Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. She was born an archduchess of Austria and was the penultimate child and youngest daughter of Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis I. She became dauphine of France in May 1770 at age 14 upon her marriage to Louis-Auguste, heir apparent to the French throne. On 10 May 1774, her husband ascended the throne as Louis XVI and she became queen. Marie Antoinette's position at court improved when, after eight years of marriage, she started having children. She became increasingly unpopular among the people, however, with the French libelles accusing her of being profligate, promiscuous, harboring sympathies for France's perceived enemies—particularly her native Austria—and her children of being illegitimate. The false accusations of the Affair of the Diamond Necklace damaged her reputation further.

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Scientists Used X-rays To Peek Into Marie Antoinette’s Secret Love Letters

Scientists Used X-rays To Peek Into Marie Antoinette’s Secret Love Letters

Marie Antoinette's censored love letters have been read using X-rays

Secret words exchanged between Marie Antoinette and rumored lover uncovered in redacted letters

Marie Antoinette’s Letters to Her Dear Swedish Count, Now Uncensored

Ink analysis reveals Marie Antoinette’s letters’ hidden words and who censored them

Who censored Marie Antoinette’s letters? X-rays reveal a surprise

Did Marie Antoinette really say 'Let them eat cake'?