Tea at Trianon: Maria Amalia of Austria

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Friday, September 26, 2008

Maria Amalia of Austria

One of Marie-Antoinette's other sisters, who became the Duchess of Parma. Share

9 comments:

Brantigny said...: Elena-Maria, who is the sister whose hair was used to determine
if the heart belonged to Louis XVII?; September 26, 2008 at 1:16:00 PM EDT
elena maria vidal said...: I am glancing through Deborah Cadbury's book...it was Johanna, who died of smallpox in 1762. Empress Maria Theresa had a rosary in which she kept some strands of hair from each of her children. The hairs of Marie-Antoinette herself did not contain enough DNA to get a full result.; September 26, 2008 at 1:30:00 PM EDT
Brantigny said...: Pity that Marie-Antoinette could not herself defend her son at this last battle, but one could not expect less on a daughter "the only Real Man in Europe", Marie Theresa.; September 26, 2008 at 4:27:00 PM EDT
lamble said...: Hello, Could I ask if anyone knows if there has ever been any mention of Marie Antoinette's friend, the Princess de Lamballe, leaving a child in England before she returned to France, only I have repeatedly seen claims by members of the Lamble families that one possible origin of their surname is from the Princess' illegitimate child left in Devon/Cornwall.One Lamble descendant has researched the name back to the mid 1500's in Devon, which I would think makes the Princess theory invalid. Someone who is related to my Lambles (my g grandmother Isabella and gg gramdmother Mary) says the family is supposed to have moved along the south coast of England to escape and from my own research I know my relatives left Devon and ended up in Christchurch, Hants. However my oldest Lamble is Mary's father Elias born in 1801, Devon so I don't think that would quite fit. I would appreciate any help from your knowledge of French history. Thanks. Lamble; September 26, 2008 at 5:24:00 PM EDT
elena maria vidal said...: I have never heard of this claim but it is interesting. The princess did travel to England. In Chantal Thomas' novel "Farewell My Queen" there is the rumor that Madame de Lamballe is with child. That's all I know, but I will explore and consult some of my friends abroad.; September 26, 2008 at 6:38:00 PM EDT
lamble said...: Thank you for your help, Elena Marie. Lamble; September 26, 2008 at 8:05:00 PM EDT
Unknown said...: Thank you for your blog, which is a joy to read (and which I do quite often). I do like Marie Antoinette although in the same level as you do.

I'm sorry you don't seem to have much (good) to say about Marie Antoinette's sister Archduchess Maria Amalia, who became Duchess of Parma.

Based on my own readings and research - including the letters she wrote to her friends in Italy - she is much better than historians portray her to be and many of (bad) things written written about her are wrong (of course, it is given that she was quite far from perfect either). She loved her husband very much as well as her mother - even though they didn't always agree on things and she refused to take her mother's advice. She was also loved by the people in Parma, and as a whole, did much better than many of her siblings, including her more famous siblings.

Hence, I'm a bit disappointed to read that you labeled her as the "black sheep of the family" -- perhaps referring to to her early years in Parma?... When in fact the "family cross", according to Maria Theresa herself, was Joseph II.

I must also say that the favoured Mimi was a highly unpleasant person who, in her mother's eyes, could do no wrong. I find it quite unfair to "compare" Maria Amalia in this context to the favorite child, indeed she wasn't her mother's favourite but there is evidence that she showed many good qualities compared to her older sister...

I look forward to reading more of your wonderful blog! *smiles*; December 30, 2010 at 3:54:00 AM EST
elena maria vidal said...: Thank you, Monica, for the information! I took out the word "black sheep." You are right, the term is better applied to Joseph! Please do enjoy the blog and click around!; December 30, 2010 at 8:20:00 AM EST
Unknown said...: You didn't have to edit what you wrote earlier but thank you! **smiles** It would be very interesting to have a biography of Maria Amalia - hopefully in a few years time.

By the way, ma'am, have you examined or come across Marie Antoinette's relationship with Maria Amalia, aside from the collection of letters between Versailles and Vienna?; January 26, 2011 at 1:33:00 AM EST