Tuesday, September 26, 2023
  • Advertise with us
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Terms & Conditions
Dailynews journal
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Bizarre
  • Entertainment
  • Gaming
  • General Knowledge
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science
  • Society
  • Technology
  • Weird Stuffs
  • Home
  • Bizarre
  • Entertainment
  • Gaming
  • General Knowledge
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science
  • Society
  • Technology
  • Weird Stuffs
No Result
View All Result
Dailynews journal
No Result
View All Result

10 Ways Marie Antoinette Was a Victim of Character Assassination

Of all the names associated with the French Revolution of 1789, Marie Antoinette’s is probably the most widely familiar. Artist Jacques-Louis David’s rendering of the former queen being carted off to her execution is one of the most recognized sketches in history. However, it was also a far cry from the opulently staged portrait settings in which she’d normally been painted.

Born an archduchess of the House of Hapsburg in 1755, Maria Antonia was one of a long line of children born to the Austrian Queen-Empress, Maria Theresa, and her husband. In 1770, her mother sealed an alliance with France by marrying her off to the heir to the throne, the future Louis XVI. Upon arriving in Versailles, she became known as Marie Antoinette. One of the revolution’s earliest casualties, she was 37 at the time of her execution in 1793.

READ ALSO

10 Things You Might Not Know about Dante’s Divine Comedy

10 Harrowing Emergency Landings Caught on Tape

Related: 10 Unlikely People Who Became Monarchs

10 A Pawn in the Hands of Powerful Men

Had she been born only a few years earlier or later, Marie Antoinette might have lived a perfectly ordinary existence by royal standards. Probably married off to some eligible prince or other, she may have presided over a grand household, had children, and died of old age, her name no more famous today than those of her ten sisters. This would have suited her just fine, considering she was, by general accounts, quite an ordinary person.

As it happens, she was born at a crucial point in European history amid an unprecedented softening in Franco-Austrian relations. Her mother, a passionate believer in raising children who were politically expedient, put her in a carriage to France at age 14 and charged her with promoting Austrian interests in a foreign and hostile court with a very different culture. She struggled desperately to find her way, but her reputation and, indeed, her life remained almost completely in the hands of the powerful men who surrounded her, starting with her husband.[1]

9 France’s Problems Had Begun Long Before Her Arrival

By the time of Marie Antoinette’s arrival in France, the kingdom had been in serious trouble for decades. Louis XV, her grandfather-in-law, had been on the throne since the age of five. However, his attention to the government was constantly interrupted by a succession of mistresses, which tarnished the reputation of the crown. Provincial bodies called “parlements” had also gotten into the habit of impeding royal policy, including desperately needed fiscal reforms.

Farming methods had remained basically unchanged for centuries, leaving France especially vulnerable to inclement weather. This led to less food and higher prices, a disastrous mix for a rising population. The noble classes, whose influence extended to the aforementioned parlements, escaped almost all taxation and fervently opposed any infringement upon their historical privileges. All these were factors far beyond the influence of a queen consort.[2]

8 Primary Target of Xenophobia

Eighteenth-century Europe wasn’t particularly known for its openness to foreigners. Although the revolutionaries eventually turned against King Louis XVI, too, there can be no denying that Marie Antoinette’s German lineage, as well as her sex, meant she was uniquely demonized. It’s important to note that prior to the alliance her mother contracted, Austria and France had been at odds with each other for centuries.

The marriage between Marie Antoinette and the future Louis XVI was meant to cement a new state of friendship and cooperation between the two rival countries. Unfortunately for the princess, this meant trying to balance loyalty to Austria and her family’s interests with fulfilling her destiny as the future queen of France—quite a burden to place on the shoulders of a 14-year-old girl. Accusations of disloyalty to the French people would plague Marie Antoinette until her death.[3]

7 Became Queen Far Too Young

In 1774, Marie Antoinette’s grandfather-in-law, Louis XV, died after becoming infected with smallpox. At her husband’s coronation, she was reduced to playing a mere spectator. Even at this early stage in their reign, the state’s finances were in such bad shape, with a deficit of over 20 million livres, that a double coronation was ruled out. She also had not yet borne a son, which kept her in the bad books of royal advisers.

Far too young to gain so much power, both Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were overwhelmed and consequently made poor choices at crucial moments in their reign. Only eighteen when she became queen, it would take at least a decade before she began to mature in earnest, at which point she might have made a success of the role. Instead, she spent the early part of her queenship playing favorites, partying, and spending—things all twentysomethings do but which, in her position, proved catastrophic to her reputation.[4]

6 She Had No Real Power as a Consort

Although Marie Antoinette was portrayed by propagandists as wielding undue influence on the king, in practical terms, she held no administrative power, nor was she part of the day-to-day running of the country. This was because, as a consort, she was not a queen in her own right but only through marriage. Her rank and title came from her husband’s position as king. The government was headed by and answerable to Louis XVI, not the queen.

In eighteenth-century France, the notion that the king’s wife should hold any significant power was anathema on two levels. First, she was a woman, and the French were so opposed to rule by women that they’d banned them from inheriting the throne altogether, even if a king had no sons. Second—and in Marie Antoinette’s case, this was the graver sin—having been born an Austrian princess, she was a foreigner who came from a rival royal house.[5]

5 Not the Deficit-Causing Spendthrift She Was Portrayed to Be

There’s no denying Versailles was opulence come alive, and certainly, Marie Antoinette was a part of that. She knew of no other world, having been brought up in luxury and moved all her life only between different royal residences. To suggest she would’ve had any inclination that the royal family should ever go without, for whatever the reasons, would be overstating. Still, the same is evidently true for most monarchs throughout history.

Versailles alone cost an obscene amount to maintain, as it does today. The extended royal family all had large households and the finest accommodations. But even just before the revolution broke out, court expenditure accounted for only seven percent of the national spending, while over 40 percent went to the national debt. The simple truth is even if Marie Antoinette had never spent a dime during her 23 years in France, it wouldn’t have solved the country’s problems nor prevented the revolution.[6]

4 Suffered for Her Husband’s Poor Decision-Making

Seriously ill-suited for kingship, Louis XVI only succeeded his grandfather at 19 because his own father and elder brother had both predeceased him, making him the new heir. By almost all accounts, he wasn’t good at it. Even with the kingdom in massive debt, he consented to helping the American War of Independence, a somewhat peculiar cause for a monarch to take up. Unluckily for Marie Antoinette, this was whom destiny—or, more accurately said, her mother—intended she marry.

Throughout their reign, the queen was almost always shut out of policymaking. This was a shame considering that in the years leading up to their executions, she proved herself more capable, astute, and responsive than her husband, who by then had fallen into serious depression. Prone to snoring in important meetings and constantly plagued by indecisiveness, Louis XVI just wasn’t up to the task of facing down the calamitous tidal waves that engulfed his family. Eventually, Marie Antoinette would pay for the union with her life.[7]

3 Demonstrated Committed Loyalty to France and Her Husband

Not long after arriving at Versailles, Marie Antoinette was coined “the Austrian,” a demonstration of the court’s disdain for the new alliance. But by the time of the revolution, the queen had spent almost two-thirds of her life in France. She’d also had several children whose interests took precedence in her mind over those of her family back in Austria, including the new emperor, her brother Joseph.

In one exchange, she plainly told her brother’s ambassador that it was not Vienna’s place to interfere in France’s ministerial appointments, leading Austria to characterize her contemptuously as a bad investment. When the revolution broke out, royal advisers repeatedly urged the queen to flee with the children, but she insisted her place was at her husband’s side. In one last attempt at freedom, she took charge of an escape plan from Paris, but the royal family was recognized along the way and forcibly returned to Paris.[8]

2 Never Said “Let Them Eat Cake”

The “Let them eat cake” allegation is so closely tied with Marie Antoinette’s name that it’s included in depictions of her even when making the point that she never said it, such as in director Sofia Coppola’s 2006 biopic. Certainly, there’s no genuine proof that she did, nor would it have been in keeping with her character. However, similar statements have also been attributed to other people throughout history, so there’s a certain amount of folklore associated with the quote.

By the time of the monarchy’s downfall, Marie Antoinette had been vilified in almost every conceivable fashion. If it were true that this callous remark had contributed to people’s anger, it would’ve been referenced in contemporary materials, such as newspapers or revolutionary pamphlets. In fact, the earliest in-print association of the quote with her name arrived many decades after the revolution, and even this was in the form of a rebuttal.[9]

1 Withstood a Merciless Campaign of Bad PR

Marie Antoinette was one of the earliest victims of a sustained, unrelenting campaign of character assassination. By the time her husband became king, the monarchy had already lost some of its luster. What followed over the next two decades can only be described as a hailstorm of bad PR and libelous propaganda spread to discredit the royal family and, most specifically, the queen. It is hard to overstate how scandalous the accusations were, most of them sexual in nature.

Much of the material was outright pornographic, something we normally wouldn’t associate with 18th-century society. Among other things, the queen was regularly portrayed as a spy, an adulteress, and a sexually debauched nymphomaniac. The state’s financial woes were also attributed to her. In the most vicious exercise of all, her younger son was coerced into testifying at her trial for treason that his mother had molested him.

Soon after Marie Antoinette’s execution, a new pamphlet appeared, this one depicting her in hell. If true, the years leading up to her death certainly would’ve provided ample preparation.[10]

Related Posts

10 Things You Might Not Know about Dante’s Divine Comedy
General Knowledge

10 Things You Might Not Know about Dante’s Divine Comedy

10 Harrowing Emergency Landings Caught on Tape
General Knowledge

10 Harrowing Emergency Landings Caught on Tape

10 World Facts You’ve Believed That Are Totally False
General Knowledge

10 World Facts You’ve Believed That Are Totally False

Ten Surprising Stats That Answer “What Are the Odds?”
General Knowledge

Ten Surprising Stats That Answer “What Are the Odds?”

10 Celebrated Scientists Who Developed Deadly Weapons
General Knowledge

10 Celebrated Scientists Who Developed Deadly Weapons

10 Amazing Treasures of the Anglo-Saxons
General Knowledge

10 Amazing Treasures of the Anglo-Saxons

Next Post
Top 10 Unsung Directors of the New Hollywood Era

Top 10 Unsung Directors of the New Hollywood Era

Trending

10 Innovative Ways That Beavers Can Save the World

10 Innovative Ways That Beavers Can Save the World

10 Locations from Horror Movies That You Can Actually Visit

10 Locations from Horror Movies That You Can Actually Visit

Ten Forgotten Facts about U.S. Presidents

Ten Forgotten Facts about U.S. Presidents

10 Things You Might Not Know about Dante’s Divine Comedy

10 Things You Might Not Know about Dante’s Divine Comedy

10 Weird Court Cases Featuring Supernatural Beings

10 Weird Court Cases Featuring Supernatural Beings

10 Harrowing Emergency Landings Caught on Tape

10 Harrowing Emergency Landings Caught on Tape

10 Surprising Ways Technology Is Preserving Endangered Species

10 Surprising Ways Technology Is Preserving Endangered Species

10 Times Celebrities Went After Critics

10 Times Celebrities Went After Critics

10 Unique Ice Cream Flavors from around the World

10 Unique Ice Cream Flavors from around the World

10 World Facts You’ve Believed That Are Totally False

10 World Facts You’ve Believed That Are Totally False

  • Advertise with us
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Terms & Conditions

© 2021 Copyrights - All rights reserved.

xoso xoso tin chelsea thông tin chuyển nhượng câu lạc bộ bóng đá arsenal bóng đá atalanta bundesliga cầu thủ haaland UEFA everton xoso futebol ao vivo futemax multicanais onbet bóng đá world cup bóng đá inter milan tin juventus benzema la liga clb leicester city MU man city messi lionel salah napoli neymar psg ronaldo serie a tottenham valencia AS ROMA Leverkusen ac milan mbappe napoli newcastle aston villa liverpool fa cup real madrid premier league Ajax bao bong da247 EPL barcelona bournemouth aff cup asean football bên lề sân cỏ báo bóng đá mới bóng đá cúp thế giới tin bóng đá Việt UEFA báo bóng đá việt nam Huyền thoại bóng đá giải ngoại hạng anh Seagame tap chi bong da the gioi tin bong da lu trận đấu hôm nay việt nam bóng đá tin nong bong da Bóng đá nữ thể thao 7m 24h bóng đá bóng đá hôm nay the thao ngoai hang anh tin nhanh bóng đá phòng thay đồ bóng đá bóng đá phủi kèo nhà cái onbet bóng đá lu 2 thông tin phòng thay đồ the thao vua app đánh lô đề dudoanxoso xổ số giải đặc biệt hôm nay xổ số kèo đẹp hôm nay ketquaxoso kq xs kqxsmn soi cầu ba miền soi cau thong ke sxkt hôm nay thế giới xổ số xổ số 24h xo.so xoso3mien xo so ba mien xoso dac biet xosodientoan xổ số dự đoán vé số chiều xổ xoso ket qua xosokienthiet xoso kq hôm nay xoso kt xổ số mega xổ số mới nhất hôm nay xoso truc tiep xoso Việt SX3MIEN xs dự đoán xs mien bac hom nay xs miên nam xsmientrung xsmn thu 7 con số may mắn hôm nay KQXS 3 miền Bắc Trung Nam Nhanh dự đoán xổ số 3 miền dò vé số du doan xo so hom nay ket qua xo xo ket qua xo so.vn trúng thưởng xo so kq xoso trực tiếp ket qua xs kqxs 247 số miền nam s0x0 mienbac xosobamien hôm nay số đẹp hôm nay số đẹp trực tuyến nuôi số đẹp xo so hom qua xoso ketqua xstruc tiep hom nay xổ số kiến thiết trực tiếp xổ số kq hôm nay so xo kq trực tuyen kết quả xổ số miền bắc trực tiếp xo so miền nam xổ số miền nam trực tiếp trực tiếp xổ số hôm nay ket wa xs KQ XOSO xoso online xo so truc tiep hom nay xstt so mien bac trong ngày KQXS3M số so mien bac du doan xo so online du doan cau lo xổ số keno kqxs vn KQXOSO KQXS hôm nay trực tiếp kết quả xổ số ba miền cap lo dep nhat hom nay soi cầu chuẩn hôm nay so ket qua xo so Xem kết quả xổ số nhanh nhất SX3MIEN XSMB chủ nhật KQXSMN kết quả mở giải trực tuyến Giờ vàng chốt số Online Đánh Đề Con Gì dò số miền nam dò vé số hôm nay so mo so de bach thủ lô đẹp nhất hôm nay cầu đề hôm nay kết quả xổ số kiến thiết toàn quốc cau dep 88 xsmb rong bach kim ket qua xs 2023 dự đoán xổ số hàng ngày Bạch thủ đề miền Bắc Soi Cầu MB thần tài soi cau vip 247 soi cầu tốt soi cầu miễn phí soi cau mb vip xsmb hom nay xs vietlott xsmn hôm nay cầu lô đẹp thống kê lô kép xổ số miền Bắc quay thử xsmn xổ số thần tài Quay thử XSMT xổ số chiều nay xo so mien nam hom nay web đánh lô đề trực tuyến uy tín KQXS hôm nay xsmb ngày hôm nay XSMT chủ nhật xổ số Power 6/55 KQXS A trúng roy cao thủ chốt số bảng xổ số đặc biệt soi cầu 247 vip soi cầu wap 666 Soi cầu miễn phí 888 VIP Soi Cau Chuan MB độc thủ de số miền bắc thần tài cho số Kết quả xổ số thần tài Xem trực tiếp xổ số XIN SỐ THẦN TÀI THỔ ĐỊA Cầu lô số đẹp lô đẹp vip 24h soi cầu miễn phí 888 xổ số kiến thiết chiều nay XSMN thứ 7 hàng tuần Kết quả Xổ số Hồ Chí Minh nhà cái xổ số Việt Nam Xổ Số Đại Phát Xổ số mới nhất Hôm Nay so xo mb hom nay xxmb88 quay thu mb Xo so Minh Chinh XS Minh Ngọc trực tiếp hôm nay XSMN 88 XSTD xs than tai xổ số UY TIN NHẤT xs vietlott 88 SOI CẦU SIÊU CHUẨN SoiCauViet lô đẹp hôm nay vip ket qua so xo hom nay kqxsmb 30 ngày dự đoán xổ số 3 miền Soi cầu 3 càng chuẩn xác bạch thủ lô nuoi lo chuan bắt lô chuẩn theo ngày kq xo-so lô 3 càng nuôi lô đề siêu vip cầu Lô Xiên XSMB đề về bao nhiêu Soi cầu x3 xổ số kiến thiết ngày hôm nay quay thử xsmt truc tiep kết quả sxmn trực tiếp miền bắc kết quả xổ số chấm vn bảng xs đặc biệt năm 2023 soi cau xsmb xổ số hà nội hôm nay sxmt xsmt hôm nay xs truc tiep mb ketqua xo so online kqxs online xo số hôm nay XS3M Tin xs hôm nay xsmn thu2 XSMN hom nay xổ số miền bắc trực tiếp hôm nay SO XO xsmb sxmn hôm nay 188betlink 188 xo so soi cầu vip 88 lô tô việt soi lô việt XS247 xs ba miền chốt lô đẹp nhất hôm nay chốt số xsmb CHƠI LÔ TÔ soi cau mn hom nay chốt lô chuẩn du doan sxmt dự đoán xổ số online rồng bạch kim chốt 3 càng miễn phí hôm nay thống kê lô gan miền bắc dàn đề lô Cầu Kèo Đặc Biệt chốt cầu may mắn kết quả xổ số miền bắc hôm Soi cầu vàng 777 thẻ bài online du doan mn 888 soi cầu miền nam vip soi cầu mt vip dàn de hôm nay 7 cao thủ chốt số soi cau mien phi 777 7 cao thủ chốt số nức tiếng 3 càng miền bắc rồng bạch kim 777 dàn de bất bại on news ddxsmn 188bet w88 w88 789bet tf88 sin88 suvip sunwin tf88 five88 12bet sv88 vn88 Top 10 nhà cái uy tín sky88 iwin lucky88 nhacaisin88 oxbet m88 vn88 w88 789bet iwin f8bet rio66 rio66 lucky88 oxbet vn88 188bet 789bet May-88 five88 one88 sin88 bk8 8xbet oxbet MU88 188BET SV88 RIO66 ONBET88 188bet M88 M88 SV88 Jun-68 Jun-88 one88 iwin v9bet w388 OXBET w388 w388 onbet onbet onbet onbet88 onbet88 onbet88 onbet88 onbet onbet onbet onbet qh88 mu88 Nhà cái uy tín pog79 vp777 vp777 vipbet vipbet uk88 uk88 typhu88 typhu88 tk88 tk88 sm66 sm66 me88 me88 8live 8live 8live sm66 me88 win79 8live sm66 me88 win79 pog79 pog79 vp777 vp777 uk88 uk88 tk88 tk88 luck8 luck8 kingbet86 kingbet86 k188 k188 hr99 hr99 123b 8xbetvn vipbet sv66 zbet taisunwin-vn typhu88 vn138 vwin vwin vi68 ee88 1xbet rio66 zbet vn138 i9betvip fi88club cf68 onbet88 ee88 typhu88 onbet onbetkhuyenmai 12bet-moblie 12betmoblie taimienphi247 vi68clup cf68clup vipbet i9bet qh88 onb123 onbef soi cầu nổ hũ bắn cá đá gà đá gà game bài casino soi cầu xóc đĩa game bài giải mã giấc mơ bầu cua slot game casino nổ hủ dàn đề Bắn cá casino dàn đề nổ hũ tài xỉu slot game casino bắn cá đá gà game bài thể thao game bài soi cầu kqss soi cầu cờ tướng bắn cá game bài xóc đĩa AG百家乐 AG百家乐 AG真人 AG真人 爱游戏 华体会 华体会 im体育 kok体育 开云体育 开云体育 开云体育 乐鱼体育 乐鱼体育 欧宝体育 ob体育 亚博体育 亚博体育 亚博体育 亚博体育 亚博体育 亚博体育 开云体育 开云体育 棋牌 棋牌 沙巴体育 买球平台 新葡京娱乐 开云体育 mu88 qh88
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Bizarre
  • Entertainment
  • Gaming
  • General Knowledge
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science
  • Society
  • Technology
  • Weird Stuffs

© 2021 Copyrights - All rights reserved.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT