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Catholic historian and writer Elena Maria Vidal sets the record straight on the oft-maligned Catholic Queen of France and martyr of the Revolution. While candidly acknowledging the queen’s faults, Elena’s work paints a portrait of Marie Antoinette in all her complexity.
Drawing from her years of research, Elena discusses:
Popular misconceptions about the queen, then and nowThe origin of the “let them eat cake” rumorWhat modern TV series and movies get wrongMarie Antoinette’s strong Catholic faith and moral character, and many recorded charitable worksThe deeply Catholic milieu of the French court and its role in ChristendomThe truly demonic nature of the French Revolution and its pagan “Cult of Reason”How the queen was able to secretly receive the sacraments before her deathMarie Antoinette’s piety and equanimity at the guillotine
Elena has written several books about Marie Antoinette and her family, including two novels and a biography. They are available at the links below:
Marie-Antoinette, Daughter of the Caesars: Her Life, Her Times, Her Legacy
Trianon: A Novel of Royal France
Madame Royale
Her latest research focuses on the Stuart dynasty. She blogs at https://teaattrianon.blogspot.com/.
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Image: Marie Antoinette in a Chemise Dress by Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun