Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, was executed on 16 October 1793. She was the youngest daughter of Maria Theresa and the sister of the Holy Roman Emperors Joseph II and Leopold II. As one of the most renowned historical figures recognised by a broad audience, every detail of her life and death has been repeatedly recounted. Yet there is one aspect of her ancestral heritage that deserves a closer look.
In addition to historians, geneticists, dental surgeons, and pathologists have also examined the distinctive physiognomy of the Habsburgs. In their portraits and sculptures, the protruding lower lip (known in German as the Habsburglippe) is evident in many, though not all, family members. This feature, sometimes combined with a receding chin and a hooked nose, resulted from the Habsburgs’ centuries-long tradition of intermarriage. In general, men seemed to have been more markedly and more frequently affected than women, the most extreme case being Carlos II of Spain.
Furthermore — and this applies to both men and women — it appears that the Habsburglippe became more pronounced with age, illness, or prolonged stress. In the portraits of young Marie Antoinette, for instance, no irregularity in her mouth or jaw can be observed. However, in her later portraits, painted during her captivity when she endured constant threats to her position and ultimately her life, the family traits became more discernible. The very last sketch of the Queen, drawn by Jacques-Louis David on her way to the scaffold, shows her lower jaw and lip distinctly protruding, giving her a faintly witch-like appearance.
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