Maria Antonietta, from hated queen to iconic woman

Movistar Plus+ approaches the figure of a remarkable woman with a controversial biography like Marie Antoinette. The series of the same name, created and written by Deborah Davis (The Favorite), shows, through her inner voice, the life of a young, modern and pioneering queen, played by the German Emilia Schule (Ku’damm 56/63). This new version, which debuts on the platform today, has received criticism in France for taking too much license and not fully adapting to the facts, in addition to telling a vision of the 21st century. However, all this makes it an entertaining series, for which a second season has already been confirmed.

The story told in this first novel begins when Marie Antoinette, at the age of fourteen, leaves her native Austria to marry the Dauphin of France. The purpose of this union is to provide an heir to the crown that will secure the alliance between the two countries. But things at court will not be easy for her, as she will be received as a foreigner and will have to endure the intrigues of a certain political family. Moreover, her husband, a shy and withdrawn person, will not show any interest in her. Living in this dark, manipulative and misogynistic world will make him mature quickly, which will help him fight his enemies, find allies and bear the pressures of ensuring the continuity of the dynasty. However, her natural charm and impeccable taste in fashion will eventually make her an icon and a woman ahead of her time.

Busy life (and death).

The true story of Marie Antoinette, whose full name was Maria Antonia Josephina Johanna of d’Absburg-Lorraine, was born in Vienna in 1755 and the fifteenth and penultimate daughter of Emperor Francis of the Holy Roman Empire and Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. The story begins when she married the Dauphin and later King Louis XVI of France in 1770 at the age of 14.

When she arrives at the court of Versailles, she arouses jealousy and envy for her youth, intelligence and beauty, and is soon nicknamed l’autre-chienne (which in Austrian terms sounds like another dog). Likewise, she is hated by the people, who accuse her of being extravagant, vanity and of directing her husband towards Austrian interests. Other nicknames she receives are Madame Deviset and the Austrian Wolf. The dolphin does not help to make her days any more bearable, for being so introverted, the marriage does not take place for seven years.

However, she had three children – Maria Theresa, Luis Josep and Luis Carles (Louis XVII) – but only the girl reached adulthood. Then came an intense reign full of scandals, such as the queen’s alleged purchase of an expensive necklace, which she denied (and which Napoleon considered the beginning of the French Revolution), as well as the fact that the rule was attributed to her, apparently never having uttered it (it is said that when people complained of hunger for lack of flour, she replied: “Let them eat cake”).

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Escape and execution

A series of political events led to the king’s flight, known as the Flight of Varennes, in which the king himself was deposed, the monarchy was abolished in 1792 and the family ended up in prison. The king was executed, and nine months later, Marie Antoinette was tried for treason and executed by guillotine in 1792, much to the delight of a population that had always despised her. Some historians debate whether her frivolity contributed to the increased unrest during the beginning of the French Revolution, while others believe that she was treated unfairly. What is certain is that her life (and tragic death) made her part of popular culture and a relevant historical figure, which the Movistar Plus+ series will recreate from those 14 years in which it all began