some facts about Marie-Antoinette

[tocqueville]

Since it shows up often on DU, I'd like to debunk an urban legend about her :


Louis XVI's coronation took place at Rheims during the height of a bread shortage in Paris. Tradition would later state that it was at this point that Marie Antoinette joked, "If they have no bread, then let them eat cake!" ("Qu'ils mangent de la brioche.") However, this phrase was never uttered by Marie Antoinette – although it might have been said by an earlier French queen (Maria Theresa of Spain). When Marie Antoinette actually heard about the bread shortage she wrote, "It is quite certain that in seeing the people who treat us so well despite their own misfortune, we are more obliged than ever to work hard for their happiness. The king seems to understand this truth; as for myself, I know that in my whole life (even if I live for a hundred years) I shall never forget the day of the coronation."

The royals had been greeted with an outpouring of national joy and the young queen was especially adored; despite the cost of the coronation (almost 7000 livres were spent on a new crown for Louis XVI) and Marie Antoinette's magnificent gown was ordered from the fashion house of Paris's most exclusive designer, Rose Bertin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Antoinette

Marie Antoinette is seen in today's France more as a victim of the excesses of the revolution.

[prole_for_peace]

1. thank you.

i have tried to correct the "cake" misquote but no one ever believes me.

[Rowdyboy]

2. She was a fascinating woman.....I did a directed readings course on

the French Revolution and was greatly taken with her story. And poor Louis was hopelessly out of his league-he would have made a first rate locksmith.

[CatWoman]

4. I read that the Maine Coon Cats may be direct descendants of Marie's

cats.

Another popular theory is that the Maine sprang from the six pet cats which Marie Antoinette sent to Wiscasset, Maine when she was planning to escape from France during the French Revolution.

http://www.fanciers.com/breed-faqs/maine-coon-faq.html

[Rowdyboy]

5. What a neat story!

[devilgrrl]

6. Hey CatWoman, is my cat Maine Coon like?

He's big enough to be!

[damntexdem]

3. Well, even if her speech made more sense than we thought, she was ...

still prone to losing her head.