Myths You Believe About Marie Antoinette

Since the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette has stood as the ultimate example of a cold, careless aristocrat, a depiction that's lived on for centuries in pop culture. But how much of it is true? Here are some myths you probably believe about Marie Antoinette.

Let's take a look at the most obvious myth about Marie Antoinette. Even if you're barely aware of the last queen of France, chances are good that you've heard at least one thing about her: that she said, "Let them eat cake."

You might be unsure of what this phrase even means, devoid of context. Well, as the story goes, someone informed the queen that the peasants of France were starving because they had no bread. The famous quote is supposed to have been her oblivious and privilege-clouded response.

However, as National Geographic points out, she never actually said this. This specific anecdote of an uncaring queen not understanding common people's hardships predates Marie Antoinette's time by decades and was attributed to a number of foreign queens before her. In fact, the original phrase comes from a probably fictional anecdote recounted by philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, though some believe he may have been referring to Maria Theresa, the Spanish-born queen married to King Louis XIV. As the story relates to Marie Antoinette, it was fabricated by one of her many political enemies to worsen her reputation among the impoverished people of France.

Watch the video to debunk more myths you believe about Marie Antoinette!

#MarieAntoinette #LetThemEatCake

Let them eat cake | 0:00
Heartless toward the poor | 1:19
She was an ice queen | 2:00
She was blonde | 2:47
She was French | 3:46
She bankrupted France with shopping | 4:39
She wore only the finest clothes | 5:41
She was obsessed with shoes | 6:51
She was promiscuous | 8:01
She held the real power | 8:46
An inevitable execution | 9:5