Marie Antoinette was an influential historical figure who was the last queen consort of France before the French Revolution. Born on November 2, 1755, in Vienna, Austria, she was the fifteenth child of Empress Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I. Marie Antoinette married the future Louis XVI, the Dauphin of France, in 1770, thereby becoming the Dauphine of France and eventually ascending to the position of queen in 1774.
Marie Antoinette was known for her extravagant lifestyle and became a symbol of excess and decadence in the years leading up to the French Revolution. She was often criticized for her lavish spending and love for fashion, which contrasted sharply with the economic hardships faced by the French people. Infamously, she was believed to have said, "Let them eat cake," in response to learning that the peasants had no bread.
During the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette and her husband were overthrown and eventually executed by guillotine in 1793. The fall of the monarchy and the execution of Marie Antoinette symbolized the end of an era and the beginning of a new republic in France.
The life, actions, and ultimate fate of Marie Antoinette continue to captivate historians, scholars, and artists alike, as she remains a significant historical figure. She is often studied and depicted in various forms of media, including paintings, literature, and film, as a prominent representative of the monarchy's downfall during the French Revolution.
