Marie Antoinette (Radio Edit)
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What are the origins of Marie Antoinette's myths?
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Thank you. Thank you.
Hello and welcome to You're Dead to Me, the Radio 4 comedy podcast that takes history seriously. My name's Greg Janna, I'm a public historian, author and broadcaster and today we are hopping into our hoop skirts and styling our hair in the French fashion as we travel back to 18th century France to learn about Queen Marie Antoinette and to help us separate myth from reality, we have two very special courtiers. In History Corner, she's Professor of French Studies at the University of Warwick. Her research focuses on French culture in the revolutionary and Napoleonic periods, especially plays, prints and novels. She's the author of Narrative Responses to the Trauma of the French Revolution. It's Professor Catherine Asbury.
Welcome, Kate. Thank you very much for inviting me. And in Comedy Corner, she's a stand-up comedian, actor and writer. You'll have seen her on all the TV, on Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week, Frankie Boyle's New World Order. Or maybe you heard her podcast, WTB, or her other podcast, Memory Lane. And you will definitely know her from our episodes on Hernán Cortés and Melintzin and on Emma of Normandy. It's Jen Barista. Welcome back, Jen. Thank you, Greg. I'm delighted to be back.
How did Marie Antoinette's upbringing influence her role as queen?
We have previously done, together, English history, Spanish history, Mexican history. Obvious question, do you parlez-vous Francaise?
No. Un petit peu. I don't want to get into it because I don't want to embarrass Kate. Or yourself, Greg. Thank you. But I am very excited about this particular episode, not least because it is French history. What a joy. But because I actually know who this person is. And this is the first time I've been invited onto the show with a historical figure whose name I recognise. So I'm delighted.
Marie Antoinette, you know the name. So do you know some of the story?
Look, I know the story that was told when I was a child. And I think most of the myths around Marie Antoinette are, as we learned later as an adult, are complete lies. So I'm going to say almost everything I know about this historical figure is not true. So I'm really intrigued to hear the truth. So what do you know?
This is the So What Do You Know, where I guess what you, our lovely listener, might know about today's subject, and I bet you all shouted, let them eat cake!
What challenges did Marie Antoinette face in her marriage?
She didn't say it, come on. You may have seen Sofia Coppola's fabulous 2006 film Marie Antoinette with a punk rock soundtrack starring Kirsten Dunst, or the most recent Marie Antoinette TV drama series on the BBC. Of course, you might also remember the shocking Grammy Award winning performance by heavy metal titans Gojira at the 2024 Paris Olympic Opening Ceremony, accompanied by numerous decapitated Marie Antoinettes in blood red dresses. Marie Antoinette is a modern pop culture icon. But what was her life really like? How did an Austrian princess become France's doomed queen? And how many dresses did she really own? Let's find out. All right, Professor Kate, let's start at the beginning. When and where was Marie Antoinette born and was that her name?
So, the Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria was born on 2nd November 1755, the 15th child of 16 of the Empress Maria Theresa, ruler of the Habsburg dynasty from 1740, and father Emperor Francis I. Her mother, Maria Theresa, was a political powerhouse and played a huge role in managing military and diplomatic affairs. In 1756, she made a momentous alliance with Austria's age-old enemy, France, reversing 200 years of hostility. At court in Vienna, they spoke German, French and Italian, and Maria Antonia grew up sliding between being called Antonia and Antoine. All the girls in the family had Maria as a first name, so they tended to avoid that.
They were all called Maria?
They were all called Maria. It was a family tradition. The girls all had Maria as a first name.
So how do you solve a problem like Maria? LAUGHTER
How did Marie Antoinette's lifestyle impact her popularity?
You use the second name. Because she was also one of the youngest in the family, she was also referred to as Antoinette, which is the French diminutive, meaning little Antoine.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What are the origins of Marie Antoinette's myths?
0:00–1:41
2
How did Marie Antoinette's upbringing influence her role as queen?
1:41–2:50
3
What challenges did Marie Antoinette face in her marriage?
2:50–4:22
4
How did Marie Antoinette's lifestyle impact her popularity?
4:22–5:05
5
What role did Marie Antoinette play in French politics?
5:05–5:44
6
How did the Diamond Necklace Affair affect Marie Antoinette's reputation?
5:44–6:53
7
What were the key events leading to the French Revolution?
6:53–7:44
8
How did Marie Antoinette's life end and what legacy did she leave?
7:44–29:24
Speakers
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