As soon as the Queen rose, the wardrobe woman was admitted to take away the pillows and prepare the bed to be made by some of the valets de chambre. She undrew the curtains, and the bed was not generally made until the Queen was gone to mass. Generally, excepting at St. Cloud, where the Queen bathed in an apartment below her own, a slipper bath was rolled into her room, and her bathers brought everything that was necessary for the bath. The Queen bathed in a large gown of English flannel buttoned down to the bottom; its sleeves throughout, as well as the collar, were lined with linen. When she came out of the bath the first woman held up a cloth to conceal her entirely from the sight of her women, and then threw it over her shoulders. The bathers wrapped her in it and dried her completely. She then put on a long and wide open chemise, entirely trimmed with lace, and afterwards a white taffeta bed-gown. The wardrobe woman warmed the bed; the slippers were of dimity, trimmed with lace. Thus dressed, the Queen went to bed again, and the bathers and servants of the chamber took away the bathing apparatus. The Queen, replaced in bed, took a book or her tapestry work. On her bathing mornings she breakfasted in the bath. The tray was placed on the cover of the bath. These minute details are given here only to do justice to the Queen’s scrupulous modesty. Her temperance was equally remarkable; she breakfasted on coffee or chocolate; at dinner ate nothing but white meat, drank water only, and supped on broth, a wing of a fowl, and small biscuits, which she soaked in a glass of water.
~Madame Campan's Memoirs Share
6 comments:
That kinda rules out the scenario depicted in the movie, where the ladies in the room stripped her down every morning and dressed her with all the females in the royal court taking turns at dressing her. The movie shows a huge flock of onlookers who were assembled in her room every morning.
That part of the film was actually true, and is described by Madame Campan, who was present during the daily rituals. The queen found dressing and undressing in front of so many to be an ordeal, becaue of her intensely modest nature.
I can understand having chamber maids or personal type assistants help you dress day after day - the same reliable people.
But why on earth did they have all of the females of the court take turns dressing her? How utterly embarrassing! I would be mortified. She was the Queen - was she unable to stop it?
Although she was queen, Marie-Antoinette could not have everything the way she wanted it. Many of the rituals of court etiquette went back to the Middle Ages and people were greatly attached to them. When she or her husband began to slowly simplify and change a few things to save money and help the court run more efficiently, the changes were greatly resented. Marie-Antoinette, as a foreigner, was accused of not having respect for French ways.
That is sad. It sounds like people were determined to dislike her no matter what she did.
People don't fully realize how monarch's lives are not their own - what a cross to bear.
In part that is why I enjoyed viewing The Queen so much....it helped me understand better why Queen Elizabeth responded the way she did to Princess Diana's death. She made decisions based on her lifelong discipline and ingrained principles....not off of 'fluffy' emotions.
Margaret,all very true....
Post a Comment