Marie Antoinette

Queen of France

November 2, 1755 The Hofburg, Vienna, Austria

October 16, 1793 Place de la Concorde, Paris, France

Louis XVI of France (m. 1770–1793)

Marie Antoinette was the queen of France and Navarre from 1774 to 1792. She is considered a major historic figure and is said to have been the biggest force in provoking the ‘French Revolution.’ Born as the daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Francis I and Empress Maria Theresa, Marie was married to Louis-Auguste who ascended the throne as Louis XVI of France in 1774. Marie, who became the Dauphine of France upon her marriage, was conferred the title ‘Queen of France and Navarre’ when her husband became the king. When she was newly married into the royal household, the French people adored her for her beauty and charm. However, the public sentiment towards her began to change when she was suspected of harboring sympathy for France’s enemies and for her utter lack of concern for people’s welfare. The public outrage towards the queen increased when her ignorance led to the beginning of the ‘French Revolution’ in 1789. The French public started demanding the monarchy to be brought down. They also demanded a trial in Paris to be faced by the unpopular king and his wife. When the monarchy was overthrown, both the king and the queen were sentenced to death and executed at the guillotine.