Marie Antoinette

I have decided that the next object of my obsession shall be Marie Antoinette. It was once Henry the VIII and all his ladies, but I’ve read the best books about those women, though there is a new one coming out that I think I will have to purchase.

Marie Antoinette is now a movie written by Sofia Coppola, which explains my recent interest. But I find her fascinating. She was disliked by the French when she was Princess and utterly loathed when she was Queen. The French court was nearly bankrupt when she became Queen and it was totally bankrupt by the time she was killed for her “crimes.” The Parisians and the Revolutionaries blamed her entirely for all of their hardship. While they were struggling to buy bread, she had a new wardrobe every year for the first few years of her reign, and she redecorated the palace at least as often. While she lived this lifestyle, they suffered, and they hated her for it.

Of course, that was their perception. From what I’ve read, she did start her career lavishly, but later on the King informed her that she had to discontinue, as they were approaching bankruptcy. They even sold some of her jewels to pay off debts. And while the book I’m reading notes she had affairs, I’m not entirely surprised by that. But what may (or may not have been) one affair, the people saw as several and called her bad names.

Now, I am not an authority on this woman. I’m going to finish reading the book I’m reading now, and then purchase the Marie Antoinette that inspired the movie Sofia Coppola. And then I’ll know much more.

But from what I’ve read so far, this poor young girl, taken from her home at 13 and married to a man who was not warm or quick or elegant, was blamed for everything that went wrong in France during her reign.

I find that fascinating.

Also - I read something really profound today, yet so simple. And it reminded me of how I should behave:

The things we dislike in others are the things we should make sure we better in our selves.

Sort of that whole Do Unto Others thing. If we remembered that every day the world would be a better place.