Marie Antonia Habsburg was the youngest daughter of Empress Maria Theresa, ruler of the Habsburg empire, and her husband, Francis I, the Holy Roman Emperor. Wow. With a royal pedigree like that, what could possibly go wrong?
Paul Harvey
Before getting into “the rest of the story,” I want to give some credit where credit is due. I’ve used “the rest of the story,” in these Travel Letters on more than one occasion. But using “the rest of the story” to tell a story wasn’t my invention. It belongs to just one person – the great Paul Harvey.
When I was a kid, Paul Harvey was on the radio every week-day. At noon, I think. The way I remember it, he’d report on a few headlines, then do a short segment where he’d tell about something or someone of interest.
He’d talk about the subject of the day in his own special way, then before the end of the segment, he’d break for a commercial. After the commercial break, he’d come back with a surprise ending and say, “And now you know the REST of the story.”
I’d always try to arrange my schedule so I’d be near a radio when Paul Harvey came on. (In those days, if you missed it, you missed it). I was a fan. I hope Mr. Harvey, wherever he is, doesn’t mind me using his signature line from time to time.
And Now, Back to the Rest of the Story
As noted last time, in the 18th century, Maria Theresa was concerned about threats to the Habsburg empire posed by England and Prussia. She hoped to form a defensive alliance with France. Enter her youngest daughter, Maria Antonia.
Maria Theresa’s plan was to form a bond between the Austrian and French royal families. The ideal way to accomplish this would be to arrange the marriage of Maria Antonia to the heir to the French throne.
Negotiations started in February, 1770. They went according to plan. When negotiations concluded, the French king officially asked for the hand of Maria Theresa’s daughter, Marie Antonia, to marry his son. Success! Score one for Maria Theresa!
So Far, So Good
Maria Theresa replied to the king’s request, “She does.” There was no need for an “I do.” The bride and groom-to-be had nothing to say about the matter.
They married in April. No need for a fancy wedding. Or any wedding. The betrothed couple had yet to even meet each other. They signed the important papers, and that’s what counted.
Although the two youngsters hadn’t met, Maria Theresa had sent a miniature portrait of Marie Antonia to the king’s son. The Habsburg court painter had painted it two years earlier, when she was thirteen years old.
My guess is that detail was omitted in any correspondence from Maria Theresa. The French king’s son was probably thrilled to be getting fixed up with a “younger woman.”
In May, the Austrian royal family sent Maria Antonia on her way from her home in Vienna. At some point between Austria and France, Marie Antonia was officially handed over to her French lady in waiting – the person who would show her how things work in the French court.
Time to Meet the Family
A few days later, Maria Antonia met the French royal family, including the king and many of her new in-laws. Oh, and she met her new husband, too.
They held a lavish wedding ceremony, and that was that. Maria Antonia was fifteen years old.
The deal was done, and everyone was happy. Marie’s new husband, the king’s son and heir to the throne, was named Louis.
Unfortunately, he would become king Louis XVI – the king of France at the time of the French revolution.
When Marie Antonia moved to her husband’s country of France, she did her best to fit in. She changed her name to Marie Antoinette. She would become the Marie Antoinette everyone knows – the “Let them eat cake,” Marie Antoinette.
So in the long run, that particular marriage arrangement didn’t work out so well. And now, as the great Paul Harvey would say, you know the REST of the story.
To be continued…
