Marie Antoinette: The Journey

Dauphin is the title given to the male heir apparent to the French throne. After the death of King Louis XV’s son, his grandson Louis Auguste became the dauphin. When Louis XV died, Louis Auguste became king (and was renamed Louis XVI). Similarly, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette’s eldest son, Louis-Joseph became the dauphin when he was born. When Louis Joseph died, their younger son Louis Charles became the dauphin.

The female version of dauphin is dauphine. When Marie Antoinette married the Dauphin Louis Auguste, she became the dauphine.

The title dates to the 1350; literally, it means “dolphin” and comes from the use of dolphins as heraldic symbols for French royalty.

The Estates General, or États généraux, was a deliberative body composed of representatives of France’s three estates, or groups into which society was divided. The First Estate was the clergy. The Second Estate was the nobility. The Third Estate were the commoners. The Estates General did not have formal political powers, but served as an advisory body for the king. Its approval gave public legitimacy to his decisions.

In 1789, King Louis XVI called a meeting of the Estates General to garner public support for his tax reforms necessary to stabilize the nation’s finances.