On 5 October 1789, life was proceeding as usual at Versailles. Marie Antoinette was spending the day at the Petit Trianon while Louis was out hunting in the woods. His hunt was interrupted when an urgent message arrived from the Minister of the Royal Household, saying that there had been “events.” In fact, a march [read more]
On 21 September 1792, the National Convention of France announced that the French monarchy had been abolished and that the French First Republic was born. At the time, Marie Antoinette and her family were imprisoned in the Temple, and they learned the news from the town criers that evening. King Louis ignored it and continued [read more]
Yolande Martine Gabrielle de Polastron was born to parents Jean François Gabriel de Polastron and his wife Jeanne Charlotte Hérault on the 8th of September 1749. Though her first name was Yolande, she went by the name Gabrielle, which I will use throughout the article. Gabrielle was born into an aristocratic family, and her father [read more]
Read part two here. Just two days after the King’s death, Jeanne was banished to the Abbaye de Pont aux Dames on the orders of the new King. Marie Antoinette wrote to her mother, “Everyone with the name of du Barry has been banished from court.” Even her mother was shocked at her daughter’s behaviour [read more]
Read part one here. The court of Versailles was plunged into mourning with the death of Queen Marie on 24 June 1768. Although King Louis XV apparently showed genuine remorse for her death, he was quickly roused from his sorrows by Jeanne. However, she could not be officially introduced at court, and reportedly, Louis was [read more]
Françoise de Choiseul was born on 8 December 1766 as the daughter of Jacques Philippe de Choiseul, Duke of Stainville and Marshal of France, and Thérèse de Clermont. She was described as a “delicate girl, fair-skinned, with pale hair set off by violet eyes, and had a charming manner.” On 6 April 1782, she married [read more]
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