Marie De Fête…Day Three…Marie Antoinette at Christmas time…
Welcome to Marie De Fête day four! When I announced this event, I emphasized that it was a Holiday event. Well…have you ever wondered what Marie Antoinette did during Christmas time? She was from Austria…and one of the things she introduced in France was the a sleigh. But I am going to let my very well-known writer friend Chaterine Delors, the author of Mistress of the Revolution, to tell you in her own words the whole story…She contributed with the fabulous image above.
Catherine says:
Christmas in the 18th century was not the holiday we know these days. Of course, the religious celebration of the holiday of the Nativity of Christ was the same, but gifts, know as étrennes, were not exchanged until the 1st of January. It remains that people liked to take advantage of the pleasures of the season. Marie-Antoinette, then a young woman of twenty, took this opportunity to enjoy the sleigh rides she had known as a child in Vienna. I propose we go back to the Memoirs of her First Chambermaid, Madame Campan on the topic.
The winter following the confinement of the Comtesse d’Artois [1775-76] was very severe; the recollections of the pleasure which sleighing-parties had given the Queen in her childhood made her wish to introduce similar ones in France.
This amusement had already been known in that Court, as was proven by sleighs found in the stables, which had been used by the Dauphin, the father of Louis XVI. Some were made for the Queen in a more modern style. The Princes also ordered several; and in a few days there was a fair number of these vehicles around. They were driven by the princes and noblemen of the Court. The noise of the bells and pompoms with which the horses’ harnesses were decorated, the elegance and whiteness of their plumes, the varied shapes of the carriages, the gold with which they were all trimmed, made these parties a delight for the eye. The winter was very favorable to them, the snow remaining on the ground nearly six weeks; the drives in the park afforded a pleasure shared by the spectators.
No one imagined that any blame could attach to so innocent an amusement. But the party was tempted to extend its drives as far as the Champs-Elysées; a few sleighs even crossed the boulevards; the ladies being masked, the Queen’s enemies took the opportunity of saying that she had traveled through the streets of Paris in a sleigh.
This became a momentous issue. The public discovered in it a predilection for the habits of Vienna; but all that Marie Antoinette did was criticized. Sleigh-driving, smacking of the Northern Courts, found no favor among the Parisians. The Queen was informed of this; and although all the sleighs were kept, and several subsequent winters lent themselves to the amusement, she would not resume it.
It was at the time of the sleighing-parties that the Queen became intimately acquainted with the Princesse de Lamballe, who made her appearance in them wrapped in fur, with all the brilliancy and freshness of the age of twenty, the image of spring, peeping from under sable and ermine.
Catherine Delors
Catherine Delors has a new book coming out in the Summer of 2010 called “For the King”. I want you to read all about it on her website right here. She also writes a great blog called “Versailles and more”, here …there is so much to read …amazing stories…
Remember to return later today for another post on a new Marie inspired surprise…Marie De Fête Day Three. The Surprise Giveaway will be announced at anytime…
If you missed the prior post, it’s right here.
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I can just imagine the joy she felt on that first French sleigh ride and the happy memories it must have brought her. It’s just so sad that even simple pleasures became a problem for her too. But what a beautiful sight that must have been gliding across the frozen gardens of Versailles! ~ xo Joy
Great post and a lovely picture!
Madame de Genlis, who attended Marie Antoinette’s sleighing parties, wrote a description of them:
The Queen introduced sleighing parties, which were organised like this: the Queen invited the women she wanted to be there. When she invited the princesses, she sent a page to convey her personal invitation to those of the princesses’ ladies-in-waiting it pleased her to choose; usually she only asked one at a time. Everyone met at the Queen’s at midday for luncheon; all the men dined together in another room. The Queen never ate in the company of men when the King was not present. The Queen had all the ladies seated at her table. We had quite a long lunch-dinner; then, we went into a salon where we rejoined all the men. Then, as one had to be escorted by lords, as people said in those days, the Queen and the princesses named those who would escort them, and all the ladies relied on chance and drew lots; a very prudent custom which avoided the inconveniences of favouritism and malicious gossip. We went from Versailles to country houses, to La Muette, to Meudon, etc. There, we descended from the sleighs, went into a salon, got warm, chatted for three-quarters of an hour or an hour; after that, we got back into the sledges and returned to Versailles.
Translated from Mme de Genlis, De l’esprit des etiquettes, Mercure de France, 1996
Mme de G doesn’t say anything about MA giving up the sleigh parties due to criticism, but then, she didn’t like MA very much!
Poor Marie Antoinette, just wanting to bring a little pleasure to life and being criticized all the time.
Lorrie
So, sad . .. That such an innocent thing could be misunderstood, and make Marie a villian again! She really did not stand a chance in the court of France. I have been facinated by these unknown storiess the last few days. Thank you, to the wonderful authors!
Nancy
I’m so glad that Marie Antoinette did celebrate Christmas in their own way.
Remember how I told you that looking at pictures sometimes inspires me.Well…I’m going to make this scene of Marie in a sled.I just got the inspiration…LOL.
Marie Antionette
I love your blog and Marie! Grace
Oh I love sleding! I love the picture of Marie in her gorgeous sleigh, oh to have lived back then with all the gorgeous clothing and decorations. I did not know that they exchanged on January 1st, interesting. Hope you have a great day!
~Molly P