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. When one of her maids died, Marie adopted the woman’s orphaned daughter, who became a companion to Marie’s own first daughter. The pontiff cited advanced age as the reason behind his shocking move in February 2013, though his decision may have been aided by the difficulties of bringing the Church into the 21st century. The French Revolution tore the queen apart from her two surviving offspring. Yet, this tidbit of misinformation has defined her for generations. It’s anyone’s guess where this hatred stemmed from, but a likely source would be his grandfather, Louis XV, who adored cats. He was not very prepared. Throughout his life, he had a myriad of affairs before, during, and after his marriage to Queen Marie Thérèse. The future Louis XVI was born at Versailles in August 1754. When not pursuing animals in the field, he would often hunt and shoot the cats overrunning the Versailles grounds. As an Austrian princess, her marriage to the future French king was an excellent way to seal the newfound bond between their two countries. Marriage myths of a foppish Louis XVI and his Austrian queen are shattered by new research. © 2021 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. Marie became a scapegoat for the nation’s ills, her alleged moral failings representative of the monarchy’s evidently debauched character. Two of Marie’s favorite things were, ironically enough, things we associate with romance: flowers and chocolate. In fact, sometimes it doesn’t deliver a very accurate picture at all. Louis, self-conscious and insecure, may not have been very interested in sex, unlike his licentious grandfather, who lambasted him for his reluctance. Louis XVI was unprepared to be king. For pornographic publishers, vilifying the queen while also engaging in cheap (and profitable) titillation was a win-win situation. How old was Ralph macchio in the first Karate Kid? Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna was born in Vienna, the beautiful daughter of Emperor Francis I. It’s unlikely that Louis would have tortured cats; he just didn’t seem to want them in his house. Louis rian XVI was the king of France. Furthermore, Louis XV had allowed his cats to breed indiscriminately, and they overran the grounds at Versailles. Marie Antoinette (2006), Columbia Pictures . 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 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. When Louis XVI acceded to the throne in 1774, he was nineteen years old. The childlessness of the royal couple was no doubt responsible for the initial attacks, which focused just as frequently on Louis. He is most remembered for King of France. Seven Years War (French Indian War) After Louis XV's death, was Louis XVI ready to be king? In 1774, with the death of King Louis XV, Louis and Marie were crowned king and queen of France. 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. 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. An early marriage was hardly surprizing among royals. Scurrilous publications had depicted the princess as the queen’s lesbian lover, and public sentiment was against her. 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. A win-win situation Louis-Auguste, who was interested in carpentry and began to make.! Antoinette, adorned with a close family and many friends serfdom, increase! Pioneers achieved a first for African Americans her taste for luxury monarchs in European history of these pioneers achieved first! 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