Marie Antoinette

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Authors: Kathryn Lasky

BOOK: Marie Antoinette
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Title Page

Vienna, Austria 1769

January 1, 1769

January 3, 1769

January 4, 1769

January 5, 1769

January 9, 1769

January 11, 1769

January 13, 1769

January 14, 1769

January 19, 1769

January 20, 1769

January 23, 1769

January 30, 1769

February 1, 1769

February 4, 1769

February 5, 1769

February 6, 1769

February 8, 1769

February 9, 1769

February 10, 1769

February 11, 1769

February 12, 1769

February 14, 1769

February 18, 1769

February 27, 1769

March 4, 1769

March 5, 1769

March 6, 1769

March 7, 1769

March 10, 1769

March 11, 1769

April 5, 1769

April 6, 1769

April 17, 1769

April 25, 1769

April 27, 1769

April 29, 1769

May 5, 1769

May 6, 1769

May 7, 1769

May 10, 1769

May 11, 1769

May 14, 1769

May 19, 1769

May 20, 1769

May 23, 1769

May 27, 1769

May 28, 1769

May 29, 1769

June 2, 1769

June 4, 1769

June 5, 1769

June 7, 1769

June 13, 1769

June 14, 1769

June 15, 1769

July 5, 1769

July 7, 1769

July 12, 1769

July 15, 1769

July 18, 1769

July 19, 1769

July 24, 1769

July 27, 1769

July 28, 1769

August 1, 1769

August 2, 1769

August 3, 1769

August 4, 1769

August 27, 1769

August 30, 1769

September 3, 1769

September 9, 1769

September 10, 1769

September 11, 1769

October 11, 1769

October 14, 1769

October 17, 1769

October 23, 1769

October 24, 1769

October 29, 1769

November 3, 1769

November 8, 1769

November 9, 1769

November 10, 1769

November 13, 1769

November 17, 1769

November 20, 1769

November 25, 1769

November 27, 1769

November 30, 1769

December 8, 1769

December 10, 1769

December 12, 1769

December 13, 1769

December 14, 1769

December 17, 1769

December 20, 1769

December 21, 1769

December 26, 1769

January 1, 1770

January 7, 1770

January 8, 1770

January 12, 1770

January 14, 1770

January 19, 1770

January 20, 1770

January 23, 1770

January 25, 1770

February 7, 1770

February 10, 1770

February 11, 1770

February 20, 1770

February 23, 1770

February 24, 1770

March 1, 1770

March 2, 1770

March 4, 1770

March 8, 1770

March 12, 1770

March 17, 1770

March 18, 1770

March 20, 1770

March 21, 1770

March 22, 1770

March 25, 1770

March 26, 1770

March 31, 1770

April 1, 1770

April 2, 1770

April 3, 1770

April 6, 1770

April 10, 1770

April 12, 1770

April 13, 1770

April 14, 1770

April 15, 1770

April 16, 1770

April 17, 1770

April 18, 1770

April 19, 1770

April 22, 1770

April 25, 1770

April 28, 1770

April 29, 1770

May 1, 1770

May 2, 1770

May 3, 1770

May 4, 1770

May 5, 1770

May 6, 1770

May 7, 1770

Later: Strasbourg

May 9, 1770

May 11, 1770

May 14, 1770

May 15, 1770

May 17, 1770

May 18, 1770

May 22, 1770

May 24, 1770

May 26, 1770

June 1, 1770

June 3, 1770

June 5, 1770

June 6, 1770

June 8, 1770

June 18, 1770

June 20, 1770

June 21, 1770

June 22, 1770

June 25, 1770

June 26, 1770

July 2, 1770

July 5, 1770

July 7, 1770

July 11, 1770

July 12, 1770

July 18, 1770

July 20, 1770

July 23, 1770

July 24, 1770

August 1, 1770

August 5, 1770

August 12, 1770

August 15, 1770

August 18, 1770

August 23, 1770

August 27, 1770

August 28, 1770

August 30, 1770

August 31, 1770

September 4, 1770

September 6, 1770

September 10, 1770

September 12, 1770

September 15, 1770

September 17, 1770

September 20, 1770

September 25, 1770

September 26, 1770

September 27, 1770

September 28, 1770

October 5, 1770

October 10, 1770

October 11, 1770

October 14, 1770

October 15, 1770

November 5, 1770

November 7, 1770

November 15, 1770

November 17, 1770

November 26, 1770

November 27, 1770

December 3, 1770

December 4, 1770

December 8, 1770

December 9, 1770

January 1, 1771

Epilogue

Life in Austria–France in 1769

Historical Note

The Habsburg-Bourbon Family

About the Author

Acknowledgments

Copyright

January 1, 1769
Hofburg Palace, Vienna, Austria
I do solemnly promise to write in this diary given to me by my tutor, Abbé de Vermond, if not every day, at least every week, even though writing is not easy for me. For I shape my letters poorly and do not too often know the proper spelling. Still, this is my resolution for the new year.
Yours truly,
Archduchess Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna, daughter of Maria Theresa of Habsburg, Empress of the Holy Roman Empire of the Germanic Nations, and the late Emperor Francis of Lorraine
January 3, 1769
My second time writing. I am keeping the resolution. Abbé de Vermond would be proud. I spelled the word
solemnly
correctly, too, I think. I am grateful to the Abbé for giving me this beautiful little diary. It is blue, the color of the sky, and has gold
fleurs de lis
engraved — the symbol of the French Court — or one of the many symbols. I must learn all the symbols of the French Court. I must learn French! Here now I shall list all the things I must learn over the next year:

• to write and read French (I speak it well, as it is the language of the Court here)

• gambling

• to dance in the French manner

• to walk, in the manner of the French Court, as if I float in the immense panniers, or side hoops, of the French ladies’ dresses

• to read better

• to write better

Why must I learn these things better than other girls my age, better than any of my sisters or brothers, of which I have fifteen? Why? Because I am to be Queen of France. More about that later. My hand and my brain are too tired to explain.
January 4, 1769
I now am refreshed so I shall explain. I am just thirteen and before I become Queen, I must first be what the French call the
Dauphine
. It is their word for the highest Princess in the land. The Dauphine is the wife of the Dauphin, the eldest son of the King. The French King is Louis XV. His son died. So now his eldest grandson is the Dauphin. His name is Louis Auguste. I am to marry him, probably next year. And when Louis XV dies, the Dauphin shall become King Louis XVI and I shall become Queen Marie Antoinette. Together we shall rule. But for now I am an Archduchess. I am thirteen and everyone calls me Antonia. I am not yet ready to be a Dauphine, let alone a Queen. Everyone tells me this at least sixteen times a day.
Here is a list of the people who tell me this:

• Mama, the Empress

• Countess Lerchenfeld, my Grand Mistress, or governess. I call her Lulu for short.

• Noverre, my dance instructor

• Monsieur Larseneur, the French hairdresser

• Abbé de Vermond, the French tutor

• many brothers and sisters

I am not ready because I do not write or read in my own language well, not to mention French. Although I am a better reader than a writer, I just hate to read. But I am not stupid. I think some thought I was stupid. But Abbé de Vermond told Mama that I am “clever” and that I am “capable of learning and eager to please” but that I am a bit lazy. He gave me this diary because he thought that if I had someplace private to put my innermost thoughts, I would be more eager to write and thus improve my awful handwriting and spelling. He promises never to read it and, best of all, never to tell Mama I am keeping it. That is important because Mama is very nosy. Extremely nosy. I spelled that word,
extremely
, right. The Abbé would be very pleased but he shall never see it, if he keeps his promise. And I shall keep mine to him to keep writing. It does become easier each day. I think soon I shall write some more about my innermost thoughts. I’ll make a list of the topics now for next time so I won’t forget.

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