Marie-Thérèse Charlotte, the first child of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, was born on 19 December 1778. As the eldest daughter of the King of France, she was styled Madame Royale from her very first breath.
Marie Antoinette’s first pregnancy, after eight years of childless marriage, was nothing less than a matter of national importance and therefore the object of the keenest public attention. The childbirth itself — in which court etiquette and privileged access prevailed over medical care and common sense — has been widely described and retold in both scholarly and popular sources. The young Queen nearly died in the overcrowded, badly ventilated room. Another scene, quite startling to modern eyes, was the loud applause with which the courtiers greeted the newborn — as if a new character had appeared on the stage of a play.
Yet there was a spoonful of tar in this enthusiastic barrel of honey. The birth of a royal child alarmed Louis XVI’s brothers, who until then had stood next in the line of succession. Their fears proved justified: the royal couple would go on to have two sons, followed by another daughter. Tragically, none of them reached adulthood.
For the time being, however, young Marie-Thérèse Charlotte enjoyed happy and carefree years under the care of her affectionate parents and devoted household. With her blue eyes and fair hair, she was said to resemble her grandmother, Empress Maria Theresa.
This idyllic childhood came to an abrupt end in 1789, the year of the outbreak of the French Revolution. But that is another story — indeed, almost another life — filled with fear, suffering, and death, which the teenage Marie-Thérèse Charlotte was forced to endure.
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2 Responses
There is definately a lot to know about this issue. I like all the points you made.
Indeed, those were cruel events — far too cruel for the people involved to be considered ‘privileged.’