Part I in a series exploring the true relationship between Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France, and Count Axel von Fersen, a Swedish emissary at the court of Louis XVI. There is no proof that they were lovers.
...The Swedish nobleman was in the service of his sovereign King Gustavus III and Count Fersen’s presence at the French court needs to be seen in the light of that capacity. The Swedish King was a devoted friend of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette and Gustavus, even more than the queen’s Austrian relatives, worked to aid the King and Queen of France in their time of trouble. Fersen was the go-between in the various top secret plans to help Louis XVI regain control of his kingdom and escape from the clutches of his political enemies. The diplomatic intrigues that went on behind the scenes are more interesting than any imaginary romance. (The queen’s relationship with her husband is more interesting as well.) However, books and movies continue to add this sensationalism to the queen’s life, as if anything could be more sensational than the reality. Serious modern and contemporary scholars, however, such as Paul and Pierrette Girault de Coursac, Hilaire Belloc, Nesta Webster, Simone Bertiere, Philippe Delorme, Jean Chalon, Desmond Seward, and Simon Schama are unanimous in saying that there is no conclusive evidence to prove that Marie-Antoinette violated her marriage vows by dallying with Count Fersen...
Part II, HERE.
Part III, HERE.
2 comments:
Thank you for the link. I am discovering and more and more about how the Swedish king was devoted to Louis and Antoinette. He was the sole monarch willing to help them in a practical way, and his murder was a disaster for them!
A very interesting topic! It's striking, also, as Gustav III wasn't even Catholic, yet did more for them than many other rulers who were.
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