Thursday, July 25, 2019

The Dark Night of Marie-Antoinette

The first two parts of a series from Culture and Stuff about Marie-Antoinette's trial.
By the time Marie Antoinette found herself in the prison of the Conciergerie in August 1793, she was without a doubt deep in the blackest period of her life. The king’s death had been a great blow to her – she seems to have entertained some hope that he might be reprieved, hopes that were only finally dashed when she heard the sound of drums and great cheer echoing round the streets, and she knew he was dead. From this point on she would be known as the Widow Capet, and she dressed accordingly in widow’s weeds. Her daughter was later to write
She no longer had any hope left in her heart or distinguished between life and death; sometimes she looked at us with a kind of compassion which was quite frightening.
(Read entire article.)
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6 comments:

Violet said...

Marie Antoinette was treated so unfairly in could scream! Her life must have been a living hell.

Julygirl said...

Hearing people cheer over one's husband's murder certainly added to the tragedy and anguish she must have felt....as well as knowing what was yet to come.

Victoria said...

Poor Antoinette. I really don't understand how people see her as a drama queen instead of the tragic figure she really was!
Actually your book Trianon was what really made me understand her. Thanks for that!

Violet said...

P.S I have written a post on my blog about Marie Antoinette`s life in La Conciergerie.
Please take a look :-)

lara77 said...

It was not a trial; the committee had decided she was guilty before her trial started.Men with no hearts or compassion had decided she must die; she was the symbol of all they despised. When these same people who had the blood of a Queen of France on their hands met their maker I wonder what judgment they received?

elena maria vidal said...

One of MA's judges (I forget which one) is buried in the Catholic cemetery in Frederick, MD where I grew up. Let's hope he repented before he died.