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Marie Antoinette (14) marries future King Louis XVI (15) of France

Marie Antoinette was the queen of France from 1774 until the fall of the monarchy in 1792 and her subsequent execution during the French Revolution. Born an archduchess of Austria, she was the…

Marie Antoinette was the queen of France from 1774 until the fall of the monarchy in 1792 and her subsequent execution during the French Revolution.

Born an archduchess of Austria, she was the penultimate child and youngest daughter of Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis I of the Holy Roman Empire. She married Louis Auguste, Dauphin of France, in May 1770 at age 14, becoming the Dauphine of France. On 10 May 1774, her husband ascended the throne as King Louis XVI, and she became queen.

As queen, Marie Antoinette became increasingly a target of criticism by opponents of the domestic and foreign policies of Louis XVI and those opposed to the monarchy in general.

Historical Significance

Marie Antoinette was the queen of France from 1774 until the fall of the monarchy in 1792 and her subsequent execution during the French Revolution.

Key People

Marie Antoinette

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Louis XVI

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Events Before

  1. Augustus FitzRoy, English Duke of Grafton divorces the Duchess of Grafton, (formerly Hon. Anne Liddell) by an Act of Par

    Augustus FitzRoy, English Duke of Grafton divorces the Duchess of Grafton, (formerly Hon. Anne Liddell) by an Act of Parliament

  2. Captain James Cook lands in New Zealand for the first time near present-day Gisborne on the East Coast of the North Isla

    Captain James Cook lands in New Zealand for the first time near present-day Gisborne on the East Coast of the North Island. A misunderstanding, possibly over a ceremonial challenge, causes the English to shoot and kill Ngāti Oneone leader Te Maro. [1]

  3. Louis-Antoine de Bougainville's expedition of two ships completes first French circumnavigation of the world arriving i

    Louis-Antoine de Bougainville's expedition of two ships completes first French circumnavigation of the world arriving in Saint-Malo, France (also carried 1st woman to circumnavigate the world, Jeanne Baré) [1]

  4. Madame du Barry becomes French King Louis XV's "official" mistress

    Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (French: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774.

  5. A transit of Venus is followed five hours later by a total solar eclipse, the shortest such interval in history

    A transit of Venus is followed five hours later by a total solar eclipse, the shortest such interval in history

Events After

  1. Political activist Thomas Paine (34) weds second wife Elizabeth Ollive

    Political activist Thomas Paine (34) weds second wife Elizabeth Ollive

  2. King of France Louis XVIII weds princess Maria Giuseppina of Savoy at the Palace of Versailles

    King of France Louis XVIII weds princess Maria Giuseppina of Savoy at the Palace of Versailles

  3. Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn scandalously marries commoner and widower Anne Horton, displeasing Georg

    Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn scandalously marries commoner and widower Anne Horton, displeasing George III, leading to the Royal Marriages Act of 1772

  4. Chemist Antione Lavoisier (28) marries Marie-Anne Paulze (13), the couple go on to make major discoveries in chemistry t

    Chemist Antione Lavoisier (28) marries Marie-Anne Paulze (13), the couple go on to make major discoveries in chemistry together

  5. Spain cedes the Falkland Islands to Britain

    The Falkland Islands, commonly referred to as The Falklands, is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf.

More from the 1770s

United States Declaration of Independence

The Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence, announcing the separation of the thirteen American colonies from Great Britain.

politics government

US founding father Thomas Jefferson (30) marries Martha Wayles Skelton (23)

Martha Skelton Jefferson was the wife of Thomas Jefferson from 1772 until her death in 1782. She served as First Lady of Virginia during Jefferson's term as governor from 1779 to 1781.

Date of action in Victor Herbert and Grant Stewart's opera "Madeleine"

Date of action in Victor Herbert and Grant Stewart's opera "Madeleine"

The London Credit Exchange Company issues the first traveler's cheques, which can be used in 90 European cities

The London Credit Exchange Company issues the first traveler's cheques, which can be used in 90 European cities

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 16, 1770?
Marie Antoinette was the queen of France from 1774 until the fall of the monarchy in 1792 and her subsequent execution during the French Revolution. Born an archduchess of Austria, she was the penultimate child and youngest daughter of Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis I of the Holy Roman Empire. She married Louis Auguste, Dauphin of France, in May 1770 at age 14, becoming the Dauphine of France.
Why is Marie Antoinette (14) marries future King Louis XVI (15) of France significant?
Marie Antoinette was the queen of France from 1774 until the fall of the monarchy in 1792 and her subsequent execution during the French Revolution.
Who was involved in Marie Antoinette (14) marries future King Louis XVI (15) of France?
Key figures include Marie Antoinette, Louis XVI.

Explore More

May 16 in HistoryYear 1770