Marie-Antoinette: The Making of a French Queen

by John Hardman

A new look which fundamentally overturns our understanding of this famously "out of touch" queen

Who was the real Marie-Antoinette? She was mistrusted and reviled in her own time, and today she is portrayed as a lightweight incapable of understanding the events that engulfed her. In this new account, John Hardman redresses the balance and sheds fresh light on Marie-Antoinette’s story.

Hardman shows how Marie-Antoinette played a significant but misunderstood role in the crisis of the monarchy. Drawing on new sources, he describes how, from the outset, Marie-Antoinette refused to prioritize the aggressive foreign policy of her mother, Maria-Theresa, bravely took over the helm from Louis XVI after the collapse of his morale, and, when revolution broke out, listened to the Third Estate and worked closely with repentant radicals to give the constitutional monarchy a fighting chance. For the first time, Hardman demonstrates exactly what influence Marie-Antoinette had and when and how she exerted it.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, France, Royalty, Historical, 18th Century

376 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2019

About the author

John Hardman is one of the world’s leading experts on the French Revolution and the author of several well-regarded books on the subject. He was formerly lecturer in modern history at the University of Edinburgh.

Reviews

[Colleen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really tried to read it. So many people to keep track of during her life. Gave it a good try, but in the end, gave up and skimmed last few chapters. And, ate some cake.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was dry but extraordinarily well researched and offered in a completely different view of this Queen from other biographers.
This rushes through her life at quite a speed and begins to slow down around the The Affair of the Necklace.
The author is a 'royalist' and I don't at all agree that these monarchs were even murdered.
Most court proceedings are biased and unfair. Usually that type of justice is limited to the unwanted populations of society.
I don't really care that those that normally benefit from a systems oppression are instead themselves oppressed and killed.
Oh well
Marie Antoinette was quite involved in the politics of the revolution and that's interesting.
Also the role of Madame Polignac as a tool of Louis XVI and friend and confidante of Marie Antoinette. This is interesting because often Polignac worked against Marie Antoinette FOR Louis XVI.
Much of this was enlightening and interesting. Much more complex and complicated than any biography I've read about her.
This is basically focusing on politics and a reader is expected to already be familiar with Marie Antoinette's life.
I'd say this is a good balance for Antonia Fraser's famous biography of her.
At the same the tone of the biographies are vastly different.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first biography of her that manages to handle both the featherhead she was for most of her life, and the woman Marie Antoinette became because of the crisis of 1787-88, and the Revolution from 1789 until 1792 and the September Massacres, when her ability to influence the course of events effectively ended. Hardman has written a curious but effective hybrid. His analysis of the alliance between Barnave and the Queen is very interesting. Antoinette had to balance her epistolary relationship with Barnave, which began after Varennes, with the sexual jealousy of Fersen. Hardman dismisses the idea that Fersen had anything to worry about as Barnave and the Queen were only in the same room once after he rode in the carriage with her that brought the family back from their attempted escape. He does think that the Queen probably flirted a bit with him for pragmatic reasons. However, Hardman accepts the idea that the Queen and Fersen had some kind of sexual relationship, and dates it from the death of Sophie Beatrix in 1786, when the Queen decided she did not want more children. Hardman is careful to explain that there will never be a way to "prove" this because the physical evidence is gone. On the other hand, he also makes the sensible observation that no 18th century woman would have entrusted the details of an affair to a letter. The Queen comes as close as possible with her extravagant protestations of love in letters that she never thought would see the light of day. When they did (thanks to a Fersen descendant) the compromising expressions were largely redacted. The unredacted versions have been published in this century, and for this reader at least they settle the question.

This is a scholarly book, but Hardman's style is also sprightly, which I didn't expect after reading his biography of Louis XVI. Some of his acid observations made me laugh out loud. So there's that.

Of interest to those who find the subject matter so, but the book is unlikely to change anyone's mind about the hapless Marie Antoinette. Either way.

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a really hard read. I got to about page 50 and was struggling to keep going. I hate not finishing a book. I got to about halfway and had to start skimming. It isn’t at all what I expected. I hoped this would be more of a biography and tell the story about how she became queen, but as another reviewer stated, it’s really more of a very highly detailed account of all the political goings on at French court with so many names referenced it makes your head spin. I was annoyed by the author’s use of unnecessarily academic word choices and French phrases without translation. I know I don’t have the broadest vocabulary, but I’m educated and I had to keep looking up these words and phrases. This turned reading into more of a chore or like studying for the GRE. Why use a $100 word, especially when its definition is one simple word, when a more relatable one will do?

The most interesting section of this book is on the Affair of the Diamond Necklace. That in and of itself, from a different author, would make a good book.

[Tony Cinque]

I did not finish the book. I am disappointed in myself for not reading it to the end. I only read about a quarter of it, and this represents the first book I started and was not able to finish.

And yet when I set out I really wanted to read a biography of Marie Antoinette that purports to show she exercised her intelligence and political nous, particularly during the period of the Revolution. And that she wasn’t a mere lightweight dizzy.

However, I found the tremendous detail of names upon names appearing in the circular narrative as tremendously burdensome, which (for me) took away from the flow of the story and started to make the experience a drudgery.

Who knows, I may go back to it one day. Perhaps….

[Moniek Bloks · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the morning of 2 November 1755, Empress Maria Theresa gave birth to her 15th child, a daughter named Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna - and she would go down in history as the French Queen Marie Antoinette. In 1770, she married the future King Louis XVI, and they would go on to have four children together - though two would tragically die young. As the French Revolution descended upon them, the family would be decimated. Only their daughter Marie Thérèse would leave France alive after many months of imprisonment. At 12:15 in the afternoon on 16 October 1793, Marie Antoinette was guillotined. Her last words were to the execution, on whose foot she had accidentally stepped. "Pardon me, sir, I meant not to do it."

Marie-Antoinette: The Making of a French Queen by John Hardman tries to show us an independent and powerful Queen, much misunderstood and ready for a fresh look at her life. However, she disappears from her own book by the introduction of so many different characters small and big. I was surprised to see her miscarriage skipped over in one line and I felt really disconnected from Marie-Antoinette while reading this. I just couldn't get into it, which I thought was a real shame as I had been really looking forward to this book.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting analysis marred by overwhelming number of references to obscure individuals. At times book felt like reading the Paris phone book.

[Stuart Miller · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you want a very detailed look into the political machinations of the French royal court in mid-to late 18th century, this book is for you. I got bogged down about a third of the way through and gave up. I have no doubt that it is accurate and very well researched, but it was just too much information about too many obscure figures for my taste.

[Zosi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. An interesting account of Marie Antoinette’s political involvements but the title is a bit misleading as this is not a biography as such. Much of her life before becoming queen is glossed over. As other reviewers have said she often gets lost among the more heavily political narrative of the ministers.

[lala🪻 · Rating 4 out of 5]

this one actually slayed

[Patricia · Rating 1 out of 5]

How can one make the life of such an interesting person be so boring??? So dry!

[Prudence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well researched but tedious. Way too much detail on policy, contracts, etc. Would’ve liked more personal details about Marie Antoinette herself.

[Carolyn Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A scholarly political biography of Marie Antoinette, which focuses on her influence on the French government during the reign of Louis XVI and the French Revolution. The author argues that her political acumen increased over time and that she played a key role in the constitutional monarchy. Hardman takes Marie Antoinette seriously as a historical figure and refutes many of the popular myths about her character and influence. However, the strong focus on Marie Antoinette's friends and associates, especially Barnave, Fersen and Polignac results in the queen herself sometimes getting lost in the narrative. A good analysis of late eighteenth century French politics but should be read alongside other biographies of Marie Antoinette for more context about the queen.

[Isobel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won’t lie, this book bored me quite badly. However there were parts within the book that I did find very interesting, such as reading about the famed diamond necklace affair, reading particularly about Axel Von Fersen & Antoine Barnave, the executions of both the king and queen and their escape plans within the revolution. This was my first historical read, and also my first pieces of information on Marie Antoinette, so I didn’t realise how politically heavy this book would be, so much of it I didn’t understand greatly.

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is more history than biography. It focuses mostly on Marie-Antoinette’s development as a politician leading up to and during the French Revolution, rather than on her life as a woman and a mother. The transitions from one subject to another were lacking, and the book often presented information in great detail without a lot of analysis. It’s a good resource for a scholar, but less interesting for a lay person.

[Anita Max Wyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a book you read for pleasure, it's a book you use for study. Whilst information packed it is dry, and was not as enjoyable as I had hoped.
For a book titled Marie Antoinette, it's focus seemed to stray from her, which is frankly bizarre.
Why not just write about french politics if you wanted that to be your main focus?

[Claire Carney · Rating 3 out of 5]

overall a great listen! I wish it would have had more about the end of her life (what I was expecting & waiting for) but I feel like I learned a lot!

[Kirsty L'Estrange · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging academic read which focuses on Marie-Antoinette's political role as Queen of France until her execution in 1793. This book is perfect for those with an interest in French history and politics, who already have some previous knowledge of revolutionary France.

[camryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well-written and well-researched, but hard to read if you had no knowledge of French politics beforehand.

[Julissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and I did enjoy the read. I studied the French Revolution and culture intensely from 2014-2020, but somehow never came across this book. This book focuses on Marie-Antoinette and her involvement in French politics and the large role she began to play in it. You can tell a lot of research went into this, with records and letters from key players being explored. The only reason why I do not give it a higher rating is because there were some points where Hardman just would repeat what was already stated a few chapters before, and it did become repetitive. Overall, this is a book that I wish I had when completing my undergrad European classes as it is full of information and evidence.

[Albert Eddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Marie-Antoinette: The Making of a French Queen" by John Hardman is an absolute triumph in historical biography! With meticulous research and a masterful narrative style, Hardman brings to life the enigmatic figure of Marie-Antoinette in a way that is both captivating and profoundly insightful.

From the very first page, Hardman transports readers to the opulent courts of 18th-century Europe, painting a vivid portrait of the young Austrian archduchess thrust into the glittering, complex world of Versailles. His attention to detail is nothing short of astonishing, immersing us in the politics, intrigues, and personal struggles that shaped Marie-Antoinette's journey from wide-eyed newcomer to the formidable Queen of France.

What truly sets this biography apart is Hardman's ability to humanize Marie-Antoinette. He deftly navigates through the myths and prejudices that have shrouded her legacy, revealing a woman of depth, intelligence, and resilience. Hardman peels back the layers of history to present a nuanced portrayal, showing us not only the Queen, but the person behind the crown.

Moreover, Hardman's prose is a delight to behold. His writing is elegant, yet accessible, making even the most complex political maneuvers and courtly machinations easily digestible for readers of all backgrounds. It's a testament to his skill as both a historian and a storyteller.

This book is a tour de force, a scholarly achievement that reads like a page-turning novel. It's a definitive work on Marie-Antoinette, one that will undoubtedly stand as a cornerstone in the field of historical biography for years to come. Whether you're a seasoned history enthusiast or a casual reader, "Marie-Antoinette: The Making of a French Queen" is an absolute must-read. Prepare to be transported through time and enthralled by the life of a queen like never before. Hardman has delivered a masterpiece that will leave an indelible mark on the world of historical literature.

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

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