The Story of Marie Antoinette

The work of J.-J.-E. Roy recounts the life of Marie Antoinette, from her arrival in France in 1770 until her death on October 16, 1793. It meticulously details the growing hostility she faced, first as Dauphine and later as Queen of France and Navarre. From the moment she arrived, it seemed the die was cast against her. There was a strong anti-Austrian sentiment at the French court, as Austria had been regarded as France’s hereditary enemy for over three centuries. Yet, times had changed.

The architects of this Franco-Austrian union were, on one side, Marie Antoinette’s mother, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, who viewed the alliance as a means to counterbalance the rising power of the Kingdom of Prussia. On the French side, Count de Choiseul hoped to put an end to a succession of failures that had tarnished French foreign policy. Tragically for him, the Marquis had many opponents to his strategies.

The fate of Marie Antoinette appears today to be unjust, just as that of her husband, King Louis XVI, does. J.-J.-E. Roy illustrates the chain of tragic events that led the queen to her downfall, from the affair of the diamond necklace—a fabrication of deceit—to the flight to Varennes, which further tarnished the royal couple’s reputation.

Following a harrowing trial characterized by arbitrariness, a death sentence for high treason was pronounced at four o’clock in the morning on October 16, 1793. Just as she lived, Marie Antoinette died with dignity.

In reading this work, one can discern that Just-Jean-Étienne Roy was evidently a great admirer of Marie Antoinette and also a staunch monarchist. In this book, he does not conceal his aversion to revolutionary ideals.