Marie Antoinette: The Journey

Marie Antoinette was born in Vienna, Austria, on November 2, 1755. She was the 15th of 16 children born to the formidable Austrian Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, Maria Theresa and her consort, Emperor Francis I. Marie’s given name was Maria Antonia Josepha Joanna, but she was called “Antoine” by her family. She was quickly put into the care of a governess, Constance Weber.

From her mother and father’s heritage, Marie Antoinette had lineage from the legendary Habsburg family (See: Background), and also the Orléans branch of the Bourbons, the powerful family that had governed France for centuries. The year after Marie Antoinette’s birth, Austria and France entered into an alliance against Prussia and Britain. Maria Theresa understood that the marriage of her youngest daughter would be essential to reinforcing this alliance.

The Austrian court was relatively informal except on special occasions like holidays. Marie Antoinette was raised in a number of palaces and stately homes; her favorite was the rural Schönbrunn, which had extensive gardens and places for her to play. It is thought that the Petit Trianon—the small palace Marie Antoinette had built at the French court of Versailles— was inspired by her childhood memories of Schönbrunn.