Born as Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna, Archduchess of Austria, the fifteenth daughter of Empress Maria Theresa and Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, Marie-Antionette was married to King Louis XVI of France at the tender age of just 14. The Palace of Versailles, the opulent display of wealth and splendor first built by King Louis XIV just outside of Paris, became the future queen's home and played an enormous role in her (and her family's) demise. The young royals' union had been planned by their families since the 1760s, and the wedding festivities lasted more than two weeks, signaling the beginning of a lifestyle that would eventually lead the country into open rebellion.
Queen Marie-Antoinette was known for her extravagant and overtly feminine way of dressing, and the royal court was expected to follow suit. Her court was expected to support various French artisans and makers, and this put a financial strain on even many noble French families. Marie-Antoinette's yearly budget for clothing was rumored to be close to $3.6 million in today's value, according to Laurence Benaim, author of Fashion and Versailles. Voluminous dresses trimmed with ruffles, laces, ribbons, feathers, and embroideries (Marie-Antoinette ordered 300 new frocks a year), towering hairstyles, and the jewels—the queen spared no cost.
The Royal Crown jewels of France, both worn by Queen Marie-Antoinette and King Louis XVI, disappeared during the French Revolution but came back into the public eye and were auctioned by Sotheby's in May of last year. Jewels like Marie-Antoinette's 18th-century natural pearl and diamond pendant fetched a record-breaking price—it was sold for $36 million USD. Another important piece that was recovered was a three-strand pearl necklace, complete with a diamond clasp that was added later, that was passed down and worn by women of the House of Bourbon-Parma.
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It is believed that the jewels of the royal family were snuck away during the dark of night in 1791 when the king and queen were attempting to escape from the Palace of Tuileries before their impending executions. The jewels were sent to Brussels and then onto Vienna, so that Marie-Antoinette's nephew (the Austrian Emperor) could guard them. Marie-Thérèse de France, the only surviving offspring of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, eventually received the jewels. She later gifted them to her niece, the Duchess of Parma.
Among the other pieces of the Royal Crown Jewels included a beautiful double-bow brooch with a yellow diamond (a later addition) that one can imagine gracing the bodice of the late Queen, an intricately designed gray pearl, ruby, and diamond collar necklace (the pearls were rumored to have been in the family for over 200 years), and stunning diamond rings, which bore the queen's initials and contained a lock of her hair.
