Histoire de Marie-Antoinette

A vivid portrait emerges of the Austrian archduchess who, as a teenager, was thrust onto the French stage amid the shifting alliances of mid‑eighteenth‑century Europe. Drawing on diplomatic correspondence, marriage negotiations and intimate family letters, the narrative traces her upbringing in Vienna, the political calculus that linked the Bourbon and Habsburg courts, and the solemn journey that brought her to the French capital.

Once in France, the young dauphine navigates the elaborate rituals of Versailles, encounters the court’s colorful personalities, and begins to shape her own role within the royal household. The author weaves together freshly published documents and unpublished memoirs, offering listeners a richly textured view of court life, fashion, and the delicate balance of power that defined her early years. This carefully sourced account invites you to hear the sounds of a bygone era while following the first steps of a figure destined to become one of history’s most debated queens.