
audiobook
by Mme. (Jeanne-Louise-Henriette) Campan
In these vivid memoirs, a senior lady‑in‑waiting recounts life at Versailles as the French Revolution looms. She describes the spring of 1791 when King Louis XVI, weary of the Tuileries, tried to flee toward Saint‑Cloud, only to be stopped by mutinous guards. The sudden confrontation forces the royal family back into their apartments, exposing the growing distrust between the crown and the city. Through her eyes we feel the tension that crackles through the palace corridors.
Meanwhile, Marie‑Antoinette turns her thoughts to a secret departure, and the narrator becomes her trusted agent for countless logistical tasks. From ordering gowns for the queen and her children to arranging a disguised dressing‑case meant for an Austrian archduchess, every detail reveals the queen’s desperate attempt to secure a safe exit. Campan’s meticulous records expose both the extravagance and the anxiety of a court on the brink. Listeners are drawn into a world of whispered orders, hidden wardrobes, and a looming escape that could change France forever.
Full title
Memoirs of the Court of Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, Volume 6 Being the Historic Memoirs of Madam Campan, First Lady in Waiting to the Queen
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (163K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2004-12-04
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1752–1822
A sharp-eyed witness to the fall of the French court, she moved from serving Marie Antoinette to shaping a new generation of students. Her life joins palace drama, revolution, and a lasting reputation as an educator and memoirist.
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