Speaking of Paris, there’s a new exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London called Marie Antoinette Style.
Yes, please.
Naively, I thought the exhibition would feel like a walk through Marie Antoinette’s closet. In a way, it is. These were the kinds of dresses she would have worn. She’s even credited with some of the design elements and trendsetting.
However, the dresses on display didn’t belong to her.
And neither did this “necklace.”
They are all gorgeous gowns and jewels from her era. (later 1700s)
Perhaps they belonged to her friends.
But they did not belong to Marie Antoinette. Of course not. I should have known better. Because her possessions were looted.
Present-day attitudes towards Marie Antoinette are radically different from those of France’s revolutionary times. That thought didn’t occur to me until I walked through the exhibit and saw dresses worn by other people and only torn fragments worn by her.
Such as these.
These shoes did belong to Marie Antoinette. But the fact that they are not a pair only further conveys the chaos of her final days.
Many of Marie Antoinette’s things were lost or destroyed during the Revolution.
But not all.
Such as this chair and jewelry chest.
In order to differentiate, objects that belonged to the Queen are labeled on placards with her monogram. Incidentally, and not surprisingly, Marie Antoinette played a significant role in popularizing the practice of monogramming and its association with luxury items.
This is a snuff box that would have held tobacco or bonbons.
Some of the items are quite personal.
Her personal effects in the show include a surprising number of self-portraits and busts.
Here are a few.
This one caused a scandal because it looked like she was wearing an undergarment. Once the public recovered from its shock, Marie Antoinette helped popularize linen muslin gowns.
Initially, it seemed narcissistic to me that she owned and displayed so many images of herself. Until I thought about social media. Marie Antoinette lived way before the invention of the selfie or even the camera. Commissioning an artist to capture one’s image was a common practice for centuries – for the elite class, anyway.
In fact, as I walked through the exhibit, I realized that the show challenges the concept of judgment in general.
Marie Antoinette was 14 when she married, 18 when she became Queen, and 37 when she was beheaded.
Yes, she spent lavishly. However, as the Queen of France, one of her jobs was to patronize and showcase France’s great artisans. She had no political power. Her role was to build and exert soft power. Which she did exceptionally well. And she did so using only 6% of the national budget. However, because her spending was visible and frivolous, she was judged and blamed for the state of the economy. But, according to historians, France was already primed for a revolution due to previous monarchs’ overspending on wars, and… Have you seen Versailles?
Ultimately, the citizens turned against their young Queen and sent her to the guillotine. After you look at all the pretty things, you get to see the blade used to chop off her head.
I bet you weren’t expecting that. I wasn’t either.
I have mixed feelings about posting this photo because it’s grotesque and barbaric. But the exhibition isn’t just about Marie Antoinette’s style (as advertised). It’s also about judgment.
Displayed next to the horrific blade is Marie Antoinette’s prayer book with a note she wrote the night before her execution. (16 October 1793, 4:30 am)
“My God, have pity on me! My eyes have no more tears to cry for my poor children; adieu, adieu!”
Are you wondering what her final words were?
“Pardonnez-moi, monsieur. Je ne l’ai pas fait exprès.” “Pardon me, sir. I did not do it on purpose.” -after stepping on her executioner’s foot.
But the exhibition doesn’t end with her last moments. It ends with her lasting impression:
-a room full of couture dresses inspired by her enduring style.
Dior 2006
Valentino 2025
Vivienne Westwood bridal dress 2005
Moschino 2020-21
I don’t know who this is, but it’s pretty great. And guess what? Marie Antoinette is also credited with popularizing Toile.
Throughout her lifetime and for over 230 years, she has been both scrutinized and copied.
Marie Antoinette: Icon? Frivolous? Glamorous? Heartless? You be the judge.
Marie Antoinette Style at the V&A Museum in London through March 22, 2026.