A fascinating glimpse into the world of Marie Antoinette. Margaret Macleod has been working on these long forgotten letters for many years. The letters form a long series of correspondence between Marie Antoinette and her mother; as well as various secret letters written by the Austrian Ambassador to the Imperial court in Vienna.
It show how Marie Antoinette's relationship with the French people changed - from an initial enthusiasm to eventually cutting her head off during the French revolution.
It also charts the problems in her relationship with her husband; particularly his reluctance to undergo an operation to cure his impotence. A giddy world of pleasure seeking, gambling and thoughtlessness is underpinned by plots, marital problems and unpopularity.
The letters reveal much about the characters involved, you cannot help but feel some sympathy for the young queen faced with such a medley of problems.
It is not easy reading, you need time to assimiliate the information but it is very interesting. Margaret Anne Macleod's introduction is helpful, setting the letters in context of both personalities and historical events.
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