypanky. Sun 4 Aug 2002 05.05 EDT. 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. All of this is not to say that Marie Antoinette was not a spendthrift who wasted millions of dollars on unnecessary luxuries, but she was also capable of a Christian kindness that her enemies chose to ignore. Aside from lock making and reading, one of Louis’s greatest passions was hunting. His zodiac sign is Leo. Key Points. Copyright © 2021 Multiply Media, LLC. On 10 May 1774, her husband ascended the throne as Louis XVI and she became queen. She was the last queen of France. 2. Louis’s extensive reading fostered enlightened aims. Marie Antoinette's position at court improved when, after eight years of marriage, she started having children. Together with Louis, Marie gave liberally to charity. 15. As for chocolate, Marie had her own chocolate maker on the premises at Versailles. Marie Antoinette flew out of the carriage to attend personally to the hurt man. 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. In 1770 at age 14, Marie Antoinette married the French dauphin Louis, grandson of Louis XV of France. Since Louis didn’t seem very interested in a vivacious young bride, what exactly was he interested in? fashion and being loved by everyone. She became dauphine of France in May 1770 at age 14 upon her marriage to Louis-Auguste, heir apparent to the French throne. Unlike Louis-Auguste, who had a rather austere upbringing, she was a very social child with a close family and many friends. As the story about the clock makes clear, Louis was not exactly a party animal. How do you Find Free eBooks On-line to Download? About. Two occurrences of that day could be seen as bad omens for the marriage: a big storm, which threatened ominously during the ceremony, and a riot at the fireworks display that resulted in hundreds of people getting trampled. Two of Marie’s favorite things were, ironically enough, things we associate with romance: flowers and chocolate. But his impact was much, more more. They were married on May 16th 1770. What influence does Sikhism have on drinking? 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. The character assassination was effective; upon her death at the guillotine on October 16, 1793, rabid crowds dipped their handkerchiefs in the queen’s blood and cheered when her disembodied head was raised up for view. 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. He ascended the throne in 1774 as Louis XVI. While Marie enjoyed music, dancing, and gambling, Louis’ idea of a pleasant evening was to enjoy a good book by the fireside and retire early. He was married to a Austrian princes named Marie Antonitte . Other examples of her kindness abound. A party girl, she planned and attended innumerable dances, once famously playing a trick on her homebody husband to get out the door sooner. Perhaps we think of the couple’s ostentatious wealth, as exemplified by their palace at Versailles. 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. It’s unlikely that Louis would have tortured cats; he just didn’t seem to want them in his house. 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. Luckily, his wife preferred dogs. Her mother Maria Theresa, acting as queen after the death of the emperor, planned to unite Austria with its former enemy France through marriage. 14 She Got Married At 14. Louis xvi was then 15 years old. When she got older, she ended up marrying the future king of France, Louis XVI. As was the custom, the groom’s grandfather accompanied the … Marie Antoinette married Louis XVI at the age of 14. The childlessness of the royal couple was no doubt responsible for the initial attacks, which focused just as frequently on Louis. Learning Objective. On the big day, Louis donned a suit of silver, and Marie wore a lilac dress dripping with diamonds and pearls. 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. Marriage myths of a foppish Louis XVI and his Austrian queen are shattered by new research. In fact, sometimes it doesn’t deliver a very accurate picture at all. A special tea set was dedicated to the purpose. She liked playing music and dancing and was reportedly very talented at both. Often, the attacks on her took on a very unwholesome hue. The choice is not that surprising for a man who probably wished he were on a desert island at times. Louis was only 16 years old. The royal locksmith, a man named François Gamain, befriended him and taught him how to make locks from scratch. 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. 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. Marie became a scapegoat for the nation’s ills, her alleged moral failings representative of the monarchy’s evidently debauched character. Although it wasn’t the kind of working with his hands that the French may have preferred, what Louis liked to do was work with metal and wood. Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna was born in Vienna, the beautiful daughter of Emperor Francis I. For instance, Marie Antoinette, forever identified with the contemptuous phrase “Let them eat cake,” never actually spoke those words. 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. Marie, who was interested in sex, became increasingly frustrated with this state of affairs. He ascended the throne in 1744. History is made by people – people who have likes and dislikes, who love and hate, who possess virtues as well as flaws. 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. All Rights Reserved. He is most remembered for King of France. Similarly, when an usher and his wife died suddenly, Marie adopted the three children, paying for two girls to enter a convent while the third became a companion for her son Louis-Charles. The reign of Louis XVI, the final Bourbon king of France, was a varied and eventful one, but when we think of him and his queen Marie Antoinette, certain associations inevitably pop into our minds. While Louis was busy making locks and spinning wheels, Marie was indulging her taste for luxury. Their parents had arranged the marriage to solidify an alliance between former enemies Austria and France, and their wedding ceremony took place a day after their meeting. Marie Antoinette. Marie Antoinette was only 14 years old when she married 15-year-old Louis XVI. This was the case for Louis-Auguste, third son of the dauphin of France, grandson of King Louis XV. Louis XVI of France was previously married to Marie Antoinette (1770 - 1793). 0 Thank You. Louis XVI was the grandson of Louis XV.He became Dauphin in 1765 and inherited the throne in 1774 at the age of 20. Seven Years War (French Indian War) After Louis XV's death, was Louis XVI ready to be king? She actually met Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart when he was a seven-year-old child prodigy when she was a kid. Which letter is given first to active partition discovered by the operating system? Louis was a strong student nevertheless, excelling in history and languages. Although Marie Antoinette likely had lovers during her reign (most notably, the Swedish count Axel von Fersen, with whom she exchanged love letters written in an elaborate code), the perversion attributed to her by her detractors was simply more fuel for the fire of hatred intended to weaken the regime. What kinds of things is Marie Antoinette interested in? Louis XIV, the Sun King, was particularly known for his behavior with women. Check out these seven surprising facts about one of the longest-serving monarchs in European history. These drug traffickers live brutally violent and ruthless lives, which are much dirtier than Hollywood could ever depict. Much of this character assassination was simply invented. 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. Louis XVI married to a austrian princess mary antoineete 1 Thank You. 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. Most likely, Antonia would not have been selected to fulfill this duty, but her older, eligible sisters had died from an outbreak of smallpox. Louis XVI - Execution, Marie Antoinette & Children - Biography In the days of the European monarchies, marriage was less a matter of personal inclination than political expediency. While none doubted his intellectual ability to rule France, it was … The power of the press was rarely used for such ignominious ends. Joseph referred to the royals as “two complete blunderers” and didn’t discover any good reason why the sheets remained so cold in the royal bedchamber other than a lack of inclination or, perhaps, a lack of education. She died by the guillotine 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). There are stories that Louis-Auguste may have been scratched by one of these cats as a child. An early marriage was hardly surprizing among royals. Once he accidentally shot a female courtier’s cat, thinking it was one of the feral Versailles cats. 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. 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. Explain the political reasons for the marriage of Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI. 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. She became notorious for her pricey fashions and expensively sculpted hair. 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. Louis XVI married Marie Antoinette (Austrian name was Maria Antonia) on May 16, 1770. Here's a look at some of the key players in the British monarchy — and which ones are closest to wearing the crown themselves. After a show trial, she was marched into the streets and attacked by a violent mob. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette’s marriage confirmed and strengthened the Franco-Austrian alliance, which had many opponents among French elites and commoners. How did Louis XVI(16) treat the people of France and what was his level of preparedness to become the King of France? 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. Not yet 12 years old, she was promised to the future king of France. She became increasingly unpopular among the people, however, with the … 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. When did organ music become associated with baseball? He supported the American Revolution, hoping to weaken the British Empire. READ MORE: What Happened to Marie Antoinette’s Children? One of the most troubling is the fate of Marie’s close friend, the Princess de Lamballe, who was superintendent of the royal household. Versailles. When Louis XVI acceded to the throne in 1774, he was nineteen years old. … In August 1934, the first group of notorious inmates arrived at the Big House on the Bay. For centuries, cats had been regarded as somewhat evil creatures in Europe, and during religious times of the year, they were regularly rounded up, tortured, and killed. Marie warned Louis that Gamain might be untrustworthy, but Louis could not believe that his friend of 20 years would betray him. The Wedding of 14 year old Marie Antoinette to 15 year old Louis Auguste. Not yet 12 years old, she was promised to the future king of France. Although Marie Antoinette was guilty of sins against decorum and exhibited a certain insensitivity to the value of money, she was a person who liked people and bore little resemblance to the cold villain portrayed by her detractors. 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. Each of these pioneers achieved a first for African Americans. A frustrated populace soon blamed the king and the nobility for inaction and revolutionary attitudes began to foment. Governments interested in forming alliances with other countries would as a matter of course attempt to unite their leaders with the offspring of other royalty. What war bankrupted France during Louis XIV's reign? © 2021 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. He succeeded his father on May 14, 1643. She died by the guillotine She was the last queen of France. What are the qualifications of a parliamentary candidate? On May 16, 1770, Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were married at It wasn’t long before Louis became interested in carpentry and began to make furniture. In 1774, with the death of King Louis XV, Louis and Marie were crowned king and queen of France. If his path in life hadn’t been preordained, it seems likely that Louis would have been a simple craftsman rather than a king. The French Revolution tore the queen apart from her two surviving offspring. When one of her maids died, Marie adopted the woman’s orphaned daughter, who became a companion to Marie’s own first daughter. Joseph’s straight talk during his visit seemed to produce results; the couple sent him a thank-you letter and produced four children in relatively quick succession. He had an enormous responsibility, as the government was deeply in debt, and resentment of despotic monarchy was on the rise. When not pursuing animals in the field, he would often hunt and shoot the cats overrunning the Versailles grounds. She was 14 at the time, Louis was 15. How old was Louis XIV when he married? 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. In 1765 and inherited the throne in 1774, with the … future! 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