The French Revolution is deeply linked to the individuals, and the King and the Queen do not infringe on that rule. The personalities of the sovereigns', by which we mean their characters, the values they embody and how they were seen in public opinion, determined, among others the increasing radicalization of the Revolution. We will focus on the influence of the royal couple on the course of the revolutionary events. Before the time of the great depreciation of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, (they were not already crowned King and Queen) the royal couple used to be acclaimed by the people. On June 8th of 1773, the newlyweds made a brief appearance on the large balcony of the Tuileries to the cheering of the crowd. They were at the height of their popularity at that time, but this did not last. Marie-Antoinette, who was not French, revealed her pleasure to her mother in her letters, and significantly proved that she was aware of the difficult situation of her subjects: "I was very touched by the affection and the attentiveness of those poor people who, despite the taxes which crush them, demonstrated transports of joy on seeing us".
[...] These attacks intensify during the Revolution and reach a peak with the demand for freedom of the press in the end of 1789. The prestige of the monarchy is deeply affected and the destruction of the sacred aura surrounding the sovereigns plays an important role during the Revolution. For example, the deterioration of the image of the Queen is striking in the satirical tracts –and at the same time, in the official titles given to her by the Assembly first and by the Convention during her trial then: they name her, “Marie-Antoinette de Lorraine d'Autriche”, then “Antoinette d'Autriche” and eventually “Antoinette” ; some lampoons even name her “Toinon”. [...]
[...] Besides, Parliaments, especially the Parliament of Paris, do not hesitate to express their opposition by using their “droit de remonstrance”, and freezing some necessary reforms, such as Calonne plan. Louis does not manage to exercise his authority over them, so he is compelled to exile them in 1787 (“Révolte nobiliaire”) but he eventually revokes the exile and accepts they come back to Paris. That event is significant because it reveals the failure from the nobility and the King to stand together, and that inner divisions could only make easier the advent of the revolutionary age. [...]
[...] - cast by the people on the Queen, and with the Revolution, “the symbol of Marie-Antoinette as a wicked queen has a power of unification” And we know how the Revolution needs symbols to create a consensus and meet supports. The myth of a debauched queen was so powerful that it even survives to the death of its support, “the myth feeds on the inside” The Queen was accused of all the depravities: lesbianism, nymphomania, bestiality, even incest. She was also accused of having poisoned Mirabeau, her own son (dead in July 1789) and to make attempts to poison Louis XVI lampoon called “Le Déclin du Sang Royal et l'Empoisonnement de Louis XVI, Roi des Français”, 1791). [...]
[...] Lastly, another trait of Marie- Antoinette reveals how she contributes to the degradation of her image : she innovates in the way of representation by honouring fashion – through her dresses, hairstyles- and especially by allowing artists in vogue – but of modest descent - to approach her, such as Melle Bertin, her favourite dressmaker. That way of life led some historians to think about Marie- Antoinette as the first “modern princess”. But in the 1790 decade, she was harshly criticized for her decadent and expensive lifestyle. Besides she was associated in the collective imagination with the former favourite of Louis XV, Madame Du Barry, who was highly despised by the Court for her common descent and by people who did not see in her much more than a prostitute. [...]
[...] Then, we will focus on each individual because they affect and are affected by the Revolution in different ways: first, Marie-Antoinette, who had some influence on her husband and then Louis XVI. I. How both Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI had an influence on the Revolution : the royal couple or the slow death of the monarchy 1. An unwise sense of politics Louis and Marie-Antoinette share the same characteristic: they are easily manipulated and as a matter of fact, they usually are. [...]
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