Marie-Antoinette, family and childhood part 4

Marie-Antoinette, unlike Louis-Auguste (aka Louis XVI) grew up in a happy surrounding where she blossomed like the prettiest rose. She played a lot, with her sisters and friends, but didn't care much for her education and disliked studying. Her governess Mrs Brandeis was a bit too lenient towards her: she adored the little princess and sometimes, did her homework. For example, with a pencil the governess would write said homework/lesson and with ink, MA would retrace the formerly written letters. Marie-Thérèse, of course, got rid of this overobliging lady to replace her by a woman MA would never quite accept.

Nonetheless, she danced a lot since many opportunities were given to her for such an activity. Dancing became one of her favourite leisures, every biography attests this. She was already much graceful, even more when French teachers would have her learn how to maintain herself before going to France.
From these lessons, she became the woman who walked the best (i.e: the most prettily), according to her portraitist Vigée-Lebrun and other contemporaries. (Some people said when she walked, it was as though she was sliding instead making steps. It must have been something amazing to see...but it also reminds me of, um, ghosts).

 (This painting is now at her castle Petit Trianon, I had the opportunity to take it in picture. She's on the very right).

To come back to dance -and singing etc.- the empress wanted her children to participate in feasts and celebrations, the earliest possible. That is why it was such an important part for MA when she lived in Versailles.

In one of her biographies, her big brother Joseph was said to tease her a lot while her big sister Marie-Christine made all her sisters jealous since she was her mother's favourite (born on the same day etc.).

Her upbringing could be seen as a "bourgeois" one. The family was rather close despite the mother being very busy and able to spend several days without visiting her children.

Nonetheless, in spite of the lack of sturdy education, MA received a strict and deep religious and moral education. This made her a rather prude woman who, although she liked to flirt, stayed cold and distant with most of her young male admirers. This point is very important because it somewhat blurs the exact nature of Marie-Antoinette and Fersen's relationship... (This "relationship" remains quite controversial...Were they lovers? Countless debates about this haven't definitely given a clear conclusion. There may have been strong feelings between them but did they do more? Not easy to answer...)

At the Vienna's court, people spoke several languages as expected from the highest classes. MA could speak German of course, but also a little bit of Italian and French. As she grew up, her mother wanted her to speak a better French so that she could honour the French court and her new family. And bring pride to her Austrian family.

(A part of the family during Christmas: Christine on the left side, probably Ferdinand before her crying because he didn't get good presents, an obviously happy MA showing a new doll, her mother in blue standing behind the father's armchair and Maximilien sitting on the carpet, tasting cakes). 

Marie-Antoinette, childhood and family part 3

(wikipedia pictures)

Marie-Antoinette lived a happy childhood, with her big family in their fairy tale's castles, Hofburg and Schönbrunn in particular. She may have also known Laxenburg and other castles since she had friends who didn't belong to her royal family. For example, she remained friends with Louise and Charlotte von Hesse-Darmstadt until death did them apart.

However, her best friend was her sister Marie-Caroline. They played and laughed together, confided in each other, shared many experiences at the same time and were nearly treated as twins. All her life Marie-Antoinette would look for a similar relationship once an adult, in the cruel and suffocating place that Versailles was...

From her childhood, people acknowledged her grace, her charm and lovely manners. She knew how to attract people, how to put them at ease. Among her favourite "hobbies", there was dancing, which added to her overall grace, since ability in dancing was considered as a real plus for a woman.

She had a great heart, as the anecdote linking her and Mozart testifies it: both children, he tripped while running and fell on the floor. Everyone laughed but only Antoine (as MA was called as a child) came to help him. No wonder he wanted to marry with the delicate princess.

Nonetheless, she had flaws naturally, and her education and upbringing encouraged them to grow, to her biggest misfortunes later in life.

Since her parents were both very busy, mainly her mother with her imperial duties, Marie-Antoinette's education was so neglected that she had a hard time trying to concentrate and study. Most people who had accompanied her her whole life couldn't deny how difficult it was to put her at work and have her focus on some serious problems. Mercy-Argenteau, ambassador of Austria in the French court, had lamented several times about the queen's lack of concentration. Her French “teacher”, Vermond, found another way to make her learn a better French and more about her future family. He was one of the first persons who did perceive Marie-Antoinette's intelligence (she was a clever woman despite how much people liked to insult her and treat her like a stupid queen). To make the princess learn, he had to amuse her with stories, anecdotes etc., which, with hindsight, can be an excellent way to help to remember things.

Another problem in the imperial family: personal hygiene was discouraged.

Except for washing hands and face, water was feared and used with caution and parsimony. This bad habit was something MA brought to Versailles in the first months of her life over there. In a letter, Mercy wrote about the fact she neglected her teeth. It seemed then only later when she started to bloom as a woman MA would start to enjoy baths.

For the moment, she was still an archduchess surrounded by her family's affection and warmth. What's more, while her mother started to make projects to send her in the most beautiful kingdom in the world, Marie-Antoinette was promised to have the brightest future ever. It probably gave her the impression to be the elected among all her mother's children as she would later state in a letter to her. 

Marie Antoinette, childhood and family part 2

 Left: Leopold (1747-1792) and right: Joseph (1741-1790). Both became emperors, Joseph after his father's death (co-ruled with his mother) and Leopold after Joseph's death.
Joseph became MA's closest brother when she became a queen. He was the only one she received two visits from at Versailles. He's said to have helped Louis XVI and his wife to overcome their marital problems and to become fully husband and wife. Thanks to his advice, Louis XVI and MA had their first child a few months after his departure.

Ferdinand-Karl (1754-1806)

Maximilien (1756-1801). He visited Versailles and his sister but disappointed many people who called him 'Archibête' (pun pen, 'so stupid'). But as kids they got along a lot, and they were games comrades.

Both Leopold and Ferdinand had many children. Poor Joseph, he was deeply in love with his first wife, Isabelle. Unfortunately for him, she respected him but wasn't in love with him. She seemed to have felt a stronger affection for his sister Marie-Christine, on the other hand. When she died, he was terribly affected. He didn't succeed in loving his second wife who died a sad princess. His two daughters, from his first wife, died while they were still children. These losses really cost him a lot emotionally. So he really was a sensitive man; in the end, he never tried to remarry since marriage failed him twice. A rumour says, however, that he had been interested in Marie-Elisabeth, Louis XVI's young sister. Had such a surprising marriage happened, the princess would have probably known a happier ending.

Superb Eva Green!

She's been one of my favourite actresses out there since Casino Royale where she played the popular Vesper Lynd, James Bond's first true love!
What I could say about her is that...she loves to play different roles, women etc. All of them have always a dark side, a twisted relationship with their partners, some secrets to protect etc. Eva Green really tries to choose three-dimensional characters with a lot depth in their psychology.

I only listed the films I've seen since-gloops!- I still have to watch The Dreamers etc..

Cracks, 2009. My favourite film among all of hers. She's terrific as Miss G, a school teacher obsessed with a foreign princess-like student (Fiamma, played by Maria Valverde).

 James Bond, as Vesper Lynd. Seriously, she was amazing in her elegant outfits, her haute-couture dresses and her haughtiness. First film I saw of her! I found out Vesper was the favourite James Bond Girl of many people.

 Dark Shadows, 2012. I saw the film this year, and I really appreciate it, mostly with the tale of how the curse started because of Angélique Bouchard's craziness over Johnny Depp's character. It has to be noticed that it's the first time we can see Eva as a blond woman (her real hair colour).

 Womb. Seriously, this film...scared me. It was well-done enough, and the story doesn't let the watcher indifferent. However, I had shivers run down my spine. I bet the film isn't to make you feel at ease. Once again, Eva Green plays an "outsider" (Rebecca), a woman completely different from the others and who's forever haunted by her first love.

 Kingdom of Heaven. She played Sybil, the hero's love interest played by Orlando Bloom. The chemistry between the two actors does transmit on screen, and Eva had the most gorgeous blue eyes!

 

The Golden Compass  where she played a witch. I don't really remember her performance since I haven't seen the film for a very long time. Though, the role suits her fine, since she has that kind of mysterious charm that film directors seem to love about her.

You probably wonder why I'm speaking of Eva Green in a blog dedicated to Marie-Antoinette and other historical characters mainly. Well, the answer is simple: Benoît Jacquot, film director of Farewell, My Queen (original title: Les Adieux à La Reine from Chantal Thomas' novel), 2012, first wanted Eva Green to play Marie Antoinette!! How great it would have been.

Unfortunately, it turned out differently. In an interview in French, he explains: "I had first thought about Eva Green, an actress I like very much, to play the Queen linked in an organic way to the image of the "Foreigner", the "Austrian", but Eva had to go shoot a film by Tim Burton."

In the end, German-born Diane Kruger was chosen to play the unhappy queen.

A slight resemblance with Versailles no Bara (Lady Oscar)'s Marie-Antoinette, no? ;)









Honestly, I wonder how the film would have looked like with Eva Green playing the Queen. I haven't seen Diane Kruger's performance yet so I can't really judge her work (I appreciated her in Inglorious Basterds). But with Eva's acting skills, the fact she's a natural blond (a dark blond) so she could pull of the blond locks, and that she already played a mother (though...a very scary one) and her obvious interest in playing characters with deep psychology, I'm sure her performance would have been a success, too.

Nevertheless I think she could play Empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary as well. At least, to me, they're very, very much look alike. People, give her a new dark, twisted Sissi-scenario as soon as possible!

Marie Antoinette, childhood and family part 1

* I write the name in the French version*

The least we can say about Marie-Antoinette was how happy she was as a child, surrounded by a numerous family, in a relative freedom (compared to the Versailles Etiquette), protected by lovely parents.

When she was born, she already had 9 big sisters [two died as children, the 1rst daughter whose name 'Marie-Elisabeth' will be given to the fourth daughter; and the 6th daughter, whose name was 'Marie Caroline'. Her name too was given after her death to another sister]. And also 5 brothers; two of them became Emperors after their mother's death.

Here are the sisters:

 Marie-Anne (or Marianne, I've read this version several times), (1738-1789). She was handicapped, so her parents didn't marry her. In the end she became an abbess.

 Marie-Christine (1742-1798). She was the favourite of Empress Marie-Thérèse. Intelligent, determined, she succeeded in marrying the man she loved (Albert of Saxe) after her father's death. Marie-Antoinette never got along with her and probably most of her siblings felt immensely jealous of her. Her brother Joseph did, too, since his wife, Isabelle (grand-daughter of king Louis XV) adored Marie-Christine and might have favoured her companionship.

 Marie-Elisabeth (1743-1808). As it can be pointed out, she lived one of the longest lives among all relatives. Her beauty was acknowledged everywhere, and she was terribly proud of it, to the extent of becoming vain enough about it. Her mother said that a compliment, even though said by either commoners or nobles, made her extremely happy. Unfortunately she got sick and the illness disfigured her. She therefore never married and became an abbess, too.

 Marie-Amélie (1746-1804). Pretty enough, she was also popular with the people. Nevertheless, it seems she suffered between Marie Christine being the favourite and noticeable for being intelligent, and Marie-Elisabeth, reknown for her beauty. Amélie hoped to marry a man she loved; however her parents refused since her lover at the time was considered too inferior in rank for her. Sent to Parma to marry a young king, Ferdinand, she got many children and lived an independent life enough. Moreover, Marie-Thérèse's every first grand-daughter was to be named Marie-Therese,too. But Amélie refused, which was a sign of her independence. She got along very well with Marie Antoinette.

 Marie Jeanne Gabrielle (1750-1762).

 Marie-Joséphine (1751-1767). The pretty princess was to marry the king of Naples but she died of smallpox before her departure. Her death was probably highly grieved since her family really appreciated her soft personality. It seems she hugged her little sister Marie-Antoinette before her death because she felt she would soon join all her already dead relatives.

Marie-Caroline (1752-1814). It's essential I think to acknowledge the extraordinary life this 9th daughter was destined to, like Marie-Antoinette. Marie-Caroline had a very strong personality, and her own mother noticed that the both of them were very alike. She was Marie-Antoinette's best confident. Like most of her sisters, she didn't choose her husband and ended up with a man she didn't love at all. The first years of marriage were difficult for her but she did manage to have many children, with her husband, king of Naple. There, she succeeded in developping her new kingdom and to direct it, getting an interest in politics. Marie-Antoinette's execution made her dislike the Revolution ideas and even France, the country she saw as the murderer of her beloved sister. She is Napoléon II's great-grand-mother.

And at last: 

Marie-Antoinette (1755-1793). She was supposed to be the happiest but her life turned out a hell. Many conjectures can be presented, be it political, educational, hazardous etc. to explain why her life turned out the way it had become. Seen as a big criminal by many revolutionaries at the time of her execution, it seems her innocence is now acknowledged and proved.
Her incredible life, with its plethora of ups and downs, the constrast between the beginning of her life in France and how it ended up, her bright personality, her quest for freedom and intimacy, had triggered a passion for her; and among all the sisters, she's probably the best known, the most popular and documented on.

TBC

Documentation from wikipedia and personal knowledge about the family.

Marie Antoinette's Birth

Marie Antoinette of Habsbourg-Lorraine was born on 2^nd, November 1755 to Austrian Empress Maria-Theresa and her husband, Consort Emperor Francis I of Lorraine. She's the little sister of many big brothers and sisters (more than 10) already: indeed, the marriage between her parents was a marriage of love, and Empress Maria-Theresa saw her generous offspring as incredible political tools. Why so? Because it is a way to furnish many potential wives to other European crowns and assure her power and strength outside her own empire. That way, her children assured the extension of her influence.

 (Marie Antoinette is the smallest one, in the craddle)

However, this “hunger” for control and power will lead the poor Marie Antoinette-future French queen- to an inexorable tragic destiny.

Since her birth, the little archduchess with big blue eyes (“à fleur de tête”) had seemed to be overshadowed by pessimistic signs.

2^nd, November: two days after All Souls' Day.

The day before her birth: a terrible earthquake ravaged Lisbon, capitol of Portugal, and its queen and king became Marie Antoinette's godmother and godfather.

What's more, her education was highly neglected, throughout her childhood and even a few years before her marriage to Dauphin Louis-Auguste! At 12 years-old, MA could barely read and write!

This neglect can be seen, today, as one of Marie Antoinette's downfall causes (I'll be back about it later). She never learnt to concentrate, neither making an effort.

Her mother grew superstitious some time before her last daughter go to France. Some medium/fortune-teller or religious man (can't really remember) said: “there's a cross for everybody” when the Empress asked him about her daughter's future in France.

(Marie Antoinette as a baby. Her features are already quite noticeable: big blue eyes, strong nose)

Nevertheless, when the healthy baby girl was born, all those dark thoughts were not hovering over the family yet. Indeed, the people respected Marie-Theresa, her relationship was to her husband excellent (even though he often cheated on her) and her numerous children assured her power.

Similarly to her most of her siblings, Marie-Antoinette would serve a political goal, in order to maintain her mother's (and Austria's) influence.