All About Royal Families

On the morning of July 14th. 1789, people stormed the Bastille. The Bastille was a medieval fortress and prison in Paris. The Storming of the Bastille marked the start of the French Revolution. Source picture: Wikipedia King Louis XVI was informed by the Duke de la Rochefoucauld about this. The King asked: is this a revolt? The Duke answered: No, Sir, it is a revolution. On October 6th. 1789, King Louis XVI and his family were forced to leave Versailles. They were kept under surveillance in the Tuileries Palace in Paris. Tuileries Palace - Source: Wikipedia In 1791, the Royal family tried to escape. In Varennes they were arrested again. On January 21st. 1793, Louis XVI of France was executed. Marie Antoinette became Widow Capet. The former Queen was plunged in a deep mourning after his death . She was taken captive in the Conciergerie in Paris and was known as prisoner no. 280. Conciergerie Palace - Paris

Beautiful clothes, jewelry, palaces and other buildings... Queen Marie Antoinette had it all. Queen Marie Antoinette - Source: Wikipedia Such things costed a lot of money. Queen Marie Antoinette received the nickname Madame Déficit. Some buildings (palaces) for the queen: 1/ Petit Trianon Versailles - Petit Trianon - Source picture: Wikipedia The Petit Trianon was ordered by Louis XV for his mistress Madame de Pompadour. Louis XVI gave it to Marie Antoinette for her exclusive use and enjoyment. 2/ Queen's Hamlet or in French Hameau de la Reine Farmhouse - Source picture: Wikipedia This was a village in Versailles built around 1875. The village contained a farmhouse, a mill and a tower in the form of a lighthouse. Queen Marie Antoinette wanted to life as a peasant woman, far away from the protocol. Since 1990's this is renovated and open for public.

On May 16th. 1770, the Wedding of Louis (then Dauphin of France) and Marie Antoinette took place at the Royal Palace of Versailles. Palace of Versailles - Source: Wikipedia The bride wore a dress designed by Rose Bertin. Rose Bertin opened a shop on the Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris. Painting of Rose Bertin - Source: Wikipedia The French people were against this alliance between France and Austria. Marie Antoinette was seen as a unwelcome foreigner. Besides that, the young weds had an aimable but distant marriage. Later the two became closer. They had 4 children: - Marie-Thérèse- Charlotte - Louis-Joseph- Xavier-François - Louis-Charles - Sophie-Hélène-Beatrix Queen Marie Antoinette and her children - painting - Source: Wikipedia

On October 20th. 1740, Maria Theresa took the throne and became Queen of: Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria, Galicia and the Austrian Netherlands. Own picture of a Statue of Maria Theresa taken in Vienna (Austria) If you want to know more about her, check the page 'House of Habsburg' on top of my blog or on this link .