History's first influencer? Marie Antoinette still receives letters

History's first influencer? Marie Antoinette still receives letters Two hundred and forty years after their last stay at the Château de Fontainebleau south of Paris, France's King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette are again taking centre stage there. Some 4,000 letters have been sent to the late queen under the chateau’s “Write to Marie‑Antoinette” initiative, showing that she in particular is still a subject of fascination to the public. Most of the letters addressed to Marie Antoinette received by the Château de Fontainebleau begin with the same honorific: "Your Majesty". “Those who write to her play along wholeheartedly. They address her in a very formal and respectful manner,” said Sylvain Moulène, director of development and communications at the royal palace, some 60 kilometres southeast of Paris. Since the launch of the initiative “To your pens! Write to Marie Antoinette”, the castle – which served as a residence for French monarchs for nearly eight centuries – has received over 4,000 letters. “It’s been a wonderful success that has taken us by surprise,” said Moulène. “We didn’t expect so many letters, especially from all over the world.” The year of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI This campaign is part of the Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI theme year at Fontainebleau. Two hundred and forty years ago, the royal couple spent their final day at this iconic château. Between 1770 and 1786, they stayed there on 11 occasions. “It was a country retreat the queen particularly loved. At the end of the 18th century, there was a real return to nature. The Château de Fontainebleau, close to the forest, allowed the queen to enjoy this. Court life there was also less formal than at Versailles,” Moulène said. To illustrate the monarchs’ special attachment to the site, exhibits, tours, shows and concerts have been planned throughout the year. The celebration's most original programme invites the public to write a letter directly to the queen. Whether from their own home or from a "boudoir" specially recreated for the occasion outside the castle shop, everyone is invited to write to French history's most famous monarch. Cécile Berly, a historian specialised in the 18th century, came up with the idea for this dialogue across time. “The Château de Fontainebleau asked me to come up with an idea to breathe new life into the history of this period and of Marie Antoinette,” she said. “I immediately thought that we needed to use the medium of the letter to encourage genuine engagement. It helps create a connection and sense of closeness with the queen.” Over the past few months, Berly has run several writing workshops linked to this project, particularly in middle and high schools across the region. She found that more than two centuries after her death, Marie Antoinette still fascinates people. "I could see from the students’ letters that they view her as an influencer. They are extremely struck by her modernity. They see her as a fashion icon who, had she lived in our time, would have played a key role on social media,” said Berly who has written several books on Marie Antoinette. “It’s quite surprising, but they also often judge her and point out that she didn’t always behave very well.” A cultural icon Fashion victim, unfaithful wife, reckless spender, caring and modern mother, victim of the Revolution – the queen is no stranger to strong descriptors. Executed by guillotine on October 16, 1793, a few months after her husband Louis XVI, she has always evoked strong feelings. "Since her death, this figure has always been appropriated for good or ill," Moulène said. "During the Restoration in the 19th century, the royalists tried to claim her by promoting the image of a martyr. Conversely, during the Third Republic, the idea of a wicked queen was revived to legitimise the new regime." Watch moreWhat’s left of France’s revolutionary spirit? Marie Antoinette became a cultural icon in the 20th century. Nearly 70 films have been made about her, most portraying her in a rather favourable light. The most notable recent film is Sofia Coppola’s 2006 production, which offered a kitsch take on the Austrian archduchess's arrival at Versailles at the age of 14. “This film, with all its anachronisms, made her seem modern and contributed greatly to the globalisation of her image,” Moulène said. To display this content from , you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. As proof, a great many letters sent to the former queen in recent months have come from the United States and Canada. "Many foreigners have a kind of idolisation of her," said Berly. "For them, she represents so much in their lives; she acts as a confidante, a best friend and a role model. There is no longer any political depth, but rather a fascination with a historical figure who embodies an elegance and a destiny that is dizzying: born in Vienna as an archduchess, living much of her life amidst the splendour of Versailles, and ending her life before the age of 38 in the midst of a political storm." Read moreBastille Day: A brief history of France’s July 14 national holiday The historian does not hesitate to describe her as a blend of "right-wing anarchist Brigitte Bardot with a ‘I do what I want and I don’t give a damn’ attitude" and a "British Princess Kate Middleton who maintains exemplary control over her image and has borne children for the future king". Useful tool for understanding the 18th century For years, Berly has been fascinated by the great female figures of the 18th century. However, the historian admits that it is for Marie Antoinette that she feels “the least affection”, in contrast to writer and political activist Olympe de Gouges or revolutionary salonnière Madame Roland. "That doesn’t mean there’s no emotion involved, but I try first and foremost to understand and contextualise this woman within her time," Berly said. "She has a depth that, for a very long time, completely eluded us. She is an extraordinary tool for understanding that century." By studying her correspondence, Berly has highlighted the fact that, far from being frivolous, the queen was, on the contrary, “entangled in her circumstances and her extremely turbulent life”. Read moreScience sheds new light on Marie Antoinette ‘love affair’ Whilst some today see her as a pioneer of feminism, Berly dismissed the idea. “Even though she fought for her own freedom, the issue of women’s rights and their place in society was not a concern of hers. That said, she certainly belongs in the history of women’s emancipation,” she said. Visitors and admirers from all over the world have until July 4 – the date of a picnic and a queen’s ball organised in the English garden of the Château de Fontainebleau – to put pen to paper. At the end of this project, the most beautiful and touching letters will be selected and compiled by Berly in an anthology to be published in the fall to coincide with the major exhibition "Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI at Fontainebleau: Splendor and the Sweetness of Life". “It will not be a scholarly book about the queen, but rather the modern public’s perspective on the monarch,” Moulène said. Behind this "publicity stunt", Berly also sees an opportunity to deconstruct a large part of our collective imagination. "If she remains so deeply embedded in our collective imagination, it’s because there is real depth behind the image," she said. "Like Marilyn Monroe or Frida Kahlo, she wasn’t just about her stunning dresses. They say a lot about her, but they don’t tell the whole story." This article has been translated from the original in French by Simon Feisthauer-Fournet.