Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles, Austria-France, 1769

The Royal Diaries

by Kathryn Lasky

Newbery Honor author Kathryn Lasky's MARIE ANTOINETTE is back in print with a gorgeous new package!

To forge an incredibly powerful political alliance, thirteen-year-old Marie Antoinette of Austria is betrothed to Dauphin Louis Auguste, who will one day be the king of France. To prepare her for this awesome responsibility, she must be trained to write, read, speak French, dress, act . . . even breathe. Things become more difficult for her when she is separated from her family and sent to the court of Versailles to meet her future husband. Opinionated and headstrong Marie Antoinette must find a way to fit in at the royal court, and get along with her fiancé. The future of Austria and France falls upon her shoulders. But as she lives a luxurious life inside the palace gates, out on the streets the people of France face hunger and poverty. Through the pages of her diary, Marie captures the isolation, the lavish parties and gowns, her struggle to find her place, and the years leading up her ascendance of the throne . . . and a revolution.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Middle Grade, Childrens, Fiction, France

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 30, 2000

About the author

Kathryn Lasky, also known as Kathryn Lasky Knight and E. L. Swann, is an award-winning American author of over one hundred books for children and adults. Best known for the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series, her work has been translated into 19 languages and includes historical fiction, fantasy, and nonfiction.

Reviews

[Debbie W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my daughters owns THE ROYAL DIARIES series - she absolutely loved them as a teenager! Upon reading them, I can see why young girls would enjoy these books. Written in (fictional) diary form, the reader gets a sense of what life may have been like for the royal female portrayed in each book. I especially appreciated the non-fiction portion (family tree, text, portraits/photos) following the "diary" section. Gilded pages add to the feeling of richness. This book was one of my favourites! I highly recommend this series for young readers, especially girls!

[Luna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aha, I loved this book when I was ten or eleven when it came out. I thought it was wonderful, and I loved the cover art (okay, so I still do- look at the detail on the back of the gown! Ahh!), and the golden pages and the historical details at the end. I was a history nut even then. And I went bonkers with the whole 'Pardon me, Monsieur, I did not mean to do it' line. I remember reading that to my dad, and him being quite unimpressed. I don't remember much about the actual story, but I loved the end of it.

Looking back, I'm glad my childhood self didn't enjoy the whole 'story' so much. There's a heap of historical inaccuracies, and Lasky even admits she added fictional aspects to the story. In some ways, this could be a good thing. It makes children more likely to read it, and more interested in history. That can't be a bad thing. However, it gives children an inaccurate view of history, and I remember being eleven years old and huffy with my father for pointing out that some things were wrong with the story.

I do like some things Lasky has done, though, by making Marie Antoinette just a very sheltered young girl who has no idea what's going on in the world around her. Both her and Louis were naive children who had no idea what the real world was and were naturally unfit to be King and Queen of France.

It's a fun read, but if given to a child, the inaccuracies should be explained.

[Bradley Hankins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be a good fictional book that one could use to introduce children into knowing about one of histories most infamous monarchs. Marie Antoinette has always had a soft spot in my heart, and even though a lot of reviews degrade this book as historically inaccurate, there are several historically accurate events and persons involved. Of course there is no way of knowing Marie Antoinette's innermost thoughts and opinions, but I believe this is a good work that blends fiction and non-fiction.

I will say that for the age group, the French terms should have pronunciations for those who do not know French. But, I did surprise myself in remembering the French terms and pronunciations after all these years (I have not taken a French course since college).

[Danica is Booked · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of my childhood favorites. I loved the royal diaries series. This was on my favorites growing up.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this aloud to my 9 year old and we so very much enjoyed it!

[Becks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable entry in the Royal Diaries series - my next favorite (so far) after Elizabeth I. Marie Antoinette's downfall is well known, so it was refreshing to see an interpretation of her thoughts and feelings before she became Queen of France. Once again, I found myself going down rabbit holes to learn more about the people portrayed in the book and I feel encouraged to pick up a longer work to learn more.

[Caitriona Riding · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book when I was younger and remember loving it! While I don't really "love" it anymore, I still enjoyed it.

I would recommend this for more of a tween/ young teen age more so than others just because I think it would be most pleasing to that age but I think older can also enjoy this book if your into these type of historical fiction books.

I did enjoy the epilogue a lot telling of the events that unfolded in history with our characters. I think the author did a good job at the end with explaining and making us feel some empathy for what happened due to their situation.

All in all this is an okay little book that I enjoyed just fine but in no way was it anything amazing. That being said this hardback is absolutely gorgeous and the pages are gold and I am in love with it.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series when I was a child, and I have been wanting to read the whole series now that I am an adult. This was one of my favorites as a child, and I still recommend this series (and this book) to kids. This series was responsible for my love of history.

Things I loved:
- This book is so pretty. The pages have that glittery gold outline and the cover is a pretty contrast of blue (my favorite color) and gold.
- I enjoy the historical facts that they include at the end of the book.
- I really loved the portraits of the historical figures that were in the book.

[#Ariella]

this book was a wonderful book (spoiler) at the end it was really sad because well she dies and nobody wants a sad story

[bblvetski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beaucoup mieux à partir de la 100e page, ça s'enchaîne assez rapidement. Toujours aussi fan du choix de papier pour cette collection, ça rajoute de la crédibilité à ces journaux fictifs !!
Je pense que j'ai trop grandi pour ces livres, mais c'était un plaisir quand même <3 qui permet d'approcher la figure de Marie-Antoinette d'un autre angle : celui de l'enfance, d'une jeune fille qui s'est retrouvée au pouvoir d'un pays à 14 ans (lunaire qd on y pense mdr)

[anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Formed me to the woman I am today

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick reread of this light Historical fiction to remind myself of the details of Marie Antoinette's life before the M.A. tea at the Tea Shoppe.

[Kezia · Rating 3 out of 5]

1. I did not realize this is not Marie Antoinette's actual diary.
2. I did not realize this was written for a youth/teen audience.
3. I am as dumb as little Maria Antonia, apparently.

I'm unclear why little MA was so terribly undereducated for a future monarch. After all, her mother ruled the HRE benevolently and diplomatically for decades. Her stateswomanship was much admired: "While other kingdoms make war, Austria makes marriages." Smart woman.

Nevertheless I'm glad to have read this evocative bit of historical fiction in the form of a fluffy diary engendering sympathy for MA by presenting her as a naive child bride, more interested in dolls and horses than in government. Major complaint about the afterword - how can one not include the fabled 'let them eat cake' (or 'brioche,' if you like)? Come on, sis.

[Negin Moradi · Rating 3 out of 5]

می‌خواستم جواب بدهم: مادر، کاملا درست است. من هیچ‌کس نیستم. من حتی هنوز زن هم نیستم، من یک دخترم و در حال حاضر امپراتیسی هستم که احساس ندارد، علائق و اوقات فراغت ندارد، سوارکاری نمی‌کند. امپراتوری‌ها دوستی ایجاد نمی‌کنند، فقط اتحاد می‌آورند.

ماری آنتوانت، آخرین ملکه‌ی فرانسه پیش از انقلاب کبیر، ملکه‌ای بود که عموم مردم از او متنفر بودند. جالب است که هرچه درمورد او خوانده بودم، ویژگی‌های بد او را توصیف می‌کرد اما این کتاب‌، اولین چیزی بود که از او بد نگفته بود. صرفا تلاش شده بود ماجرا را از زبان خود او شرح بدهد و چه جالب که پس از مطالعه‌ی کتاب، برای او تاسف خوردم.
یکی از مشکلات که در کتاب به خوبی توضیح داده شده بود، توجه عظیم امپراتوری‌ها به آداب و رسوم و توجه کمتر به کشورداری است. از زمانی که کودک بود، آموزش تمامی رسوم فرانسه را دیده بود و تا زمان ازدواج و حتی پس از آن، تمام جمعیت اطراف او به چهره و شیوه‌ی رفتار او توجه داشتند. اما زمانی که ملکه شد، ناگهان سیل عظیم کارها و امورات کشورداری به روی دوش او و لویی شانزدهم، که گمان نکنم آموزشی بهتر از همسرش گرفته بود، افتاد. البته باید قبول کرد که ماری آنتوانت کوتاهی‌های زیادی کرد اما با وجود این‌ها، این کتاب قسمت زیادی از نظر من نسبت به او را تغییر داد، گویا روح ماری آنتوانت پس از سال‌ها می‌خواهد برخیزد و فریاد بزند: من گناهی نداشتم. وی در تاریخ ۱۶ اکتبر ۱۷۹۳ به زیر تیغه‌ی گیوتین رفت.

اما می‌دانستم مجبور خواهم شد که تا ابد فوق‌العاده‌ باشم، چرا که ما همیشه جلوی چشم دیگران و مدام زیر نظر هستیم. من، چه خوشحال باشم چه ناراحت، همیشه باید بشاش باشم. باید دیگران را مسرور کنم تا هیچ‌کس نفهمد که من، این عروسک خیره‌کننده و درخشان، واقعا چه‌جور آدمی هستم.

[LobsterQuadrille · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Royal Diaries series is very hit-or-miss, being written by many different authors and sometimes telling about historical figures about whom little is known. But Kathryn Lasky has definitely produced the most consistently good books in the series, and for me Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles has always been a favorite! It still holds up to rereading after all this time, and Lasky knows how to use the diary format well so that it isn't dull and repetitious like some of the other Royal Diaries.

The young Marie Antoinette as imagined by Lasky is believable, imperfect, and sympathetic. I also appreciated that her character actually reflected some beliefs and values that were actually plausible for the time she lived in. Here it seems like Kathryn Lasky actually trusts young readers to understand cultural differences between our era and the 1700s, and I think this makes the story hold up well for older readers.

While my five-star rating is partly due to nostalgia, this story is actually well-crafted and believable, even with the often-tricky diary format. I was surprised at how good this book still is after not having read it for years, and for that I think my high rating is fully justified!

[Eleanor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another in the Royal Diaries series. Particularly notable is the recreation both of young Archduchess Antonia’s personality–fun-loving and kind, but not especially intellectual–and of Empress Maria Theresa’s relationships with her thirteen children, whom she clearly loved in her own way but each of whom was merely a pawn in the Holy Roman Empire’s consolidation and expansion. Lasky renders the young Antonia relatable and even sympathetic, though also motivated by principles that we no longer really recognize: the honour of an Empire, the pride of nobility.

[Chelsea Hagen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the book, it was extremely interesting. I love the writer’s words. I would like to know more about her children after her execution. I can’t wait to read Mary Queen of Scotland. I think it was insane to be married at 13. In my opinion she wouldn’t have been executed if she had been older and more wiser. It’s sad I don’t really think she meant to be the way she was she was just to young to help run France.

[Shanequa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars really - for the nostalgia this brings. I loved this book growing up. I've obviously outgrown this book now but I recognize I'm no longer the target audience. This was still a pretty enjoyable read as an adult though. It gave me a few laughs.

[Annika · Rating 3 out of 5]

I very much enjoy this kind of book, which focuses on a lesser known aspect of a well-known story. I know some if not most of it is fictional, but it's still fun to imagine Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI as the bashful young teenagers that they were.

[Isabelle✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember this series all had gold edges and I loved them :)

[Monica St. Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

fifty two book club 2022: read a middle-grade novel

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good middle grade fiction. I remember loving this in middle school and it definitely contributed to my love of historical fiction.

[Amelia (Taylors Version) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring.
There are much better ways to learn about Marie Antoinette.
However, If you like things written completely in letters you'll probably like this.
I don't know much about Marie Antoinette so I can't speak on whether this is or isn't historically accurate.

[An · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars for nostalgia.
I used to love this series growing up. Reading them as an adult I realize this is a very generous portrayal of Marie Antoinette. But hey, it's fictional after all, and I enjoyed the book despite the historical inaccuracies. Lasky’s writing is well suited to the journal format of this series and kept me engaged throughout. Overall, a great historical book for young readers.

[Erin Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as a young teenager and have been fascinated by Marie Antoinette and royalty ever since. I reread the book as an adult and it was still good! I think young readers who have interests in Queens throughout history will enjoy this book!

[Ana Mardoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marie Antoinette, Princess of Versailles / 0-439-07666-8

"Marie Antoinette" was the first Royal Diary I read and, as such, I have it to thank for hooking me on this wonderful series. Re-reading it again, years later, I have to confess that I still think that this is one of the best offerings in the series.

Many, perhaps most, readers will have limited knowledge of Marie Antoinette past vague recollections of cake. I was surprised and pleased to come to know her as a girl over the course of this book, as she struggles as a young girl with her natural inclinations towards youthful vacuousness and vanity. She seems desperately aware, on some level, that a proper queen should do and be more than she is - should accomplish something greater than card games and endless parties - but the system into which she is thrust forbids her to be anything more than a public novelty, right down to the nightly observations of the royal dinner, and the barbaric practice of crowding publicly into the private bedchambers to witness the birth of royal children.

The story of Marie Antoinette is shown here to be a tragic story of two young people who were doubly cursed with neither the inherent spirit nor the proper training to rule. The monarchy had been slouching into a terrible state of disrepair for generations, culminating in a court that cost heavily (with constant parties, expensive decorations, and fantastic expenses) and yet provided almost nothing. Young Marie, fresh from the small, simple, informal, and above all frugal court of Austria, is dazzled by the size of the court, shocked by the astonishing list of rules and regulations she must memorize (right down to who may hand her a nightgown), hurt by the frosty family politics she must navigate, and overwhelmed and eventually inured to the incredible amount of excess with which she is surrounded.

A strong woman, perhaps, might have taken the throne and affected some changes - cut expenses, perhaps, despite custom and appearances. Yet the Marie here is shown to be neither evilly indulgent nor strong enough to resist the pull of luxury - she is, in the end, just a normal girl placed in a situation that very few could handle. As such, this book is approachable to all readers for, though we sometimes cannot imagine being a princess, most of us can remember (or are currently experiencing, in the case of younger readers) the pitfalls of youth.

~ Ana Mardoll

[Jinny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really enjoyed this book about Marie Antoinette! I’ve always been a little fascinated with Marie Antoinette, she has a rather interesting life story … and of course, tragic as well. I’ve never been of the mindset that Marie Antoinette was an ignorant, frivolous queen who didn’t care for her subjects and peasants much, and I’m glad this book stresses the naivety of Marie Antoinette and how her upbringing shaped her. After all, being the 15th child, not many people would have expected such a grand future for her.

In this book, we only see Marie Antoinette as a preteen, which includes the time before she married her husband, and just a little bit of the time after. This book tells the story of the relationship between Marie Antoinette and her mother, her experience going from the Austrian court to the French court and her rivalry with Madame du Barry (Marie Antoinette’s father-in-law’s mistress). I think this book is definitely one of the best in this series. I think it has one of the more exciting or interesting plots in the series, especially the rivalry part, and it had an ending that left you thinking, “Wow, Marie Antoinette is going to make an amazing Queen!” Of course, in reality, her people did not really think so, but it’s a good way to end the book!

Apologies for the short review! It’s a short(ish) children’s book, and I liked it a lot, nothing to complain about here! If you want to venture into the Royal Diaries series, I highly recommend this one to start with (or Cleopatra or Anastasia, these three being my favourites).

[Faiza Sattar · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★☆☆ (3/5)

A selection of my favourite passages from the book

• We lay siege not through weapons of destruction but through marriages
• Remember, it is more important to become a Queen than remain a sister and a spinster.
• I am not a person. I am not even yet a woman. I am a girl who also happens to be an empire. Empires do not have feelings. Empires do not have interests or hobbies like riding or dancing. Empires don’t go wading. Empires don’t make friends, just alliances 
• Mama thinks that children are not precious because their deaths are so common. They are the disposable part of humanity
• The moon hung in the sky like a little scrap of fingernail. It was too little moon to cast so much light
• It is all etiquette. Our lives are just spectacles. We are like dolls, in a sense, to be observed and played with — often with cruel and deceitful intentions — in an unreal world
• To be liked by one’s servants, to be admired by one’s servants, is the mark of true nobility

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our oldest picked this book out at the library because it was about a princess. But when she saw how long the book was and how few pictures there were, she didn't want me to read it to her. I have studied quite a bit about France and thought I'd check it out myself. It's a quick read - I read it in about half a day - and it's an interesting fictional account of Antonia's life in Austria leading up to her marriage to Louis Auguste and then into the first few months or so of her life in France. It's a sad account of a life that is controlled from the day you are born, but it is also a young girl's private journal, with the emotion, hopes and dreams encapsulated within. Though I know it's fiction, the journal entries feel sincere, as if it's really coming from her. I hope our girls decide to check this series of books out again someday, perhaps when they are a bit older.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter and I have read a few of The Royal Diaries and have very much enjoyed each one. Even though this is a work of historical fiction the author clearly did her research into the life and times of Marie Antoinette, a young girl growing up in Austria under the critical eye of her mother the queen and extensively schooled in etiquette and all things French to become wife of future King Louis XVI. Teens and even adults who love history will enjoy this series; they are a wonderful addition to any middle or high school classroom or library to give students insight into times and cultures very different from their own.