Marie Antoinette was born in 1755 in Austria and married Louis XVI, the future king of France, in 1770. As queen, she spent lavishly and accrued criticism for France's growing debt. She struggled to produce an heir for several years but eventually gave birth to two children, including the Dauphin in 1781. Her reputation declined further due to rumors of affairs and mismanagement. During the French Revolution in 1789, an angry mob marched on Versailles and forced the royal family to live in Paris under surveillance. After Louis XVI's execution in 1793, Marie Antoinette was put on trial, found guilty of treason, and guillotined at age 37, maintaining her dignity to the end

1. Marie Antoinette
Birth: 2nd of November 1755
Death: 16th of October 1793
Spouse: Louis XVI
Parents: Maria Theresa
Francis I
Nationality: Austrian MARIE ANTOINETTE
Madame Deficit
Marie Antoinette was born on the 2nd of November, 1755 at the Hofburg Palace, as the youngest daughter of 15 children, of Empress Maria
Theresa and Francis I the Holy Roman Emperor. Maria Theresa strategically married off her children to countries that would benefit the Austrian
Empire. At the time France was one of the greatest empires and this was the perfect opportunity for her. Marie was sent off to france to mary the
Dauphin, the future King, Louis XVI. She was taken at the boarder and stripped of all Austrian possessions and dressed in clothes for the French
Court. In 1770 Marie married Louis, and then expected to consummate and create the new heir. But nothing happened and nothing would
happen for another 8 years when she would finally become pregnant in May 1778. But until then more pressure had been put on her when her
sister in law gave birth to a son. People began to question their beloved Queen. Despite what many said, the Queen had no power at all in the
French parliament. Many of the French members in parliament were anti-Austrian and would not allow members of Marie’s court to take
important positions, giving her no say in the political system of the French. But now that she was queen she saw an opportunity to enjoy herself.
She began shopping, buying expensive clothes, redecorating rooms and gambling simply for the fun of it. Little did she know she was plunging
France deeper and deeper into debt. The Queen was in an awkward position though. Rumors were flying around about several affairs she was
having (1 or 2 could have been true). But either way this was damaging her reputation. But after all this something improved. She gave birth to her
first child, Marie- Thérése Charlotte, who was born on the 19th of December, 1778, after a difficult labour where the Queen fainted and was
overcrowded by the courtiers. Louis had to tear the windows open which had been sealed. He then declared that no one was allowed to enter
the Queens chambers with out permission whilst in labour. Now that Marie could produce children there was more strain that ever to conceive a
male heir. Marie did have a miscarriage of her second child in July 1779. Later that year Marie’s mother fell ill and passed away. She feared that
this might jeopardize the Franco-Austrian alliance, her brother (now emperor) insured her it would not. Finally on the 21st of October, 1781, Marie
gave birth to her 2nd child, Louis Joseph. The new Dauphin of France. Finally she had been blessed with the birth of a son. By now Marie’s
popularity had began to dramatically decrease. A famous incident was when the people of France cried out for bread. A rumor was spread that
the Queen had heard this news and replied ‘Let them Eat Cake!’. There was no evidence but it did not help her already dwindling reputation. In
1786 she gave birth to her 3rd child, a girl, but she died soon afterwards. During this time the rumor of the diamond necklace came about and
Marie was framed with trying to steal an elaborate diamond necklace, which she had no need for. She was now hated through out France. It was
only a matter of time before people acted. On the 5th of October, 1789, a Parisian mob marched from Paris and descended upon Versailles. They
broke into the palace. Marie just made it to the safety of her husbands room. If not she would probably have been killed by the angry mob. The
next morning the mob forced the royal family into a carriage and marched back to France and the royal family was placed into the Tuileries
Palace where they would remain for the following 3 years. During this time France declared war on Austria. Marie wrote to her family telling of the
French’s movements and helping out all she could. Finally Louis had had enough and made an attempt at escape. The family were taken by
carriage to the Austrian border, to safety. But 50 km of their destination they were stopped and discovered. They were now traitors of France.
They were forced back to Paris to be trailed. Marie was taken before the Revolutionary Tribunal. She was charged with things such sending much
of Frances money to Austria, plotting to kill the Duke of Orleans, orchestrating the massacre of the Swiss Guard in 1792. And finally she was
accused of being incest with her son. At this she stood and appealed to the women and mothers in the court, and expressed her disgust and
fury at being accused at this. Many in the court thought it had gone to far. Besides this appeal she was still found guilty. Her husband was also
found guilty and she sat in her room and listen to the bells that signified his execution. On the 16th of October, two days after her trial, Marie was
taken back to her cell where her hair was cut off and she was taken in a common wagon to the stand. Right up to her death she held her head
high and kept her dignity and strength. At 12:15 PM she was executed at the guillotine. The Queen of Debt could spend no more.