*Photo available thanks to encarta.com* >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Marie-Antoinette of Hapsburg-Lorraine (1755–1793) Daughter of Maria Theresa, who was all-powerful and reigned in Vienna. France and Austria settled their differences in just seven years before Marie, the Australian Archduchess, was married to Louis XV’s Grandson, Louis XVI. This created and sealed and alliance between these two powerful Countries, yet the marriage was in some way still unnatural. Marie was fifteen years old, while Louis was sixteen at the time of the marriage, but both were neglected until seven years before their wedding. Their marriage created a time of festivity and the Opera became quite popular after the celebration of the new couple took place there. Maria Theresa took no heed, toward her daughter Antonia, who later was called Marie Antoinette. She put all her skills to work on her other children, and planned on one of them becoming powerful like her. When she realized Antonia was going to be queen…she started to teach her things, like the French fashions, and how they act, and walk. She spent seven years teaching her daughter things that would make her fit in the court. She never expected that her daughter would lack the skills she had, like diplomatic and how to run a Country, they only found out too late, when Antonia could no longer do anything to save her life. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Meanwhile in France, Louis’ brother had been taught all the skills to be king, but being a premature child, he died an early death. Louis, hated court life, and would spend his time doing things he liked, and was never taught how to rule, he was only taught how to act towards his Queen to be, and other smaller details needed to be King. His Grandfather died before he could learn everything. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> When King Louis XV died, Marie and Louis XVI exclaimed, 'Protect us, Lord, for we reign too young.' And indeed they where, Marie was eight-teen, and her husband nineteen, neither knew how to run a Country. Louis, had Marie do all the entertainment, and so she did. She helped bring the arts in France to an all time high, though, she didn’t do much for the people, and thus, causing it so they couldn’t afford to see the shows, and making them hate her more. Her most important task would be, of course, bring an heir to the world. This task however, would take nearly eleven years to fulfill. When she gave birth to the first Dauphin, a girl, and her youthful heedlessness, she brought an ill will upon herself. Even though, later she devoted herself to her four children. Marie Theresa, the Madam Royale, was the Eldest child, Princess of France. Later, Louis Joseph, the Dauphin of France was born, who later died of Bourbone tuberculosis four years before his parents execution. Next was Louis Charles, Duke of Normandy, became Dauphin when his brother died. The youngest was Sophie Helene; she died suddenly at 11 months old. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Marie, tired to forget she was Queen of France, by becoming friends with people, and being more relaxed. She would go to the different Operas, and buy many things, just like when she was at home in Austria. This causes a lot of problems, because she was no longer fulfilling her duties as Queen of France, which later caused her problems when the people turned on her, the Court didn’t care that much, but when they turned on the King they fought back. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>The King was executed first on January 21,1793, while Marie and her two surviving children, Louis Charles, and Madame Royale, were locked up together. On October 16, 1793 a woman in a ragged black dress was next to be tried. She was prisoner umber 280, an also called the Widow Capet, she was indeed, Marie Antoinette. She was led to the guillotine, and her final words were ‘Pardon me, Monsieur, I did not mean to do it.’ For she had stepped on the executioner’s foot. From September 1793 to July 1794, the execution on Marie Antoinette and fifteen thousand other enemies of the revolution was marked down in history as the Reign of Terror. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Madame Royale was released in December in 1795, following her mother’s execution, when the Revolutionaries, agreed with Austria the release of some of the prisoners Austria held, for the life of the girl. Madame Royale married Louis Antoine, the eldest son of Charles, Count d'Artois, her Fathers youngest brother. She died in 1851, never giving birth to a child………………..Louis Charles, however, while in jail, he became ill with tuberculosis in the bones and a severe skin disease. He died, two years after his parents were executed, in the fortress prison called, Temple, on June 8, 1795, before he could claim his throne. In 1799, French Commander of the Army, Napoleon Bonaparte declared himself the new ruler of France.